Raising Awareness of PUPPYMILLS

[MrsPeanut]

What is the Difference?
Imagine being locked in a 30”x30”x30”cage for twenty-four hours a day that you share with three other people. There is no floor in this cage, just wires and every time you walk, your overgrown nails catch the wires and tear or rip completely off. The only protection from the environment is maybe a torn tarp, which exposes you to rain, heat and snow. If you need to use the restroom you use one of the corners of the cage and because you have three other cage mates the excrement piles up and is never removed or cleaned. If and when your owners decide to feed you, you are given small moldy scraps that you have to share with the three other people. This usually results in injuries and because you are the smallest you usually do not get any food, so you starve. The only time you are let out of this cage is to breed or be put to death. The person you breed with is usually a close relative, probably a brother or son. After enduring the 60-63 days of pregnancy if you are lucky, half of your children might survive. Immediately upon delivery, your children are taken from you to be sold to complete strangers. You are always sick and starving. You are infested with worms and parasites and have multiple open sores and injuries from being attacked from other cage mates or from being abused by your owner because you didn’t produce very many children. You are always afraid and death is certain. When that may be, you don’t know, but you hope it will come soon to be free of the pain and sorrow that you feel everyday of your life. It could be today or it could be next month, but most of the time it happens before it is your time to go. The
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people who own you are only interested in how many offspring you produce and how much money they will receive. The only chance of freedom from this horrifying life is if people stop buying your children. This is just one of many examples that many types of dogs go through in so called “kennels, also know as puppy mills.” There are many people who breed dogs who truly believe they love their dogs and feel they are reputable breeders. What classifies a person as a reputable breeder? The purpose of this paper is to distinguish between the different characteristics, functions and purposes of puppy mills, backyard breeders and reputable breeders.
There may not be a solid definition for what a puppy mill is but we can express the characteristics of what a puppy mill can be described as. Some characteristics include, a large number of dogs in the range of fifty to hundreds of dogs or even more than that for the sole purpose of breeding. The purpose of such a large amount of dogs guarantees’ a steady supply of puppies therefore increasing profits. To cuts costs the dogs typically are given very little food and water, little or no shelter from the outside elements, cramped in small cages with a couple or several other dogs and have very little human contact. Also, because veterinary care can be costly, especially having a large amount of dogs and puppies, the medical care if provided, may be conducted by the owner who is probably not licensed.
Owners and breeders or these puppy mills say they are operating kennels not puppy mills and treat their dogs humanely and have a serious concern for improving different breeds of dogs. How can they have serious concern for the breed if the only
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agenda is money? Most owners also state they are operating these so called kennels lawfully. These owners may very well be operating under the law so one question remains. Are the puppy mills owners to blame for the deplorable conditions these dogs remain in, or are the federal and state laws not suitable to regulate these operations? The United States Department of Agriculture is in charge of regulating all aspects of health and welfare for animals. They instituted the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) in 1966 to protect animals from neglect and inhumane treatment. This act, “requires that minimum standards of care and treatment be provided for certain animals bred for commercial sale...individuals who operate facilities in these categories must provide their animals with adequate care and treatment in the areas of housing, handling, sanitation, nutrition, water, veterinary care, and protections from extreme weather and temperatures.” (USDA 1) The problem here is that the laws do not stipulate specific detailed requirements and furthermore “requires minimum standards of care.” To enforce these laws the AWA requires that commercial animal breeders be registered and licensed and purport to do random inspections. If the owner or breeder is found to have deficiencies, they are given a warning or ticket to fix the problems with the threat to a follow-up inspection. If after the next inspection the deficiencies are not corrected then they will take legal action. The owners and breeders however are able to find loopholes by arguing that these laws don’t stipulate specific requirements and only minimum standards are required. Furthermore, breeders might improve these conditions only until the next inspection and revert back to previous practices after the inspector cleared them. In the Dog’s Advocate Betsy Cohen states, “ when these kinds of breeders get caught, they get a slap on the wrist and the

[MrsPeanut]

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minute everyone’s back is turned they get back in business.” While they might momentarily be operating under the law, puppy mills activists argue these conditions are still inhumane and are continually fighting for changes in a defective system. The state laws are able to set higher standards of care and cover more than what federal laws do but the dilemma here is that every state is different and sets laws accordingly. Furthermore, not all the states have laws governing the requirements and standards for kennels because not all states have serious concern for puppy mills.
A backyard breeder can be defined by a few characteristics. There is no definitive purpose for backyard breeders. Some people want to make a little extra money, or they love their current dog so much and want to reproduce it, or backyard breeder may even just want another dog for their current one to play with. According to, What is a Backyard Breeder, “they just breed for the sake of it.” (1) The dilemma is that most backyard breeders do not see the complexity in how much time and effort goes into breeding and how costly and serious it can be. They don’t understand pedigree’s or inferior hereditary traits that can be passed on. Because of their nonchalant attitude, breeding prematurely without the correct information could lead to serious consequences such as losing their dog. They may also pass themselves off as reputable breeders, but typically backyard breeders have small amounts of knowledge of their breed and are not active in their breed. They know what type of dog and general facts about the dog but they usually will not know significant history of the breed. Backyard breeder’s do not discriminate when it comes to potential customers as long as they can get rid of the litter because they realize how costly and how much work it is so they sell to anyone.
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Backyard breeders may try to pass themselves off as reputable breeders by showing a clean friendly environment and how humanely the dogs and puppies are being treated in respect to housing, nutrition and proof of veterinary care. They may even go as far as giving a health guarantee or bill of sale. The difference shows in that a reputable breeder is almost obsessive about providing every aspect of information possible and is never nonchalant about selling puppies.
Anyone can put two dogs together and breed but that doesn’t qualify them as a reputable breeder. There are many characteristics of a reputable breeder. Reputable breeders will typically not breed more than one or two different types of dogs at one time. They will also usually only produce one to two litters per year; all registered with the proper agents like American Kennel Club for example and will skip breeding cycles. To skip breeding cycles means that females dogs go into their “heat cycle,” or reproductive stage twice a year and if bred they will skip a heat and not be bred again for another year. Doing this keeps the female strong and healthy so they may carry and produce healthy puppies again. They do not advertise in local classifieds, newspapers, and magazines or on posted flyers. Reputable breeders are usually found by word of mouth. They breed for improving the quality of the pedigree. To substantiate this claim breeders will conduct genetic testing and will not breed a dog with any inferior gene traits. To further this claim, they will also discuss any substandard traits of faults that the particular dog has. If the breeder finds another breeder with superior pedigree lines and want to use their stud, which is a name assigned to a male dog of potential breeding capabilities, both parties will conduct all blood test and screenings for a clean bill of health before
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breeding. They are very knowledgeable about the particular breed that they have and are actively involved in the breed. Reputable breeders do not take orders or sell their puppies in lots. They typically have long waiting lists and require an interview with the potential buyers to determine weather or not they will make good homes for their puppies. They will also deny or refuse to sell a puppy to anyone that they feel will be unfit to take their puppies into their homes. The environment the puppies and dame or sire is kept in is important as well. Most reputable breeders keep the dogs in their home in a clean area available for potential buyers to see or inspect. They will provide all necessary paperwork for viewing as well, such as pedigree’s, medical records, immunization records, photos or any other documents of information related to the dogs health and welfare. The will provide a contract with health guarantees, genetic testing and a bill of sale and most in cases will take a dog back anytime during its life if you are unable to care for the dog. Lastly, reputable breeders will make recommendations and be available for advice or help for the duration of the dog’s life.
In conclusion, we have examined the different characteristics, functions and purposes of puppy mills, backyard breeders and reputable breeders. If everyone can get a better understanding of what distinguishes each of them then perhaps potential dog owners will think twice and make informed decisions when buying a dog or puppy. It can also raise awareness about the inhumane treatment of dogs that occurs everyday. It can also create direct explicit legislation that could be introduced to enforce breeders and owners to sustain more humane conditions for kennels and destroy the puppy mill industry.

[Princessangela3]

WOOOT WOOT THAT WAS GREAT! I learned a bit thanks!!!

[MrsPeanut]

Originally Posted by Princessangela3

WOOOT WOOT THAT WAS GREAT! I learned a bit thanks!!!

Thanks for taking the time to read it, I know it was super long.

[rebeccag]

That's great information. Thanks for taking the time to write all that you did. It does make it a bit more clear because no one is going to tell you they are a puppy mill/byb. You really do have to figure it out even if they are telling you one thing, now you have something to look at yourself and make a decision on whether or not you're dealing with a mill. Also, some may think that puppy mills aren't so bad because you bring the puppy home and care for them but you also do a good job in describing what happens to the dogs having the puppies at the mill. They are basically tortured! It's not all about the puppy. It's about the dogs being left there...

Good job!

[rebeccag]

PUPPYMILLS.COM

[MrsPeanut]

Originally Posted by rebeccag

That's great information. Thanks for taking the time to write all that you did. It does make it a bit more clear because no one is going to tell you they are a puppy mill/byb. You really do have to figure it out even if they are telling you one thing, now you have something to look at yourself and make a decision on whether or not you're dealing with a mill. Also, some may think that puppy mills aren't so bad because you bring the puppy home and care for them but you also do a good job in describing what happens to the dogs having the puppies at the mill. They are basically tortured! It's not all about the puppy. It's about the dogs being left there...

Good job!

Thankyou so much, I know there is so much more I could have covered and one of the main things I wish I would have covered was why people shouldn't buy puppies and dogs over the internet and puppymills. I also should have included the viewpoint from reputable breeders who are also affected by stricter laws.

[rebeccag]

Originally Posted by MrsPeanut

Thankyou so much, I know there is so much more I could have covered and one of the main things I wish I would have covered was why people shouldn't buy puppies and dogs over the internet and puppymills. I also should have included the viewpoint from reputable breeders who are also affected by stricter laws.

Sounds good! Do a follow-up

[JennyLeroux]

Puppy mills break my heart. Is educating others our only option to stop them?

[KimberlySRN]

Originally Posted by JennyLeroux

Puppy mills break my heart. Is educating others our only option to stop them?

I think education is the best way to deal with it. If we buy the pups, it will only make space for more...if we rescue them, the miller will just start up somewhere else and start again... we need to hit them where it hurts...their pocketbook. By making one person aware, they may tell 5 friends, those 5 friends may tell 5 more people and on and on. The goal is to make people aware so that they will only get pups from good breeders or rescues and shealters. If their demand decrease they will have no other choice but to stop. Of course it is not the ideal situation but it has to stop somewhere.