the true about puppy trade industry or how to buy a puppy
 

In this topic, I will try to post some information about pet trade industry in USA. Hopefully, this information will help to buy responsible, or even better will help to save a life.

This booklet is prepared specially for Anti Pets Store CAMPAIGN.

PS: Seems like there are some problems to post original pics, but will try my best. If someone wants to receive the original copy, please contact privately, and I will resend it to you. You are welcome to copy and share with others...

Puppies sold in pet stores come from
PUPPY MILLS or back yard breeders

There is NO doubt about it.
NO ONE reputable breeder will never ever sell puppies to any pet store. Period.
What are Puppy Mills?
By the formal definition, a puppy mill is a large-scale breeding operation that produces large numbers of puppies for profit. What the formal definition overlooks is that most puppy mills are inhumane in their treatment of breeding dogs and puppies. Many are filthy, and are run by people who have no idea about or concern for the genetic implications of breeding or about what dogs require in terms of basic health care and socialization. Many are simply hellholes in which the breeding dogs are kept in the most deplorable conditions—dogs confined to small wire cages for their entire lives, fed inadequately, kept in unheated buildings, denied basic veterinary care. The breeding dogs are sick, wounded, and malnourished. And their lives are miserable. Females produce puppies as much as they can, twice in a year until they cannot do it any longer. When their breeding usefulness is over, they may be killed or dumped. Large-scale mills do not take their older dogs to shelters, as a rule, because they don’t want to draw attention to themselves. Puppy millers and back yard breeders sell puppies to pet stores (sometimes directly, sometimes through the broker) and online.

sorry, it will take time. will be much more info

Meet the parents of your pet store puppy

Most helpful websites & sources about Puppy Mills
(Pictures included)

Stop Puppy Mills
United Against Puppy Mills
puppymillrescue Home Page
www.nopuppymills.com
Puppymills - Information about puppy mills and how to shut them down.
Petstore Cruelty
Puppy Mill Protest | Home
PUPPYMILLS.COM
Tip: Check out the given websites above and educate yourself!
Important!

WHAT PET STORE’ SALEPERSON WILL TELL YOU AND WHAT NEVER WILL

Every pet shop that sells puppies will assure you, solemnly, that their puppies are different. Their puppies don't come from puppy mills, but from fine local breeders.

The reality is that responsible breeders will never place one of their puppies in a pet shop or anywhere else for resale or consignment. Never, ever, ever. Any breeder who has placed their puppy in a pet shop to be sold has immediately disqualified himself as a responsible breeder.
WHY?
Because, as commercial establishments, pet shops are required to sell a puppy to anyone who can pay. Legally, they are not allowed to "screen" buyers for suitability. Responsible breeders wouldn't be able to sleep at night wondering which of their puppies might have gone to an unsuitable home and was not being properly cared for.

But my pet shop says...

The pet shop industry has manuals and trade journals that teach pet shop owners and employees exactly what to say to persuade you to buy. Their marketing ploys include:

But my pet shop says...

"We buy only from local breeders."
When a salesperson says they get their pups from local breeders it could either be what they were trained to say or it could mean they actually do get their puppies from local commercial kennels. "Local" doesn't mean that they aren't from a LOCAL puppy mill. Our local pet store has "local" puppies too...straight from the local puppymill
What difference does this make? Whether a breeder is local or lives in Timbuktu, whether he has produced only one litter or many -- if he has placed his puppies in a pet shop, his breeding practices are irresponsible. Geographical location makes no difference at all.

But my pet shop says

...
"We buy only from private breeders."
First of all what defines a private breeder? Nothing. If there are private breeders, who are the public breeders? There's NO such thing! So when that sales kid tells you that the pup is from a private breeder he could be talking about ANY breeder in the country.

But my pet shop says...

"We buy only from Christian and Amish breeders "

You will be surprised and this true will hurt you. However, the most inhuman puppy mills aka back yard breeders belong to Amish families and those who loved to mention that they are good Christian. Amish country is synonymous with puppy mills, and Lancaster County is the capital of Pennsylvania puppy mills. Puppy mills are very very common here and yes they come from the Amish. The Amish view the dogs as livestock so they don't put much care into them. “In the Amish community, so-called puppy mills are a big source of income,” said Andy McIlvain, manager for the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Wellsboro, Tioga County. “Part of their culture is selling lots of products, and generally the Amish look at animals as another resource to sell"
Read more:

Puppy Mill Information

The Amish: Allegations of animal neglect at puppy mills

Lancaster County Pennsylvania - The County of Cruelty

Amish Country: It’s not just buggies and furniture


Google Image Result for http://www.awawatchdog.com/0205/000_0008s.jpg

pic of Amish boy

But my pet shop says...
"We buy only from midwest breeders and they are not puppy mills"

The true is. The Midwest is a puppy mill belt region where you will find a large concentration of puppy mills. The red areas of the map represent the puppy belt. The yellow areas areas which are active in commercial dog breeding. The pink areas contain some commercial dog breeders, but show a pattern of growing concern. Missouri is called the puppy mill capital.

To read more, go to The Puppy Belt

Remember Puppy Millers also sell their puppies online and in newspaper ads. .
Some of the “puppy mill” sites are: puppyfind.com, livedeal.com, craigslist.com, oodle.com, kijiji.com, hoobly.com. Stay away from breeders that breed more than one or two breeds. Multiple breeds are one of the big red flags of puppy mill. A reputable breeder would not sell to just anyone online. Some reputable breeders will have websites, but they will want to know a lot about you and the home you will provide for their puppy before even thinking about accepting a deposit. A online pet store that will sell and ship you a puppy, no questions asked is not someone who cares about their pups! Please note: In our state we ALSO have a large concentration of puppy mills!!! They use same sites.

PS: in WA

But my pet shop says...
"We buy only from USDA-licensed breeders"

USDA stands for the United States Department of Agriculture. Their business is supposed to be livestock. They know little or nothing about dogs. As long as a breeder's paperwork is in order, the facilities are disinfected, cages are a minimum size, and no infectious diseases such as distemper are immediately obvious, the kennel passes.
The USDA has not the slightest interest in...
• whether the breeder knows anything about his breed
• whether the dogs used for breeding look like their breed
• whether the dogs used for breeding act like their breed
• whether the dogs used for breeding are free of genetic health problems such as hip dysplasia, luxating patella, eye diseases, liver shunt or heart defects.

USDA Breeder is a label to stay away from. The only reason someone would apply for this license is to crank out lots of puppies.

Example: This dog was approved by USDA for breeding.

But my pet shop says...
"All our puppies have AKC documents"

Same as USDA. Most of puppy mills dogs DO have AKC registration. Unfortunately, it means nothing. AKC has strong connection with puppy mills.

Example: Lily has 35 AKC Champion dogs in her pedigree. She was born and sold at a commercial breeding facility in Missouri, where she lived in a tiny cage and was bred to the max, for her entire life. ...

To read more, go to Puppy Mills and the AKC

But my pet shop says...
"All our puppies are health guaranteed!"

This "reassuring" platitude is how pet shops and irresponsible breeders seek to get around the expenses of genetic testing.
They offer to replace defective puppies rather than avoiding them in the first place by requiring their "wonderful" breeders to do genetic health tests on any parent dog used for breeding.
Don't support any breeder or pet shop who cares so little about the future life of their puppies that they do not require genetic health testing of the parents, in breeds where such health problems are virtually an epidemic.
Pet shops aren't too worried about their "guarantees", by the way. They don't have to honor many of them because most genetic health problems don't show up for six months or a year or two years. Either the guarantee has expired by then, or most people won't return a dog they've had for that long.
If your pup is healthy now, you can spend lots of money in the future for treatment your pet because of genetic health problems. For instance, luxating patella surgery will cost you up to $5,000.

Not just HEALTH problems
Obedience instructors and canine behavioral consultants will be happy to tell you about the temperament and behavior problems that develop in many pet shop puppies as they grow up.
Most pet shop puppies start out playful and friendly, but as they mature, their genes begin to assert themselves. If their parents or grandparents had shy or aggressive or hyperactive temperaments, those genes will show up during adolescence and adulthood.
Many pet shop puppies are nippy. Some were removed from their mother before 7 weeks of age, a critical period of time where she teaches them "bite inhibition." Some have learned to nip from interacting with so many potential owners wandering through the pet shop, including kids who tug and play roughly. Most of these potential owners thought the nipping was cute, didn't correct the puppy for it, and so the habit becomes entrenched.
Finally, raised in a small cage in which they're encouraged to eliminate freely, pet shop puppies are notoriously difficult to housebreak.

The major reason not to buy -- supporting the industry

You may wish to "rescue" a pet shop puppy. That's completely understandable. We all feel sorry for them.
But your good intentions will backfire, because you are feeding the industry by rewarding it with money.
You've emptied one cage, yes -- which creates demand for yet another litter to be produced to fill that cage. Even if you're very, very lucky, and your one individual puppy turns out okay, a large percentage of the others will not -- and YOU provided the incentive for them to be born by buying the one who came before them. YOU SUPPORT neglect, abuse and animal cruelty.

So what seems like a simple, isolated purchase actually contributes to:
• The misery of adult females who spend their lives in a cage, being bred again and again to provide puppies that you and others can buy
• The misery of these future puppies born with health and temperament problems
• The misery of future families who buy these puppies and then try to cope with the health and temperament problems
• The misery of animal rescue groups trying to deal with the flood of pet shop puppies dumped on their doorstep because families gave up on the health and temperament problems
When you buy one of those cute puppies in the pet shop window, you buy more than the puppy. You buy the budding physical and behavioral problems created by the bad genes passed on by untested parents whom you never get to see and evaluate.
Worse than that, you buy into a profit-hungry industry that is hurting innocent animals. Simply out of good conscience, a pet shop should not be anyone's choice as a source for a puppy.

Already Bought a Pet Store Pup?

www.petshoppuppies.com

If you do not want to adopt or rescue, please buy responsible:

The best choice is YTCA.org since most of show responsible breeders belong to a club.

Please, just be careful when you are looking for a yorkie puppy. Unfortunately, many back yard breeders and puppy mills in the US.

Before you chose a breeder please do your homework what responsible breeder is and its code of ethic. Just google "back yard breeder vs responsible breeder"

Below a few tips:

- reputable breeder will not sell yorkie earlier that 10 weeks. Run from a breeder who sell a pup at age less that 8 weeks. It is illegal to sell puppies younger that 8 weeks.
- reputable breeder will never ever sell puppies to a third party (broker/pet store)
- reputable breeder will try to avoid shipping and try to find a local buyer.
- reputable breeder must show at least one parent. If a breeder doesn't show the parents of puppy, this is huge RED FLAG of puppy mill.
- reputable breeder must give you a guarantee. And WITHOUT frase "no money back, only replacement a puppy". Too many sad stories when BYB sell sick puppies and no one pay a vet bills, even if pup died. Just think - do you really want to replace for another defective puppy from a BYB? Protect yorself - discuss about possible vet bills in a case of sick puppy.
- PLEASE READ STANDARD. (When I was looking for a pup, I was told that yorkie standard is 10-12 pounds:D). There are a few quality of yorkies (pet/show), and some breeders charge way too much money for a POOR BREED pup (fluffy coat, disproportional body, oversize, etc)
- NO such a thing as tea cup or whatever. Those word people love to use as marketing words. There is ONLY one standard: not exceed 7 pounds ! Period.
RUN from a breeder who breed too tiny yorkies less that 3 + pounds. Either run from a breeder who breed out of standard yorkies.
- Reputable breeder ALWAYS sells pet quality puppies with limited registration (spay/neuter)
- Reputable breeder must do genetic tests (for instance, luxating patellas). Those, who have any of genetic desease CANNOT be used for breeding. Run from a breeder who breed sick dog. ALWAYS ask for approval of genetic tests. Protect yorself. Luxating patella surgery is very expensive.
- Reputable breeder tries to find a best home for puppy and always will ask many questions.
- Reputable breeder does not breed more that one breed. Two are acceptable, more is definitely a puppy mill.
- Reputable breeder does not have puppies all the time and has a waiting list. According some definitions, if breeder has more that 3 litters in a year, it considers as a puppy mill.
- reputable breeder will not sell yorkie to a family with small children - yorkies are too fragile and not good match with small children.

Check references, call to AKC, etc. before you buy a puppy.

To review a references on particular breeder, go to

Wags & Wiggles Teacups User Reviews - Snohomish, WA 98290 - Citysearch

good luck

another old, but interesting article

"I Got My Dog From A Pet Store
And I Love It"

Pet Shop Puppies

Do not trust any breeder only because he is licensed and has been in business for many years. It means nothing. Most of back yard breeders and puppy millers are licensed and have years of experience. Never buy from a visible bad place - you will just support their bad business. Please be careful - they lie a lot.

A few tips of fraud:

They do not show the parents and explain it: the pup is a payment from stud service, and I own a father. The mother lives at another house, and father at stud service right now.

They guarantee that puppies has been checked for genetic problems. Puppies CANNOT be checked for genetic problems - parents ARE. Ask for prove.

They sell puppies from clean good house, but all dogs live in dirty small cages in own feces somewhere close in dark garage.

Online fraud from brokers. They advertises some cute puppies and if you buy it online, just go to nearest puppy mill and find similar one.

Online fraud. They advertise some beautiful dogs as parents of puppies and they are not.

There are many ..many... more... Do not expect ANY guarantee from so called breeder unless you are not educated enough. There are too many dirty secrets naive customers will never find out.......

More about genetic testing:

No one wants to support a PUPPY MILL or BACKYARD BREEDER with little or no concern about the puppies they produce or the clients they sell to. IF you are buying a puppy from someone that has done NO genetic testing of those diseases that are prevalent in the different breeds, chances are you are working with a puppy mill or backyard breeder. Bargain prices many not be such a bargain after all if you end up with a genetically defective dog. For those of you looking into the Designer Dogs such as Goldendoodles and Labradoodles, this also applies to them. Any reputable and responsible breeder has certified their breeding stock for diseases that are passed on from parent to offspring. Those would include but not limited to:

• OFA tested Hips & Elbows,
• OFA certified HEART, DNA tests,
• CERF eye exam yearly for 31 different eye diseases,
• SA tests for skin
• DNA test for PRA
• OFA certified Thyroid.

To insure that you are getting a quality purebred or part bred puppy always ask any breeder about these tests. If there has been NO testing done and the price seems too good to be true, there is a reason for that low price. Puppy Mills and Backyard breeders sell low ball priced puppies. DON’T LINE THEIR POCKETS WITH YOUR MONEY. REWARDING BYB for this is criminal as the breed standards for animals is degraded. They get your money. You get an ill bred pup with years of health problems and the high cost. IT is the only way they can market them. Consumers who have done their homework and research on the Breed will know about these tests and they refuse to purchase from such breeders. They will not be able to sell for what a quality puppy would be worth when they are not reputable breeders. To protect yourself from falling prey to such breeders, ALWAYS ask about these tests. All reputable and responsible breeders will offer full proof of testing.

Education and awareness about Puppy Mills and backyard breeders as well as knowing about genetic testing is the only way that you will be assured you are not buying and supporting that type of breeder. YOU will find them on all sites listing puppies for sale, EVEN THIS SITE HAS SOME LISTED TODAY. Please support breeders who are reputable.

Do it for the love of the animals.

BYB breed animals out of greed and care not about bettering anything other than their pockets

I decide to copy this post here. Someone from another forum wrote it, and everything is so true.

It can be hard to resist the cute puppies and kittens for sale in pet store windows. But a closer look into how these stores obtain animals reveals a system in which the high price that consumers pay for “that doggie in the window” pales in comparison to the cost paid by animals who are sold in pet stores or forced to produce them.

That adorable little scamp in the store probably came from a “puppy mill,” a breeding kennel that raises dogs in cramped, crude, filthy conditions. The majority of these facilities are in the Midwest, but kennels can be found throughout the country, and some dealers even import puppies from other countries.(1) Constant confinement and a lack of adequate veterinary care and socialization often result in animals who are unhealthy and difficult to socialize. As a result, many are abandoned within weeks or months of their adoption by frustrated buyers—further exacerbating the tragic companion animal overpopulation crisis.

Cages, Filth, and Neglect
Puppy mill kennels can consist of anything from small cages made of wood and wire mesh to tractor-trailer cabs or simple tethers attached to trees. One Arkansas facility had “cages hanging from the ceiling of an unheated cinder-block building ….”(2) Female dogs are bred twice a year and are usually destroyed when they are no longer able to produce puppies.(3) Mothers and their litters often suffer from malnutrition, exposure, and a lack of adequate veterinary care.

Puppies are taken from their mothers and sold to brokers who pack them into crates for transport and resale to pet stores. Puppies who are shipped from mill to broker to pet store can travel hundreds of miles in pickup trucks, tractor trailers, and/or airplanes, often without adequate food, water, ventilation, or shelter. Two men faced charges after 38 puppies were found to be confined to a feces-filled van without food, water, or space to exercise. The men were transporting the animals from Oklahoma to Florida when a passerby noticed the dogs’ distressed barking and the foul stench emanating from the van, which was parked at a Daytona Beach motel.(4) In Tennessee, 150 overheated puppies, who were traveling from a Missouri puppy mill to pet stores on the East Coast, were found in a cargo truck without air conditioning; four died.(5) Even if a store claims that it doesn’t buy from puppy mills, there is a good chance that it buys from a broker who does.(6)

Young puppies who survive the unsanitary conditions at puppy mills and endure the grueling transport to pet stores have rarely received the kind of loving human contact that is necessary for them to become suitable companions. Breeders, brokers, and pet stores ensure maximum profits by not spending money for proper food, housing, or veterinary care.

Conditions don’t improve much when the puppies reach pet stores. Dogs who are kept in small cages without exercise, love, or human contact tend to develop undesirable behaviors and may bark excessively or become destructive and unsociable. Unlike many humane societies and shelters, pet stores do not screen buyers or inspect the future homes of the dogs they sell. Poor enforcement of humane laws allows shops to continue selling sick animals, although humane societies and police departments sometimes succeed in closing down stores where severe abuse is uncovered.

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Farms and Brokers Do Big Business
When PETA conducted an undercover investigation at Nielsen Farms, a puppy mill in Kansas, PETA’s investigator found that the dogs had no bedding or protection from the cold or heat. Some dogs were suffering from untreated wounds, ear infections, and abscessed feet. Confinement and loneliness had caused some mother dogs to go mad. PETA’s investigator witnessed one USDA inspection, during which the officer glanced at the cages but did not examine the dogs. Our investigation led to the Kansas facility’s closing and a $20,000 fine from the USDA. The Nielsens are also “permanently disqualified from being licensed” by the USDA.(7)

There are thousands of breeders and dealers across the country. In Missouri alone, there are more than 1,400 licensed dog-breeding operations, although so many illegal breeders are in business that a state audit advised that the program designed to regulate commercial breeding was ineffective.(8) The nation’s largest puppy broker is the Hunte Corporation in Missouri, which also exports dogs overseas.(9) The company has been linked to numerous negligent pet stores and breeders and has sponsored American Kennel Club (AKC) meetings.(10) The USDA has loaned the company more than $4 million for expansion and upgrades in recent years—taxpayer money being used to bring more misery to dogs and puppies.(11)

The Plight of Purebreds
Some people impulsively obtain purebred dogs, even though they may not be educated about the breed or ready for the commitment that animal companions require. Movies such as 101 Dalmatians and Beethoven, TV shows like Frasier, and commercials such as those for Taco Bell have caused a jump in the popularity of certain breeds, yet very few potential dog caretakers take the time to investigate the traits and needs of the breed that they are considering. “Every time Hollywood makes a dog movie, the breed goes to hell,” says one caretaker of Bouvier des Flandres dogs. A Dalmatian fancier concludes that “… the unscrupulous breeders will see there’s a profit margin there.”(12) When there is a surge in demand for a particular breed, puppy mills try to meet that demand, but when Jack Russell terriers don’t turn out to be just like Frasier’s “Eddie” or St. Bernards don’t act just like “Beethoven,” rescue groups and animal shelters become flooded with these breeds.

.........

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The AKC, which opposes mandatory spay/neuter programs for purebred dogs, receives millions of dollars from breeders who pay AKC registration fees.(13) The AKC registered more than 421,000 dogs in 2005, some of whom will join the millions of animals who end up in animal shelters every year.(14) Buyers may be swayed by talk of “papers” and “AKC registration,” but these papers cannot ensure good temperament or good health. Says one veterinarian, “The best use of pedigree papers is for housebreaking your dog. They don’t mean a damn thing.”(15) The AKC has minimum care standards for “high-volume breeding” facilities, but with 14 inspectors and an operating budget that is directed toward registration and dog shows, the AKC can only manage to inspect its registered kennels once every two years.(16) By its own admission, some of the more problematic kennels have simply sought registration services (such as Dog Registry of America, Sporting Dog Registry, American Hunting Dog Registry, and All American Dog Registry, to name a few) that don’t perform inspections.(17)

At puppy mills, dogs are bred for quantity, not quality, so unmonitored genetic defects and personality disorders that are passed on from generation to generation are common. This situation results in high veterinary bills for people who buy these dogs and the possibility that unsociable or maladjusted dogs will be disposed of by their unprepared “owners.” “There is virtually no consideration of temperament,” says one dog trainer. “I wish legislators could sit in my office and watch ... people sobbing in extreme emotional pain over having to decide whether to euthanize their dog because of some serious behavioral problem.”(18)

Inadequate Inspections
The USDA is supposed to monitor and inspect kennels to ensure that they are not violating the housing standards of the Animal Welfare Act, but kennel inspections are a low priority. In the U.S., there are more than 1,000 research facilities, more than 2,800 exhibitors, and 4,500 dealers that are supposed to be inspected each year.(19)

There are three APHIS sector offices with a total of approximately 70 veterinary inspectors who are supposed to inspect, unannounced, the various types of facilities covered by the AWA.(20)

This means that 70 inspectors have to cover more than 8,300 facilities nationwide.

Puppy mills are rarely monitored by state governments, and existing regulations vary from state to state. In Missouri, for instance, each of the 2,100 facilities is supposed to be inspected once a year, but there are only 12 inspectors employed to handle the task.(21) Even with an estimated 1,300 puppy mills in Wisconsin, inspections of breeder facilities that sell at least 50 dogs and cats are voluntary, and there is no funding for enforcement of these regulations.(22,23)

The Puppy Pipelines
Dealers who want to avoid relevant U.S. laws—the few that exist—look elsewhere to continue doing business. Says one Canadian lawyer, “[P]uppy mill operators in the States buy from us. And crossing the border isn’t a problem either. They cross them all the time.”(24) For example, there is a network of breeders and smugglers who bring puppies into the U.S. from Mexico. A Los Angeles woman was arrested during a sting operation on suspicion of selling under-aged puppies and for failure to provide proper veterinary care for the animals; one of the officers involved in the capture of the woman said that the smuggler fit the description of a puppy smuggler: The person uses an alias and a throwaway cell phone and sells puppies from the backs of cars or on street corners.(25) A New Hampshire breeder, who was arrested for cruelty to animals when dozens of dogs and cats were found living in filth, was selling puppies from Russia for as much as $1,900 each on the Internet.(26)

While no federal agency tracks the number of puppies that enter the U.S., an investigation by a New York TV station concluded that thousands of puppies arrive every year and that many are sick or dead when they get here. A staff member at a private veterinary clinic at John F. Kennedy Airport told the CBS affiliate that she had seen “a couple of cases where they (puppies) were shrink-wrapped.” The station also found that although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal agencies have been alerted to the problem of underaged, sick puppies who are crammed and shipped into filthy, crowded kennels for hours at a time, none has jurisdiction over the animals’ care. The CDC only checks animals for rabies, and the USDA regulations for dogs’ age and transport conditions do not apply to foreign shipments.(27)

Some states have enacted “puppy lemon” laws that give caretakers the right to return sick or dead puppies for replacement or that offer the option of having veterinary expenses paid by the seller. Unfortunately, depending on the state, the law may not clearly say to whom it applies, or it may affect only pet stores or breeders that sell a certain number of animals each year. Check with your state’s attorney’s office to find out about your state’s laws.

What You Can Do
With millions of unwanted dogs and cats (including purebreds) dying every year in animal shelters, there is simply no reason for animals to be bred and sold for the pet-shop trade. Without these stores, the financial incentive for puppy mills would disappear, and the suffering of these dogs would end. The best way to find an animal companion is through an animal shelter or rescue group.

References
1) Josh Shaffer, “Law Meant to Reduce Puppy Farms Raises Alarm From Kennels,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram 17 Apr. 2002.
2) “Humane Society Takes 77 Dogs From Owner. Animals Missing Toes, Chewed Ears,” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 20 Dec. 2002.
3) Natalie Lariccia, “A Warning on Puppy Mills,” The Vindicator 25 Apr. 2000.
4) Charlene Hager-Van Dyke et al., “4 Testify in Animal Neglect,” Orlando Sentinel 16 Apr. 2003.
5) “Puppies Rescued From Cargo Truck,” Associated Press, 11 May 2000.
6) Lariccia.
7) U.S. Department of Agriculture, “Recent USDA Animal Welfare Act Case Actions,” press releases, 14 Sep. 2001.
8) Miglena Sternadori, “Officials Seek to Collar Illegal Dog Breeders,” Columbia Daily Tribune 20 Jun. 2004.
9) “USDA Approves Loan to McDonald County K-9 Distributor, Blunt Announces,” Blunt news release, 5 Sep. 2001.
10) American Kennel Club, “AKC Statement on Relationships With High Volume Kennels,” 2003.
11) Shaffer.
12) Chuck Haga, “Every Dog Has Its Day,” Minneapolis Star Tribune 7 Sep. 1999.
13) “Boise, ID Faces Breeding Restrictions,” AKC, 8 Nov. 2002.
14) American Kennel Club, Registration Statistics, 2006.
15) Michael D. Lemonick, “A Terrible Beauty,” Time 12 Dec. 1994.
16) High Volume Breeders Committee, “Report to the AKC Board of Directors,” AKC, 12 Nov. 2002: 5.
17) High Volume Breeders Committee, 12.
18) Richard P. Jones, “Panel Weakens Pet Industry Rules,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 19 May 2003.
19) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, “Animal Care Report” (Riverdale: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2004).
20) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, “Compliance Inspections” (Riverdale: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Jun. 2005).
21) “Missouri’s Animal Care Facilities Act Ensures Proper Animal Care,” MVMA Messenger Jul./Aug. 2002.
22) “Curb State’s Puppy Mills,” Wisconsin State Journal 14 Mar. 2003.
23) Franzen, “This One’s All Bark,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 26 May 2003.
24) Peter Mansbridge, “Puppy Mills,” The National Show, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 30 Jul. 2001.
25) Sandy Mazza, “Puppy Pipeline Plugged,” Pasadena Star-News 16 Mar. 2006.
26) Doug Hanchett, “N.H. Dog Dealer Busted; Cop: ‘The Odor Was Indescribable,’” Boston Herald 14 Jun. 2003.
27) “Puppy Pipeline. Many Shipped to America Are Abused,” WCBS TV, 17 Feb. 2006.

Thanks for this wealth of info!
 

I've been showing my parents (baby boomers) heart breaking videos of puppy mills so they can spread the stories & share them w/their friends. One day, my dad came to me & said, "Someone just told me that they know someone that owns a pet store, & they buy Yorkies for $725...that's the wholesale price"." He seemed very distraught, so was I after hearing that.

I cry everytime I see this, it is just heartbreaking:(
People need to know that when they buy a pet from a pet store or a BYB all they are doing are making more and more future pups suffer.
It needs to stop , I just pray one day it will.
Don't buy a dog unless you know and trust the breeder and check references .
PLEASE