Puppy mills

Jul 23, 2009

A big local story right now is about the  puppy mill in North Texas that authorities shut down due to animal cruelty.  One of our volunteers was there all weekend and is working on a story that we'll publish soon.

Did you know that all dogs from pet stores are from puppy mills?  Responsible breeders do not sell their pets through pet stores.

The Humane Society of the United States has been doing a lot of work to expose where puppies from pet stores are really coming from.  The pet stores will tell you that they get their pets from USDA-inspected breeders (and lots more mis-information).  Unfortunately, USDA guidelines for dog breeding set the standards very low and mills are violating even those paltry guidelines but still are allowed to be in business.  Read about all of the violations at USDA mills who are still in operation.

Occasionally a mill does get shut down, like the one in North Texas, and then local animal agencies and nonprofits, who are already stretched and underfunded, have to pick up the pieces and help the poor animals who have been living in the terrible, abusive conditions.

In addition to supporting a cruel business, when you buy a puppy from a pet store, you will likely pay a lot of money for a puppy who is unsocialized, sick from poor vet care, and has genetic problems due to overbreeding.

While we at APA! hope that everyone will adopt a shelter pet, if you decide to instead buy, please follow these guidelines from the Humane Society to find a responsible breeder and avoid buying a puppy mill dog.