puppy mill
A place where dogs are kept exclusively for breeding. They are usually subjected to brutal treatment and very poor conditions.
The dogs are kept in wire cages with wire floors so the cages won't need cleaning. cages are usually stacked 2, 3 or 4 high. This means the upper dogs waste will fall on the dogs below, but it saves space, allowing more dogs to be kept. Many of these dogs are in poor health, their fur is matted with urine and feces. The cages are often times left outside in all weather conditions. Puppies will be left with their mothers in these cages until they are 4 or 5 weeks old. They are then removed so they can be sold in time to reach pet stores at 6 weeks of age.
Buyers stop by the puppy mills weekly to pick up any puppies ready for sale. Any that are too ill for the buyers are promptly killed. Any that are bought are given massive doses of antibiotics in the hopes of making them healthy enough for the pet stores. They are also cleaned up and then loaded into trucks to be taken to pet stores nationwide where they are sold for as much $4000 depending on the breed. The only national pet store chain I know of that sells puppy mill puppies is Petland. Hunt corporation is a major supplier to Petland, they buy puppies from puppy mills and haul them around in trucks as described above.
The top states for puppy mills are Missouri, Pennsylvania and Kansas. Many of these puppy mills are run by Amish people.
The dogs are kept in wire cages with wire floors so the cages won't need cleaning. cages are usually stacked 2, 3 or 4 high. This means the upper dogs waste will fall on the dogs below, but it saves space, allowing more dogs to be kept. Many of these dogs are in poor health, their fur is matted with urine and feces. The cages are often times left outside in all weather conditions. Puppies will be left with their mothers in these cages until they are 4 or 5 weeks old. They are then removed so they can be sold in time to reach pet stores at 6 weeks of age.
Buyers stop by the puppy mills weekly to pick up any puppies ready for sale. Any that are too ill for the buyers are promptly killed. Any that are bought are given massive doses of antibiotics in the hopes of making them healthy enough for the pet stores. They are also cleaned up and then loaded into trucks to be taken to pet stores nationwide where they are sold for as much $4000 depending on the breed. The only national pet store chain I know of that sells puppy mill puppies is Petland. Hunt corporation is a major supplier to Petland, they buy puppies from puppy mills and haul them around in trucks as described above.
The top states for puppy mills are Missouri, Pennsylvania and Kansas. Many of these puppy mills are run by Amish people.
Puppy mills are a national shame. They should be outlawed in all states. Never buy a puppy form a pet store, adopt a homeless pet from a shelter or rescue group instead.
puppy mill by MITB May 15, 2008
