The Truth About Puppy Mills

What up guys, I'm back. 

I know, I know, it's been three weeks of a hiatus since I last wrote, even though I swore that I would be writing every week. I feel kind of guilty about that, I won't lie, but I swear I had a good reason! I've been going through some mental issues lately, and it hasn't been pleasant, which stopped me from writing as much. But I'm a lot better now, and I'm just glad to be back and writing! I wanted to use these articles to address something that not many people may be aware of: puppy mills. 

See, I was recently watching a youtube video about puppy mills, and it's horrific to see what they really are. Actually, I'm going to dare you right now - go search up "puppy mills" on Youtube and watch the first video that comes up. Trust me, it ain't pretty. (Also please do that after reading this post I didn't mean you should do it now.) 

When people who are new to adoption think about getting a puppy, the first place their mind jumps to is to your average pet shop, where there are plenty of different puppies available. Or perhaps they want a purebred dog, in which case they go online to search for certain purebred dog sellers in hopes to find their forever pet. However, many do not realize how much harm they actually cause these innocent animals every time they opt to buy a puppy instead of adopting one. They do not understand that they are fueling a horrible industry that runs a dirty business and hurts many innocent dogs - otherwise known as puppy mills. 

What are puppy mills exactly? By the sound of it, puppy mills seem innocent enough. In reality, however, puppy mills are high-profit commercial dog-breeding companies that give more value to the maximum production of new offspring over the health of the animals that are imprisoned. Picture a prison-like shelter, one in which there are many dogs crammed into one place, or put into cages, with minimal food or water or time to go out. Often times, these dogs are stuck in their kennels for hours at a time, without access to basic grooming or veterinary care. Dogs are referred to as nothing more than a “product” for human consumerism, and their standard of living is severely diminished. Dogs are never required to be let out of these dingy cages and are only used to produce offspring. What’s worse, once the parents have given birth, their babies are immediately ripped away from them and put for sale. 

These dogs often have behavioral problems as a result of neglect. They do not know how to socialize due to being locked up in a cage for most of their lives. This would mean that the dogs would most likely be either intimidated or aggressive towards other humans and dogs, as a result of psychological trauma. Puppy mill dogs express significantly more fear, are more prone to soiling the house, are more dazed, and have lower rates of trainability and energy. They may also appear to pace around a lot more and become increasingly shy. All of these behaviors may deter the puppy from finding its forever homes, as new owners may be hesitant to take a dog that is hard to train. 

If this wasn’t bad enough, many customers forget the biological consequences of puppy mills. When dogs and puppies are sold off, the buyers are often not told of the backgrounds of these animals, which gives way for the dogs having congenital or communicable diseases, which can cost thousands of dollars to treat. Not to mention, when dogs are forced to breed, some of the breeding becomes inbreeding, in which dogs that are related to one another (i.e. siblings) are forced to interbreed - if this wasn’t atrocious enough, their offspring end up developing severe health deficiencies as a result of inbreeding. When the cost of taking care of a sick pet becomes too much, many owners unfortunately are forced to return the dog to an overcrowded shelter, where their pet may suffer again. This not only has a toll on the heartbroken owner but also on the innocent puppy, who doesn’t understand the reason for its pain. 

The worst part is, puppy mills are not even considered to be illegal in any state of America. This means that anyone could begin breeding puppies, even in their backyards. Unfortunately, many consumers are desperate enough for a purebred puppy to push the guilt of puppy mills aside - either that or they are ignorant of the situation they are encouraging. However, there is a bright side; there are now less commercially licensed breeders available in the US - in other words, there are fewer people who are now breeding dogs, thanks to “Best Friends” and their puppy mill initiative launch. Along with this, there is an increase in reputable breeders available, specifically on adoption databases such as PetFinder. 

 

So, what can you do as an Avante-Garde pet lover to stop these horrible puppy mills from working any longer? For one, you can choose to adopt your pets; contact your local shelter for more information on how you can do so. Shelter pets are often the ones who are abandoned and yet trained, so they can be great companions. It is best if you choose to consider adopting a mutt over a purebred, as purebreds may have genetic diseases due to inbreeding. Mutts can be quite adorable as well - don’t be afraid to go and meet some at your shelter, when you have the time! Never buy a puppy online or a mill supplied pet store - if you have doubts about the website you are on, make sure you read over all of their information and cross-check with other sites to ensure that you are not selling into a puppy-mill e-commerce site. Lastly, remember to support legislation that is in favor of reducing the breeding of animals, and spread the word about the realities of puppy mills and the benefits of adoption! 

Anyways, that was my mini-rant about puppy mills. If you or someone you know are planning to adopt a dog because they're sad and lonely from COVID (honestly, I relate) and want a friend to keep them company, then remind them to adopt a dog, not buy one. Adopting is cheaper anyway, so it's a win-win situation! 

Thanks for your time Reader, and I hope you have a great rest of your day. 

Sayonara, 

Ganga Prasanth