11 Facts About Puppy Mills

1. A puppy mill is a commercial dog-breeding facility that focuses on increasing profit with little overhead cost. The health and welfare of the animals is not a priority.
2. Puppy mills will breed a female dog every time she is in heat. For instance, a 5 year old dog could have given birth to 10 litters of puppies.
3. In puppy mills, animals can spend most of their lives in cramped cages, with no room to play or exercise.
4. Often times, the water and food provided for the puppies is contaminated, crawling with bugs. Puppies can even be malnourished.
5. Puppies in mills are found with bleeding or swollen paws, feet falling through the wire cages, severe tooth decay, ear infections, dehydration, and lesions on their eyes, which often lead to blindness.
6. Almost all pet store animals come from puppy mills. At time of purchase, consumers are given incorrect lineage about the dog’s health, breed, and breeder.
7. Every year, retail pet stores across America sell 500,000 dogs, while 5 to 7 million dogs enter shelters. 
8. Most puppy mills have no veterinary care, climate control, or protection for the animals from weather (hot, cold, rain, or snow). 
9. With limited or no regulations or enforcement, puppy mills have no cleanup control. This means that dogs can be living in urine and feces for indefinite periods of time.
10. In most states, puppy mills are legal. It is important that future pet owners seek rescue dogs from their local shelter or buy pets from a trusted breeder in order to put mills out of business. 
11. Only 26 states in the U.S. have laws to regulate commercial kennels to prevent animal abuse and cruelty. 

Stop animal cruelty in puppy mills. GO

Sources: Humane Society, Pet Adviser