Puppy Mills - We Must Shut Them Down

Did you know that one dog and her offspring can produce about 67,000 puppies in a six-year time? Considering that shocking figure it’s not surprising that about 4-5 million dogs and cats are euthenized each year in the United States shelters.

What makes these numbers so sad is that it doesn’t have to be this way. If puppy mills could be shut down there would be a significant reduction in the number of unwanted pets.

Another good reason to shut them down is that puppy mills are horrendously cruel. If you think you can stomach seeing some pictures click on this link to puppy mill photos.

The breeders at these mills are often kept in cages that are more like chicken coops than dog kennels. They are often de-barked by shoving a metal pipe down their throat and banging it with a hammer, if you can imagine.

Females are bred over and over again, until they develop some health condition that prevents them from being of any use to the owner. Then they are often euthenized at home by whatever means the owner chooses. The fortunate ones are given to dog rescues and end up in good homes for the remainder of their life.
The puppies from these puppy mills end up at pet shops. So one big way to stop these inhumane businesses is to stop buying puppies at pet shops. Another way to help is to support any legislation your state or country tries to pass to shut down them down.

If you want to adopt a dog or puppy, the best thing you can do is visit your local animal shelter or call a local rescue. They have many dogs needing good homes. In the next post I will talk about what to expect when bringing a dog home from a shelter or rescue.