What are Puppy Mills?
Puppy Mills are dog breeding facilities that disregard the health of dogs, and are usually not registered. The dogs are left in small cages that often are made entirely of metal wire. The dogs are often never let out until they are ready to be sold to pet stores. Puppy Mills are entirely for profit, and they don't want to "waste" money on proper living facilities for the dogs and puppies.
where are Puppy Mills Located?
Puppy Mills are legal in many countries, including Australia, The United States of America, and The United Kingdom. These countries have some laws on the conditions of dog breeding centres, but they usually require the standards to be at a very low level. In the U.S, there is an estimated 10,000 puppy mills, but the numbers in Australia and the U.K are not known. Ireland is a hotspot for Puppy Mills, as there are no laws whatsoever regarding the standard of dog breeding facilities.
What are Breeder Dogs?
Breeder dogs are the dogs at Puppy Farms that give birth to all of the dogs. The breeder dogs are made to mate with other male dogs. As soon as they give birth to the puppies they are forced to start mating again. When the breeder dogs reach around the age of 4, they are considered "to old", and are put down.
How to Help
Many people who are against Puppy Mills, can easily be suporting them without even knowing. Here are some ways that you can help stop the Puppy Mill Industry growing:
- Don't buy dogs from pet stores, as some of their main suppliers are Puppy Mills.
- Don't buy dogs online either, as they are in the same category as pet stores.
- Buy dogs from shelters, rescue centres, or a registered breeder. You will find that they are often cheaper than pet stores anyway!
- Donate to charities that are motivated to stop Puppy Mills, such as the RSPCA of the WWF.