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What IS a Puppy Mill?

We hear about this all the time, and are warned against buying a dog from a "Puppy Mill".  But what makes a place a puppy mill?

A Puppy Mill may be:

	A place where several breeds of dogs are raised and the breeder always has puppies for sale;
	A dirty, trashy place where one or more breeds of dogs are kept in deplorable conditions and puppies are always available;
	A place where a single breed of dog is raised in acceptable conditions and puppies are always available;
	A place where lots of dogs are raised, where breeding is done solely for financial gain rather than protection of breed integrity, and where puppies are sold to brokers or to pet stores;
	All of the above.

Confused? 

A hobby breeder dedicated to promoting and protecting a particular breed or two might consider all of the above "breeders" to be puppy mills. Animal shelter and rescue workers who deal daily with abandoned dogs might agree. Operators of clean commercial kennels, licensed by the US Department of Agriculture, will strongly disagree, for the very mention of "puppy mill" damages their business and that of the pet stores they deal with.

Here's a little history:

Puppy Mills began after World War II, when desperate farmers looked for other ways to make money in the face of widespread farm failures. In response to this situation, the US Department of Agriculture encouraged the raising of puppies as a crop. Retail pet outlets grew in numbers as the supply of puppies increased, and puppy production was on its way. However, the puppy farmers had little knowledge of canine husbandry and often began their ventures with little money and already rundown conditions. They housed their dogs in chicken coops and rabbit hutches, provided little socialization, and often couldn't afford veterinary care. Animal welfare organizations got involved, investigating conditions at these farms and eventually were successful in bringing national attention to the dreadful and irresponsible conditions at these "puppy mills."

Puppy mill conditions led to the passage of the national Animal Welfare Act (AWA). However, the term "puppy mill" has been applied to any breeder who breeds lots of dogs, no matter what the conditions of the kennel or the health of the puppies. The AWA is administered by the US Department of Agriculture. 

Still confused?

Here are some definitions that will help you understand some of the terms that are most commonly used:

Hobby breeder: A breed fancier who usually has only one breed but may have more, follows a breeding plan in efforts to preserve and protect the breed, produces from none to five litters per year, breeds only when a litter will enhance the breed and the breeding program, raises the puppies with plenty of environmental and human contact, has a contract that protects breeder, dog, and buyer, runs a small, clean kennel, screens breeding stock to eliminate hereditary defects from the breed, works with a breed club or kennel club to promote and protect the breed, and cares that each and every puppy is placed in the best home possible.

Commercial breeder: One who usually has several breeds of dogs with profit as the primary motive for existence. The dogs may be healthy or not and the kennel may be clean or not. The dogs are probably not screened for genetic diseases, and the breeding stock is probably not selected for resemblance to the breed standard or for good temperament. Most commercial breeders sell their puppies to pet stores or to brokers who sell to pet stores.

Broker: One who buys puppies from commercial kennels and sells to retail outlets. Brokers ship puppies by the crate-load on airlines or by truckload throughout the country. Brokers must be licensed by USDA and must abide by the shipping regulations in the Animal Welfare Act.

Buncher: One who collects dogs of unknown origin for sale to laboratories or other bunchers or brokers. Bunchers are considered lower on the evolutionary scale than puppy mill operators, for there is much suspicion that they buy stolen pets, collect pets advertised as "Free to a good home", and adopt unwanted pets from animal shelters for research at veterinary colleges or industrial research laboratories.

Backyard breeder: A dog owner whose pet either gets bred by accident or who breeds on purpose for a variety of reasons. This breeder is usually ignorant of the breed standard, genetics, behavior, and good health practices. A backyard breeder can very easily become a commercial breeder or a puppy mill.

Puppy mill: A breeder who produces puppies as fast as possible with no breeding program, little attention to puppy placement, and poor health and socialization practices. A puppy mill may or may not be dirty but it is usually overcrowded and the dogs may be neglected or abused because the breeder can't properly handle as many dogs as he has. Puppy mill operators often denigrate hobby breeders and their dogs in attempts to make a sale.

It's easy to say that John Jones or Mary Smith runs a puppy mill or that pet store puppies come from puppy mills, but the label is tossed about so frequently and with so little regard for accuracy that it is difficult for prospective dog owners to see clearly what they are dealing with. Unfortunately, some people who are well-ensconced in your local dog scene could be categorized as operating puppy mills. Prospective buyers should be careful to question anyone they are considering as a source for a puppy. Remember, as with any purchase, BUYER BEWARE!

Suspect someone in your area of operating a puppy mill?

If you think you've found a puppy mill and wish to report it there are several actions you can take.

1. Get your facts straight. Know at least approximately how many breeds are raised at the facility, whether or not it is clean, if the dogs run together or are housed separately, whether the dogs have regular preventative and necessary veterinary care, and whether the operators sell to pet stores, brokers, laboratories, or the general public.
2. Take a look. If possible, get a friend to accompany you to the suspect business for your safety and to corroborate your observations.
3. Make notes about the conditions when you return home and be prepared to send those notes to the appropriate officials. Be prepared for bureaucracy to grind slowly and to restate your observations several times. Observations, not heartache, not hysteria, not an emotional outburst.
4. Contact your local humane society and health departments and describe the conditions you have seen as specifically and unemotionally as possible. The humane society can act in cases of abuse and neglect and the health department can deal with threats to public health from fecal contamination, dead dog bodies, etc.
5. Contact: 
   American Kennel Club Inspections and Investigations Department
   51 Madison Avenue
   New York, NY 10010
   (212) 696-8208
   
   If the breeds are AKC recognized and the breeder advertises AKC registered puppies.  The AKC will be interested if dogs are constantly running together, especially if dogs of different breeds are housed together and the business also sells mixed breed puppies, for this may indicate that record keeping regulations are being violated.
   AKC is a purebred registry and can deal only with record keeping and identification transgressions; they can suspend violators from further registration of purebred dogs, but they cannot prevent them from breeding and selling puppies. 
   
6. Contact:  (If the dogs are UKC registered)
   United Kennel Club
   100 East Kilgore Road
   Kalamazoo, MI 49001-5598
   (616) 343-9020

Remember:

It's up to you to do your homework on the type of dog you're interested in and its source. Perhaps a well-bred puppy will cost you more up front than a poorly bred one, but you could pay dearly in the long run. Problems arise when dogs are poorly bred, housed in poor conditions, denied proper medical care, are sick when sold, or are advertised falsely.

What can you do? 

Consider adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue organization. If you must have a puppy, purchase only from a reputable private breeder. Insist on inspecting the location where the puppy was whelped and raised. Spend time with the puppy’s dam and sire, if possible to verify structure, health and temperament. By all means, insist on health testing records. There is no reason to breed animals that are not comprehensively health tested for genetic afflictions. Make certain you buy your puppy from someone you trust, someone who cares for the puppy as long as it lives, and who will offer support and guidance to you.

Want more information?

Read through this article, Puppy Producers: What are they?