Puppy Mills

Exposing Puppy Mills Puppy mills have been in the United States for many years, they are underground run organizations so they are not easily monitored by animal control units. Puppy Mills are places where purebred dogs are kept in small confinements, are severely neglected and are forced to mate until their bodies cannot handle it anymore, which then they are inhumanely killed. The puppies then are sent off to pet stores, leaving the bitches and studs there to continue the abusive cycle. Animal rights activists are trying to find ways to expose the breeders who run the puppy mills and encourage the public to not buy puppies from pet stores because puppy mills are who supply them with the puppies that are for sale. Puppy mills began after World War II when farmers were desperate to find ways to make money, after the widespread farm failures (AmeriDogs NP). Farmers began their mills with low income and already run down living conditions. The dogs were housed in chicken coops and rabbit pens, where they were denied veterinary care and socialization to humans or other animals (NP). The Farmers weren't educated on how to properly take care of the dogs they were housing leaving the animals sick, emaciated, and very unhealthy. Eventually the animal welfare act passed in 1966 which outlines specific minimum standards of care for dogs, cats and some other kinds of animals bred for commercial resale (Stop NP). After this, animal rights organizations were able to shut down some of the puppy mills that were in bad conditions, but shutting down all puppy mills throughout the U.S. would be an impossible task. Now there are many organizations dedicated to shut down as many puppy mills as possible. Although there are laws that try and regulate puppy mills and make sure that the animal welfare act is not being violated, there are far too many puppy mills then investigators to accurately inspect the facilities (PETA NP). In America there are well over 1,000 research