Puppy Mills
Puppy Mills are
overcrowded places
where puppies are
overbred. They do
this just for $$$$$.
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How Do Puppy Mills Work?
They over-breed dogs.
The puppies are in tiny, cramped cages and are neglected.
The cages are also very unclean.
The puppies live in very poor conditions.
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Behavior
Because of the poor conditions, lack of human contact, and being taken from
their mothers too early, dogs have many behavior problems.
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shyness
aggression
levels of fear
anxiety
phobias
compulsive behavior
repetitive behavior
act up around any humans
abnormal behaviors
can show difficulty in everyday life
psychological/emotional harm
don’t like to be touched
uncontrollable behavior
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Health Issues
•Body Issues
•Infections
•Diseases
•Viruses
•Parasites
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History of Puppy Mills
•Started around the 1940’s
•Cash crop for struggling Midwest farmers
•Puppies were sold even in stores like
Sears Roebuck
•Puppies were kept in chicken coops and
rabbit cages
•Today there are close to ten-thousand
puppy mills
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Laws
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• pet stores don’t
always know where
their dogs come
• when you buy a dog
from the pet store,
it could be from a
puppy mill
• you could be taking
a sick dog home
So, governments and organizations are trying to pass laws to protect puppies.
Laws
New Connecticut Law
- strict rules for in state dog and cat
breeders
- breeders can’t sell animals if they
don’t follow the USDA rules
- pet stores must post signs to tell
people if they broke any rules
- if people buy a sick pet they can get
money from the pet store to pay for
the veterinarian
Federal Law
- the Animal Welfare Act means
there needs to be a standard of care
for animals (basic needs to be met:
food, water, health) - breeders must
be licensed and regulated
- ASPCA (animal protection agency)
is trying to get more laws passed
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Boycott
Don’t buy dogs from
local pet stores.
The ASPCA is
asking people to
take a pledge to not
shop from a store
that sells puppies
from puppy mills even if you’re just
buying food or toys.
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Get educated
Know what questions to ask when you buy a dog that’s
not from a pet store. For example, you can ask to see
the mother and father of the dog to see if they're
healthy or ask to see where the dogs live.
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Support
You could:
• Put ads in newspapers to
support stopping puppy mills
• Report any signs of puppy
mills in your neighborhood
• Support organizations that
watch over breeders
• Put flyers around your area
• And the most important thing:
adopt a dog.
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Fundraisers/Events
Organizations like the Puppy Mill Project and the ASPCA are
helping to raise awareness of the issue through fundraisers
and events. The ASPCA is giving $25 million to help Los
Angeles animals. The Puppy Mill Project is educating children
and adults in Chicago.
You can help by donating money or supplies to dog shelters or
organizations like this.
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Please remember never
to buy a puppy from a
pet store.
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