What Is A Puppy Mill?
By Shirley Patterson Secretary of the YTCA
A puppy mill is a mass dog breeding establishment that produces
puppies for profit by selling them wholesale to the pet
industry. Many puppy mills are characterized by overcrowding,
filth, inadequate shelter, and insufficient food, water, and
veterinary care. Most puppy mill owners sell their dogs
wholesale to brokers, who in turn, sell them primarily to pet
stores. Because profit, not quality dogs, is the ultimate goal
of the puppy mill owner, breeding practices are often shoddy,
and the breeding dogs are kept under the most inexpensive
possible conditions that will keep them alive and producing.
In contrast, there are hundreds of responsible and reputable
kennels and breeding establishments throughout the country whose
owners make a profit, but not at the expense of their dogs.
Whether these breeders are full-time professionals making an
entire living from a kennel, or hobby breeders with 5 or 10
animals, the responsible breeder is as concerned with improving
the quality of the breed, by showing or belonging to a breed
club, than he or she is at making money. Customers wishing to
buy puppies from these breeders are welcome to inspect the
premises and in most cases, to meet the puppies parents.
In between the puppy mill operators and the responsible kennel
owners are the so-called " backyard breeders" whose
newspaper ads dot Sunday papers each week. These are people who
own one or two purebred dogs and produce a litter of puppies
once a year or so for extra money or " because I want my
dog to have the experience of being a mother before I get her
spayed or Aunt Tillie would like to have a puppy just like my
mine." Like puppy mill puppies these animals are often
haphazardly bred with no regard to the consequences and their
offspring will most often suffer the same consequences.
As secretary for the YTCA I answer an enormous amount of calls
each day. I spend at least half the day conversing with many
first time pet buyers who seek to have guidance in finding a
healthy pet and also the best breed for their individual life
style. I also talk to many individuals who have already
purchased a pet and are now experiencing problems be it minor (
Why are my Yorkies ears not standing up?) to more serious health
problems and what to do about them since now there is no one
interested or concerned enough about the puppy to answer these
questions.
A Responsible breeder will give each puppy the socialization
that it needs and this requires a great deal of devotion and
patience . They are responsible for each puppy that they have
bred. (The puppies new owner will reap these benefits.) Their
dogs are their number one concern as they are completely
dependent on them for their care, training and medical
attention. Their dogs are "special " to them .
My own personal feeling is "If you are making money in
dogs, you are either over-breeding or your dogs are not
receiving the proper medical attention that they so
deserve.
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