The Horrors of Puppy Mills; Please Adopt and Do Not Shop!

December 16, 2017

Puppy mills are a timely concern since many people are considering puppies as Christmas presents.

Puppy mills are a year round concern, but more so now considering the holidays are upon us. Many people may have already visited pet stores unaware of where puppies might have come from.

November 16, 2017, I wrote about pets who are abandoned after the holidays. For an incite to my thoughts about pets as presents you can read my story ‘Christmas, A Time for Joy? Yes – Except For Many Pets Given As Gifts’.

It is estimated there are 10 thousand puppy mills in the United States. Many mills have hundreds if not thousand of dogs imprisoned to a life of suffering within them.

It is a profit driven industry where millions of dollars are made yearly. Breeders place greed over compassion.

Dogs are usually bred every six months until they can breed no more. After they have outlived their usefulness, they are killed.

Breeding dogs are usually kept in small birthing crates with little room to stand or move around. They lack proper nutrition and fresh water sources.

Some breeders see dogs as livestock. They are disassociated to the reality a dog is considered man’s best friend. They consider animal rescue groups as foolish.

Many breeding dogs are debarked/devocalized to keep the outside world from hearing them bark. If they cannot be heard no one knows the puppy mill and their suffering exists. Some breeders do the procedure themselves without using anesthesia.

Wikipedia: Devocalization (also known as ventriculocordectomy or vocal cordectomy and when performed on dogs is commonly known as debarking or bark softening) is a surgical procedure performed on dogs and cats, where tissue is removed from the animal’s vocal cords to permanently reduce the volume of its vocalizations.

SIGNS OF STRESS

Pacing
Barking
Panting
Yawning
Whimpering
Craving attention
Excessive drooling
Abnormal shedding
Licking lips and nose
Itching and scratching
Broken spirit/depression

SIGNS OF FEAR OR ANXIETY

Panic
Hiding
Trembling
Tail tucked
Withdrawal
Ears laid back
Tense muscles
Reduced activity
Shaking or shivering
Passive escape behaviors
Terrified of human contact
Cowering in cages when rescued

THINGS TO CONSIDER IF YOUR PUPPY CAME FROM A PUPPY MILL

Dogs and puppies lack toys, socialization and mental stimulation.
Their environment could be infested with fleas, cockroaches, flies and maggots.
Breeding dogs and puppies might be forced to stand on wire cages that harm their sensitive pads.
If dogs are are kept in stacked wire cages the dogs below are often covered in feces and urine.
If they stand on solid footing their cages can be inches deep with feces and urine with a strong ammonia odor.
Breeding dogs and puppies might have untreated medical conditions especially from neglect and in-breeding.
If dogs are kept inside they are often shut away in areas lacking temperature control, no sunlight and no ventilation.
Dogs might lack proper shelter. If they are kept outside they can be exposed to extreme temperatures, seasonal weather and no protection from the sun.
Breeding dogs could be ill. The might have mange, skin conditions, parasites such as fleas and worms, hearing loss from ear infections, blindness from untreated eye infections, respiratory infections and broken bones.
They are over-bred and might be in-bred. They are re-impregnated over and over again approximately every six months.

Video: ‘Breeder | Animal Cops Houston’ published on Nov 7, 2017 – There’s trouble In Austin County when Houston SPCA Cruelty Investigator Randy Farmer is called to a suspected dog breeding facility.

Video: ‘ The Shocking Truth About Puppy Mills’ – Before you buy a dog from a pet shop or a backyard breeder or even a puppy mill think of the dogs that are still going to suffer cause you are helping their abusers by buying their puppies!

Video: ‘ Mississippi Puppy Mill a Living Horror’ – Rescuers removed more than 100 dogs from horrible conditions on a Tylertown, Miss., property in a joint effort by the Walthall County Sheriff’s Office, The Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society of South Mississippi.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A DOG

Contact shelters and rescue groups
If you are looking for a purebred buy from a reputable breeder

Do not buy online
Do not buy at pet stores
Do not buy through newspaper ads
Do not buy at swap meets/flea markets
Do not buy from someone selling in a parking lot

CONCLUSION

DO NOT SHOP – ADOPT!

Pets should never be considered as a throw away gift. They should never be given as a gift to a child or adult to be neglected or abused.

Please avoid buying pets at a pet shop. Most of those puppies, kittens and other animals are acquired by breeders who have little care for the pets they sell. It is all about profit and many pets suffer due to breeder neglect.

There are wonderful pets waiting to find homes. Saving their life could enhance yours. If you are looking for a specific breed, most shelters will add you to a breed wish list. When that breed comes in and is ready for adoption you will receive a call.