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Payton Baumgardner
Mrs. DeBock
English 4 Honors
18 March 2015
How Are Puppy Mills Dangerous to Animals?
Puppy mills can be defined as large-scale commercial dog breeding operations that put
profit before the well-being of the animals. Many people may not see puppy mills for themselves
because the operator will sell the animals to intermediate pet stores, through the local newspaper,
flea markets, and ads on the internet. This diabolic practice dates back to World War 2 due to the
skyrocketing demand for ownership of dogs during that decade. People started breeding dogs to
fulfill the market demand for the animals; however, many breeder quickly gained interest in the
profit of this business rather than providing ethical care for the animals (Berek). Puppy mills are
still a national problem today that need to find a cure; not only are they inhumane and barbaric,
but they also are exceedingly dangerous to a variety of dog breeds.
The saying pictures will not do it justice is a statement of fact when it comes to puppy
mills. Pictures may give someone a sense of how depressing it is to see animals crowded in a
small cage but that does not justify everything that goes on and the risks that are upheld.
According to Berek in Puppy Mills, Too often dogs from puppy mills are sick, because they
were raised in harsh, overcrowded, and unsanitary conditions, subjected to inbreeding, denied
proper nutrition, and taken too early from their mothers. However, studies shown that the
animals rescued from puppy mills have had several illnesses, diseases, and infirmities that could
range from, but not limited to, anxiety, epilepsy, heart disease, deafness, parvovirus, and

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intestinal parasites (Puppy Mill FAQ). These poor animals have to face the consequences of
actions that were brought upon them from greedy, selfish operators and owners of puppy mills.
Secondly, puppy mill owners and/or operators get by legally by finding the loopholes of
the laws and regulations put in place. Krysten went into detail about some of the laws and
requirements that are supposed to be met and upheld by breeders and commercial dealers of the
animals in "A Local Approach To A National Problem: Local Ordinances As A Means Of
Curbing Puppy Mill Production And Pet Overpopulation," APHIS [Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service] regulations establish minimum care requirements that commercial dealers are
required to meet in order to maintain their federal license. These regulations specify standards for
housing and sheltering of the animals, feeding, providing water, exercising, adequate veterinary
care, and sanitation. Regulations require the use of appropriate methods to prevent, control,
diagnose, and treat diseases and injuries, and the availability of emergency, weekend, and
holiday care and also require daily observation of all animals to assess their health and wellbeing. Although the laws and restrictions may seem impossible to not abide by, the largest
problem unfortunately is the fact that these laws are minimally enforced and many of the
agencies that inspect numerous of these licensed operations are still facing issues of being
ineffective of enforcing compliance with the owners/operators of these barbarous
industries/practices.
Lastly, anyone can help end puppy mills and stop these malignant practices. It may take a
long time but any effort to end puppy mills will be recognized. As people take small steps with
local approaches to this national problem in our world today, it is one large step closer to extinct
these ruthless industries. First and foremost, people can help end puppy mills by not shopping at
stores that sell puppies. People can also take a pledge on the ASPCA website to never shop at

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stores that sell puppies due to the fact that most stores that sell puppies are supporting a puppy
mill, whether it is intentional or unintentional. Another step individuals can make is to join the
Advocacy Brigade that sends people notifications or alerts that make it easy to fight for laws
that protect animals in puppy mills (Puppy Mill FAQ). The HSUS (Humane Society of the
United States) encourages all people to pledge that they will consider adoption first and will not
purchase an animal, or pet supplies, from a store that sells puppies. The HSUS has provided
listings of puppy-friendly pet stores that have pledged not to sell puppies in their stores to help
consumers find local stores they should support if he/she does not want their money
inadvertently benefitting puppy mills (Krysten 387).
All in all, puppy mills are a national problem that need to find a cure due to the fact that
they are vastly dangerous to a variety of animals. Puppy mills include an array of risks, illnesses,
and diseases with the animals that are involved. These grim practices need to be stopped in their
tracks by people taking the right steps to end them. Anyone can help save a variety of animals
from puppy mills by being aware of this national issue!

Works Cited

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Berek, Daniel L., MAT. "Puppy Mills." Salem Press Encyclopedia (2013): Research Starters.
Web. 12 Mar. 2015.

Kenny, Krysten. "A Local Approach To A National Problem: Local Ordinances As A Means Of
Curbing Puppy Mill Production And Pet Overpopulation." Albany Law Review 75.1
(2011): 379. Advanced Placement Source. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.

"Puppy Mill FAQ." ASPCA. ASPCA. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.