Pet shops and puppy mills

 

From a Reuben Wee Investigation - Filthy, very matted Maltese living on cracked, eroding concrete floors with feces accumulation. They had no food, water or bedding.Investi gation.

Pet shops buy their puppies from brokers. These brokers get their animals from puppy mills -- commercial breeding establishments that mass-produce dogs for resale. Most puppy mills and brokers are located in the Midwestern United States. As a rule:

• Puppy mills and pet shops do not properly socialize their puppies. They raise their puppies in cramped, often dirty cages -- not home- enriched environments.
• Unsound breeding practices predispose puppy mill dogs to hereditary afflictions like hip dysplasia, luxating patellas (dislocating kneecaps), eye maladies, and aggressive behavior. Life-threatening genetic conditions such as liver and heart diseases, autoimmune disorders, and seizures can also result from careless breeding at puppy mills. Many genetic defects may not show up for months or even years.
• Pet shop puppies which have been obtained from puppy mills lack fresh air, exercise, play, and lots of positive human contact -- all of the ingredients necessary for a puppy to become a well-adjusted adult dog.
• Pet shop puppies come into contact with numerous animals at puppy mills and brokers' holding facilities, during transportation by truck, van, or airplane, and ultimately at pet shops. Therefore, these puppies are commonly exposed to a variety of illnesses. Moreover, transportation stress makes them even more susceptible to disease.
• Puppies frequently die or require euthanasia at puppy mills, brokers' facilities, and pet shops.

 

This image came from one of the Joe M cVeigh investigations.

Conditions at puppy mills

To get some examples of the conditions found at many puppy mills which have been investigated, please visit our CAPS Investigations of USDA Licensed Facilities page and select any of the states listed and an accompanying article. With several states such as Ohio, there are some associated Flash videos (usually 10-15 minutes in length) of the puppy mill investigations.

There may also be accompanying photo sheets with some articles such as Ohio - Mast, Ivan and Katie. The underlying theme around the investigations is that the operation of puppy mills is a business based upon volume, dollars and cents, not necessarily care nor love of animals.

American Kennel Club

The AKC registration papers that ordinarily come with purebred pet shop puppies often impress buyers and provide a false sense of security . AKC registration, however, does not guarantee proper breeding conditions at puppy mills, health, quality or claims to lineage. In fact, California requires pet shops to notify consumers orally and in writing of these limitations. The AKC derives a significant portion of its revenues from the registration of litters associated with puppy mills. The organization registers thousands of puppies born each year at puppy mills without questioning why so many puppies are born to Midwest breeders.

 

During a three-week investigation of USDA licensed facilities in South Dakota, CAPS rescued three Basset Hounds. CAPS obtained eight-year- old Grandma Basset because she no longer produced large enough litters. Mid America Basset Rescue found a wonderful home for this regal looking dog.

Puppies rescued from puppy mills

During the investigations of USDA licensed facilities, CAPS has rescued numerous dogs from puppy mills, especially unwanted breeding stock who are about to be destroyed - humanely or inhumanely - because breeders no longer view these dogs as profitable. Breeders at puppy mill s often want to get rid of dogs that cannot get pregnant, have difficult pregnancies or deliveries, or who don't produce large enough litters. CAPS often rescues sick or "defective" puppies, including those that have been returned to breeders and brokers by pet shops.

Read about other dogs CAPS has rescued from puppy mills at Puppy Mill dogs Rescued by CAPS. CAPS works with shelters, rescue organizations and individuals to provide foster care and permanent homes for these dogs. We cover veterinary costs, including spaying and neutering. CAPS also makes contact with the families who adopted the rescued puppy mill dogs.

CAPS dedication to protecting companion animals

As the only national organization dedicated exclusively to protecting companion animals, the Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) is committed to ending the abuse and suffering of dogs raised in puppy mills. Since 1995, CAPS has investigated over 1000 puppy mills, with our most recent puppy mill investigations having been conducted in Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa.