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Willing Pets Stores Needed to Fight Against Puppy Mills

By Alli Fischenich on September 19, 2014

Puppy mill- “an establishment that breeds puppies for sale, typically on an intensive basis and in conditions regarded as inhumane.”

When we buy puppies from mills, or buy puppies at pet stores that come from mills, we are supporting the entire puppy mill operation and ultimately the inhumane treatment of puppies. We are also, often unintentionally, not supporting rescue shelters and the rescue dogs they provide for adoption.

Part of combating puppy mills is keeping their animals out of pet stores which sell them. Thankfully, pet stores all over the country are starting to refuse to purchase puppy mill dogs and consumers are choosing rescues, shelters and hobby breeders as the source for their new pets. Here’s an article highlighting one store’s switch from selling mill dogs to becoming a rescue operation. All of this ultimately means rescue dogs and dogs from shelters are starting to find more homes.

In Media, Pennsylvania, the puppy store We Love Pets converted its two stores to rescue operations in February after some of the dogs they purchased through a puppy broker became seriously ill with pneumonia and kidney failure, the article says.

Six puppies died.

Owner Michael Gill said the puppies, purchased through the Hunte Corporation, an international puppy broker and distributor, came with “inaccurate health records.”

Local governments in 56 towns have banned the sale of commercially raised puppies in pet stores. There are over 10,000 puppy mills in the U.S., each one producing anywhere from 10 to more than a thousand puppies sold for profit in abusive situations.

Over the last few years, more and more cities have banned the sale of pets and puppies in pet stores. Cities in Florida, Arizona, California, New Jersey, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico and some places in Canada have implemented bans. Click here to view more details.

Now that cities and puppy stores are jumping in, hopefully some puppy mills will have no choice but to shut down. After all, that is the goal…to shut every single puppy mill down. It will take time, but it can be done with the help of these stores refusing to purchase from puppy mills and for us refusing to purchase from them.

Recently, we told the story of Mindi Callison and her efforts locally to inform consumers of the dangers that come with buying pet store puppies and detailing health risks associated with dogs that come from mills. If you’d like to read more about her work with her organization, Bailing Out Benji, click here. Also, there are a number of local advocates fighting puppy mill dog sales locally- we’ll bring you stories of their efforts down the road.

If you are interested in adopting an animal, take a look at some of the shelters we support and who support us- there are a number of great shelters out there. Remember- adopt, don’t shop!

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