The HSUS

Breeder dogs in puppy mills are often forced to spend their entire lives caged in shocking environments.

Puppy mills are breeding facilities that produce purebred puppies in large numbers. Puppy mills have long concerned The HSUS.

Often the puppies are sold directly to the public via the Internet, newspaper ads, or at the mill itself. In other cases they are sold to brokers and pet shops across the country.

The myriad documented problems of puppy mills include: overbreeding, inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter, lack of human socialization, overcrowded cages and the killing of unwanted animals.

For the unwitting consumer, this situation frequently means buying a puppy facing an array of immediate veterinary problems or harboring genetic diseases that surface years later.

Learn more about how to avoid buying a puppy mill dog, and take the pledge to stop puppy mills today.

Updated Nov. 26, 2007