Stories of Puppy Mills

From LoveToKnow Dogs

Stories of puppy mills shed light on these operations and their effect on dogs.

What is a Puppy Mill?

A puppy mill is a term given to a dog breeding business that operates solely for financial gain and without any regard to the animals' health or well-being. These mills can be large operations where dogs are bred constantly in huge numbers and kept in inhumane conditions. They can also be small or mid-size operations where dogs are kept in poor condition without medical treatment.

Common mill treatment includes:

Dogs live in small boxes or cages that are littered with urine, feces and fleas.
Dogs are bred constantly and indiscriminately.
Dogs do not receive adequate food, water or exercise.
Veterinary care is withheld.
Sick dogs are not treated and are kept with healthy dogs.

Stories of Puppy Mills Overview

Reading stories of puppy mills provides details on a dog's life in a mill. Be forewarned, many of these stories are quite disturbing.

General Accounts of Mills

You can find stories online about people going undercover to mills and recounting their experiences. These stories often include accounts of sick, frightened and abused dogs living in deplorable conditions. Many of these stories are posted on mill rescue sites. With research, you can also find news stories about authorities shutting down mills or reporters going undercover at a suspected mill.

Mill Survivor Stories

Many mill survivor stories are posted at pet advocacy sites such as the Humane Society and mill rescue organizations. These stories are often sad because many of the puppies came into new homes severely ill or with serious aggression issues. However, there are also some inspirational tales of rescue dogs that went on to live happy lives in loving homes.

The survivor stories make it abundantly clear that dogs from mills need more medical care for chronic health issues and training for behavioral issues than dogs from reputable breeders.

A Example Survivor Story

The Stop Puppy Mills site has the story of a Poodle named Cindy that was freed from a mill after being a breeder for six years. Animal control shut down the mill and rescued her and many other dogs.

After years without veterinary care, Cindy had heartworm, a weak heart and lost most of her teeth. She was placed in a good home where she received much needed attention and affection. It took her six months to gain confidence and bark for the first time. Today she has a happy life with a loving family.