It can be hard to resist the cute puppies and kittens for sale in “pet” store windows, but a closer look into how these stores obtain animals reveals a system in which the high price that consumers pay for “that doggie in the window” pales in comparison to the cost paid by animals who are sold in pet stores.

That adorable little scamp in the store probably came from a “puppy mill,” a breeding kennel that raises dogs in cramped, crude, filthy conditions. The majority of these facilities are in the Midwest,¹ but kennels can be found throughout the country, and some dealers even import puppies from other countries. Constant confinement and a lack of adequate veterinary care and socialization often result in animals who are unhealthy and difficult to socialize. As a result, many are abandoned within weeks or months of their adoption by frustrated buyers-further exacerbating the tragic companion animal overpopulation crisis.

Cages, Filth, and Neglect

Puppy mill kennels can consist of small cages made of wood and wire mesh, tractor-trailer cabs, or simple tethers attached to trees. One Arkansas facility had “cages hanging from the ceiling of an unheated cinder-block building …”² Female dogs are bred twice a year and are usually destroyed when they are no longer able to produce puppies.³ Mothers and their litters often suffer from malnutrition, exposure, and a lack of adequate veterinary care.

Puppies are taken from their mothers and sold to brokers who pack them into crates for transport and resale to pet stores. Puppies who are shipped from mill to broker to pet store can travel hundreds of miles in pickup trucks, tractor trailers, and/or airplanes, often without adequate food, water, ventilation, or shelter. Two men faced charges after 38 puppies were found to be confined in a feces-filled van without food, water, or space to exercise. The men were transporting the animals from Oklahoma to Florida when a passerby noticed the dogs’ distressed barking and the foul stench of the van, which was parked at a Daytona Beach motel.⁴ In Tennessee, 150 overheated puppies, who were traveling from a Missouri puppy mill to pet stores on the East Coast, were found in a cargo truck without air conditioning; four died.⁵ Even if a store claims that it doesn’t buy from puppy mills, there is a good chance that it buys from a broker who does.⁶

Young puppies who survive the unsanitary conditions at puppy mills and grueling transport to pet stores rarely get the kind of loving human contact that is necessary for them to become suitable companions. By not spending money for proper food, housing, or veterinary care, breeders, brokers, and pet stores ensure maximum profits.

Conditions don’t improve much when puppies reach pet stores. Dogs who are kept in small cages without exercise, love, or human contact tend to develop undesirable behaviors and may bark excessively or become destructive and unsociable. Unlike humane societies and shelters, pet stores do not screen buyers or inspect the future homes of the dogs they sell. Poor enforcement of humane laws allows shops to continue selling sick animals, although humane societies and police departments sometimes succeed in closing down stores where severe abuse is uncovered.

Farms and Brokers Do Big Business

In 2000, PETA conducted an undercover investigation at Neilsen Farms, a Kansas puppy mill. The dogs at Neilsen Farms had no bedding or protection from cold or heat. Some were suffering from untreated wounds, ear infections, and abscessed feet, and confinement and loneliness had caused some mother dogs to go mad. PETA’s investigator witnessed one USDA inspection during which the officer glanced at the cages but did not examine the dogs. Our investigation led to the Kansas facility’s closing, but Neilsen Farms has since moved to Montana where it continues to be involved in the selling of puppies.⁷

There are thousands of breeders and dealers across the country-in Missouri alone there are an estimated 3,000 dog-breeding operations that generate $2 billion a year.⁸ The nation’s largest puppy broker is the Hunte Corporation in Missouri, which also exports dogs overseas.⁹ The company has been linked to numerous negligent pet stores and breeders and has sponsored American Kennel Club (AKC) meetings.¹⁰ The USDA has loaned the company more than $4 million for expansion and upgrades in the last three years-taxpayer money used to bring more misery to dogs and puppies.¹¹

The Plight of Purebreds

Some people impulsively obtain purebred dogs, even though they may not be educated about the breed or ready for the commitment that animal companions require. Movies such as 101 Dalmatians and Beethoven, TV shows like Frasier, and commercials such as those for Taco Bell have caused a jump in the popularity of certain breeds, and yet, very few potential dog caretakers take the time to investigate the traits and needs of the breed that they are considering. “Every time Hollywood makes a dog movie, the breed goes to hell,” says one caretaker of Bouvier des Flandres dogs. A Dalmatian fancier concludes that “… the unscrupulous breeders will see there’s a profit margin there.”¹² When there is a surge in demand for a particular breed, puppy mills try to meet that demand, but when Jack Russell terriers don’t turn out to be just like Frasier’s “Eddie” or St. Bernards don’t act just like “Beethoven,” rescue groups and shelters become flooded with these breeds.

The AKC, which opposes mandatory spay/neuter programs for purebred dogs,¹³ receives millions of dollars from breeders who pay AKC registration fees. The AKC registered more than 950,000 dogs in 2002,¹⁴ some of whom will join the millions of animals who end up in shelters every year. Buyers may be swayed by talk of “papers” and “AKC registration,” but these papers cannot ensure good temperament or good health. Says one veterinarian, “The best use of pedigree papers is for housebreaking your dog. They don’t mean a damn thing.”¹⁵ The AKC has minimum care standards for “high-volume breeding” facilities, but with 14 inspectors and an operating budget that is directed toward registration and dog shows, they can only manage to inspect their registered kennels once every two years.¹⁶ By their own admission, some of the more problematic kennels have simply sought registration services (such as Dog Registry of America, Sporting Dog Registry, American Hunting Dog Registry, All American Dog Registry, to name a few) that don’t perform inspections.¹⁷ At puppy mills, dogs are bred for quantity, not quality, so unmonitored genetic defects and personality disorders that are passed on from generation to generation are common. This situation results in high veterinary bills for people who buy these dogs and the possibility that unsociable or maladjusted dogs will be disposed of by their unprepared “owners.” “There is virtually no consideration of temperament,” says one dog trainer. “I wish legislators could sit in my office and watch ... people sobbing in extreme emotional pain over having to decide whether to euthanize their dog because of some serious behavioral problem.”¹⁸

Inadequate Inspections

The USDA is supposed to monitor and inspect kennels to ensure that they are not violating the housing standards of the Animal Welfare Act, but kennel inspections are a low priority. In 2001, with a staff of 82 officers, the USDA conducted more than 4,700 inspections of dealers-defined as any person who sells or buys animals for experimentation, exhibition, or companionship but not those who sell to private individuals-of which 42 percent did not meet standards.¹⁹ Even when violations are found, kennel operators are rarely fined, much less shut down. Persistent offenders may refuse to grant the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) personnel access to their facilities to conduct inspections; APHIS reported that inspectors were denied entry to 705 facilities in 2001.²⁰

Puppy mills are rarely monitored by state governments, and existing regulations vary from state to state. In Missouri, for instance, each of the 2,100 facilities is supposed to be inspected once a year, but there are only 12 inspectors employed to handle the task.²¹ With an estimated 1,300 puppy mills in Wisconsin,²² voluntary inspections are expected of breeders who sell at least 50 dogs and cats, but there is no funding for enforcement of these regulations.²³

Dealers who want to avoid U.S. laws-what few exist-look elsewhere to continue doing business. Says one Canadian lawyer, “[P]uppy mill operators in the States buy from us. And crossing the border isn’t a problem either. They cross them all the time.”²⁴ A New Hampshire breeder, who was arrested for cruelty to animals when dozens of dogs and cats were found living in filth, was selling puppies from Russia for as much as $1,900 each on the Internet.²⁵

Some states have enacted “puppy lemon” laws that give caretakers the right to return sick or dead puppies for replacement or offer the option to have veterinary expenses paid by the seller. Unfortunately, depending on the state, the law may not clearly say whom it applies to, or it may affect only pet stores or breeders that sell a certain number of animals each year. Check with your state’s attorney’s office to find out about your state laws.

Searching for a Canine Companion

With millions of unwanted dogs and cats (including purebreds) dying every year in animal shelters, there is simply no reason for animals to be bred and sold for the pet shop trade. Without these stores, the financial incentive for puppy mills would disappear, and the suffering of these dogs would end. The best place to find an animal companion is through an animal shelter or rescue group.

References

1)Josh Shaffer, “Law Meant to Reduce Puppy Farms Raises Alarm From Kennels,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2002.
2)“Humane Society Takes 77 Dogs From Owner. Animals Missing Toes, Chewed Ears,” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 20 Dec. 2002.
3)Natalie Lariccia, “A Warning on Puppy Mills,” The Vindicator, 25 Apr. 2000.
4)Charlene Hager-Van Dyke et al., “4 Testify in Animal Neglect,” Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2003.
5)“Puppies Rescued From Cargo Truck,” Associated Press, 11 May 2000.
6)Lariccia.
7)USDA, correspondence with PETA, 2002.
8)Pamela Selbert, “Activist Set to Hit the Road Again to Fight Puppy Mills,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 2 May 2002.
9)“USDA Approves Loan to McDonald County K-9 Distributor Blunt Announces,” Blunt news release, 5 Sep. 2001.
10)American Kennel Club, “AKC Statement on Relationships With High Volume Kennels,” 2003.
11)Shaffer.
12)Chuck Haga, “Every Dog Has Its Day,” Minneapolis Star Tribune, 7 Sep. 1999.
13)“Boise, ID Faces Breeding Restrictions,” AKC, 8 Nov. 2002.
14)Registration statistics, American Kennel Club, 2002 <>.
15)Michael D. Lemonick, “A Terrible Beauty,” Time, 12 Dec. 1994.
16)High Volume Breeders Committee, “Report to the AKC Board of Directors,” AKC, 12 Nov. 2002, 5.
17)High Volume Breeders Committee, 12.
18)Richard P. Jones, “Panel Weakens Pet Industry Rules,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 19 May 2003.
19)“Animal Welfare Report, Fiscal Year 2001,” United States Department of Agriculture, 2002: 3-10.
20)USDA, 2002, 10.
21)“Missouri’s Animal Care Facilities Act Ensures Proper Animal Care,” MVMA Messenger, Jul./Aug. 2002.
22)“Curb State’s Puppy Mills” Wisconsin State Journal, 14 Mar. 2003.
23)Franzen, “This One’s All Bark,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 26 May 2003.
24)Peter Mansbridge, “Puppy Mills,” The National Show, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 30 Jul. 2001.
25)Doug Hanchett, “N.H. Dog Dealer Busted; Cop: ‘The Odor Was Indescribable,’” Boston Herald, 14 Jun. 2003.