Why You Shouldn't Buy that Puppy in the Window

This presentation was put together by the Companion Animal Protection Society.

What is a Puppy Mill?

A puppy mill is a commercial breeding kennel that mass-produces dogs in usually cramped, crude, filthy conditions for resale

Living Conditions

To save money on the cost of housing dogs, puppy mill kennels can consist of anything from small cages made of wood and wire mesh to tractor-trailer cabs or simple tethers attached to trees. Because of this make-shift housing, mothers and puppies often suffer from year-round exposure to temperature extremes.

Female Dogs = Puppy Factories

Female dogs are constantly bred and are often destroyed when they are no longer able to produce puppies. Because of this continuous breeding, mothers and their litters often suffer from malnutrition, chronic stress, and exhaustion. To save on costs, the mothers rarely receive proper, if any veterinary care.

Puppies SOLD

Much like livestock, puppies are taken from their mothers at a young age and sold to brokers who pack them into crates for transport and resale to pet stores. Both sick and healthy puppies are packed into pickup trucks, tractor trailers, and/or airplanes. Puppies who are shipped like commodities from mill to broker, from broker to pet store can travel hundreds of miles often without adequate food, water, ventilation, or shelter.

Unsocialized and Unhealthy Puppies

By the time the puppy has reached the pet store, they have survived the unsanitary conditions at puppy mills and the grueling transport to the pet stores, they have rarely received the kind of loving human contact that is necessary for them to become suitable companions.

Bills, Bills, Bills

Due to inbreeding and over-breeding, unmonitored genetic defects and personality disorders, often passed on from generation to generation, are common. Pet shop customers can end up with very high veterinary bills.

Adopt, Don't Buy

Save A Life. Every year, animal shelters destroy millions of dogs -- including purebreds and puppies -- and cats. PLEASE adopt a companion animal from your local shelter, humane society, rescue organization or veterinarian.

For more information, visit: www.caps-web.org