Puppy Mills Expert

Heidi, an Animal expert from the Humane Society, answered several questions for me.
The following are the questions and answers copied directly from our e-mail.
The interview took place December 3, 2008.

- Are there laws against Puppy Mills?

No, but there are laws that say the animals must be provided certain minimum care. Right now The HSUS is working to get Congress to pass a bill called 'Baby's Bill' that would require exercise for dogs in puppy mills and close a loophole in the law where breeders who sell over the Internet are exempt from inspections and other regulation. We think this bill has a good chance of passing, whereas a complete ban would not.

- This is a broad question, but why are the animals treated so poorly
in Puppy Mills?

A lot of people profit from cruel practices such as factory farming and puppy mills. They say that doing the right thing like exercising the dogs would cost time and money. We often hear people who run farms or puppy mills make excuses like, "the animals don't feel pain," or "they don't mind being confined."

- Are all Puppy Mills treating their animals with cruelty?
I've never heard of one that doesn't confine the breeding animals, dogs who live their entire lives in cages and are continually bred for years, without human companionship and with little hope of ever becoming part of a family. These dogs receive little or no veterinary care and never see a bed, a treat or a toy. After their fertility wanes, breeding animals are commonly killed, abandoned or sold to another mill. The annual result of all this breeding is hundreds of thousands of puppies, many with behavior and/or health problems.

- What can be done to try to prevent Puppy Mills?

The best way people can help is to not purchase a pet from a pet store, but rather from an animal shelter or reputable breeder that they research well (this means visiting to see the animals' living conditions). People can also write to their state and federal legislators and ask them to make puppy mills a priority, spread the word to friends & family, and make a donation to The HSUS's Puppy Mill Education Fund.