Why Are Puppy Mills Bad? Reasons You Should Adopt, Not Shop
Puppy mills are inhumane breeding facilities whose sole purpose is producing as many puppies as possible, all for profit. Focused only on generating money, they have no concern for the welfare of the mothers or puppies, subjecting them to horrifying conditions. Puppy Mill Awareness Day was September 17th, but the need for awareness and action exists year round. Read more below about how you can join us in this fight against the inhumane conditions in puppy mills.
What Puppy Mills Look Like & Why They Should Be Put Out of Business:
- Inhumane Conditions for Puppies: Dogs in puppy mills live in some of the most heinous conditions imaginable. Often dogs are kept in cramped cages with no room to exercise or even move freely. If food and water is provided for them, it is often unclean and contaminated with bacteria, leading to sick and malnourished puppies. Puppies in mills are often found with bleeding or swollen paws from improper living quarters and lack of treatment. Additionally, given the small size of their enclosures, these puppies often live in their own urine and feces.
- Terrible Treatment of Mother Dogs: Female dogs in puppy mills spend their entire lives in cramped cages. They are often bred constantly, with little to no recovery time between litters. When the puppy mill owners decide that the female dogs have been “used” enough and can no longer reproduce, they are killed.
- There Are So Many Shelter Pets That Need Love: It is estimated that 2.6 million puppy mill puppies are sold each year. When you buy puppies at pet stores or online, they are likely from puppy mills. Ready for another staggering number? Roughly 1 million animals are killed in shelters each year. These shelter pets deserve just as much love as a puppy you would buy from a pet store. As a community it is our responsibility to work together and make a change.
How Can You Help With Puppy Mill Rescue?:
- Use Your Voice: Some people are unaware of the inhumane conditions in puppy mills, or they do not realize that the cute little pooch in the store actually came from a mill. If they did, they surely would not add to the suffering of the animals or help these businesses prosper by buying one of their puppies. Through research and sharing information with others, we can raise awareness and help educate the public about this important issue. If you want to be an advocate against puppy mills, and are hoping for more guidance on next steps, click here to read The Humane Society of the United States’ advocacy guide.
- Research Your Local Pet Store: Not all pet stores sell puppies, but those that do typically buy their puppies from mills. If your local pet store sells puppies, it might be worth a visit. But never to buy a puppy. Encourage them to become Puppy-Friendly Pet Stores with the help and support of The Humane Society of the United States, and of FoMA. You always have a friend and fellow advocate in the Miami-Dade area, so please do not hesitate to reach out if you need some extra support in your Puppy Mill Awareness advocacy.
- Reach Out to Your Legislators: This might sound a bit intimidating. But when an issue is this significant, taking it straight to the law makers is one of the best courses of action to effect change. Puppy mills are not illegal in a majority of states, and with very little oversight there are legal loopholes that enable people to run puppy mills. By contacting your local legislators and stressing the importance of this issue, you can help create change in your community. And how incredible would it be to know you saved helpless animals with your efforts? If you need to find out who the legislators are in your area, or how to contact them, click here.
- Write a Letter to The Editor: By writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, you are taking your voice and advocacy to the next level. Newspapers have resources you might not, so in sending a letter to be published about the cruelty of puppy mills and why they should be put out of business, you could reach audiences you never dreamed of before!
- Donate Today: At FoMA, we work hard every day to improve animal welfare in our community. We use our platform to aid in this mission in a variety of ways, and are tapped in to a multitude of resources–both locally and nationally- that share our goals. By donating to our cause today, you can help us continue the fight against animal cruelty and pet homelessness everywhere. Join us today.
2665 South Bayshore Drive Suite 
