I am thrilled and ready to meet my match, however a shaved, white, boney dog comes into the room, in which I am seated in. Toys were placed down for him to play with. However, he ignores them and instead he secludes himself from the rest of us in the room. He faces the wall and starts to shake, I go to him and pet him, hoping to ease the shake. However, that does not help. I am saddened by his behavior; I ask why he is behaving in such manner, and I am informed by one of the volunteers in the shelter that Poo Dell has been rescued from a Puppy Mill. At the time I was unaware of what mills were. The volunteer slowly started to educate me. I then grab Poo Dell and make the decision to rescue him.
Animal Cruelty is relevant in many other cases, such as factory farming because in both the animals don’t have any access to the outdoors, fresh air or natural light. (Spector) Animal Neglect is a key term needed to understand this topic. Neglecting an animal is the failure to provide basic care required for an animal to thrive. (Animal Neglect Facts) Puppy Mills harm dogs in numerous ways. It limits the life span of the animal, they experience suffering in harsh conditions and cruel treatment. This research aims to discuss the treatment dogs endure, the living conditions dogs are put into and how individuals in society can take action to end puppy mills.
Puppy Mills had become more popular after the World War II, in the reaction to crop failures in the Midwest. Believe it or not the USDA actually promoted puppy mills by advertising that it was a profitable and fail proof business. (Major) People were sold by the certainty of mills, and soon farmers began to pack dogs into chicken coops and rabbit hutches and sell puppies to pet stores. (Major) Midwestern farmers looking for an alternative crop had reacted to a growing demand for purebred puppies, resulting in a development of the first commercial puppy businesses. (Puppy Mills Then and Now) As the business had grown both small and large retail outlets had begun to sell puppies through departments.
Many of the pups were left un socialized or exposed in there designated living space. In addition, the veterinary care for the puppies was often overlooked. As the result, organizations such as The Human Society of the United states had begun to investigate breeding kennels, leading to the passage of the Animal Welfare act of August 24, 1966. (Puppy Mills Ten and Now) The ASPCA believes that there is close to 10,000 mill breeders. However, the majority of the breeders are either not properly licensed or they do not require to be licensed because the operation is in a smaller scale. (Major)
Over 2 million puppies are bred in mills each year and an estimated 1.2 million dogs are euthanized in shelters every year. (Goodwin) Puppy Mills put profit over the health and well-being of the dogs, and this is a problem because Mills are the reason why so many dogs are homeless and killed every year. They increase the dog population drastically and this is all bad as shelters don’t know what to do with so many dogs, which causes them to put them down. It’s all they can do to help out with the overcrowd. Mills limit dogs to live their lives to the fullest, as they’re not able to live their life as a dog, do the basics like step on green grass, or go to the bathroom to their own comfort. Instead these mills are confining dogs and they are keeping the creatures away from the rest of the world. Mills are storing dogs away like hamsters in a cage.
Imagine, never stepping on green grass, not getting fed properly or even have the basic health care. Mills take all of that and more away from the puppies they induce into their facilities. “Puppy mills are an urgent, widespread problem. There are an estimated 15,000 puppy mills in the U.S. alone. In these mass-production factories, dogs are forced to produce litter after litter of puppies, supplying nearly 100 percent of the dogs sold in pet stores and directly to consumers online and through newspaper ads. Hundreds, sometimes thousands of dogs per facility live in overcrowded and unsanitary cages without sufficient food, water, grooming, socialization, or veterinary care and therefore they frequently suffer a multitude of social, emotional, and physical conditions, including genetic disorders and deformities.” (Haisley) The mills could care less about what a puppy is feeling or going through.
After all Mills are in it for the money, producing as many as dogs as possible, with little to no veterinary care, in order to gain profit. Breeders seek to save money, to do so they have crammed puppies into cages. Breeders maximize profits, by spending very little on the storage of the puppies. “Puppy-mill kennels can consist of anything from small cages made of wood and wire mesh to tractor-trailer cabs or simply chains attached to trees, where mother dogs and puppies spend every day outdoors in the same small patch of dirt in all types of weather.” (Newkirk)
It has been observed that for years’ puppies that have been removed from puppy mills have had some behavioral and psychological problems. Studies have shown that dogs from puppy mills have different characteristics than typical pet dogs. The mill dog’s results were more drastic than anticipated. The breeding dogs from puppy mills showed to have “significantly higher rates of physical health problems.” (McMillan) The dogs also showed high rates of behavioral abnormalities, having a high level of aggression; towards strangers and other dogs. Mentally, mill dogs develop extreme fears, this hinders the animal to live a normal life, proving that psychological scars are imbedded in a dog, showing long lasting effects, proving that puppy mills are “injurious to a dog’s mental health.” (McMillan)
The dogs that go through the most suffering are the female dogs, as they are bred over and over until they can no longer produce puppies. Female dogs kept in puppy mills their entire lives are called “brood bitches.” They are typically undernourished and receive little veterinary care, in spite of being kept perpetually pregnant. Their puppies are frequently taken from them before being weaned. At approximately six or seven years of age, when they can no longer breed more puppies, “brood bitches” are killed. (Hendrickson) Keeping a family together isn’t cared about in these facilities as they take puppies away from their mother.
Also killing the mother once she can no longer have no more puppies, she is used and not cherished for all the life she brought into the world and all the money she has made the breeder. “Mother dogs spend their entire lives in cramped cages with little to no personal attention.” (Stopping Puppy Mills) Dignity to the female dog is not granted to them as the breeders can put different male dogs on the female to get her pregnant. Essentially rape is happening, as there is unwanted intercourse on the female’s part, but she is being forced to do such a task, she is being held against her will.
“Puppies are taken from their mothers too young and can develop serious health or behavioral issues due to the conditions in which they are bred and shipped.” (Meyers) breeders generally are eager to make profits and the earlier they send the puppy home, the better it is for the breeder. It is commanding for the puppy to stay with its mother and litter mates until the puppy is at least 7-8 weeks old. They learn a variety of fundamental life lessons as they grow up along with their mother and litter-mates. The mother dog teaches the puppy basic manners and she may discipline unacceptable behaviors by growling, snarling or snapping lightly.
The puppies after a few corrections learn more acceptable behaviors, and afterwards, all it takes is the mother to give a mere glare to get a point across. When puppies fail to learn discipline from their mother, they tend to become very difficult to train. (Farricelli) “Puppies removed from the litter too early are prone to be nervous with a tendency to bark and bite” (Sue St Gelais) The pups are also less likely to accept discipline and may also be aggressive to other dogs. In order to maximize the mental and psychological development of puppies, they need to remain in the nest with their mother and litter mates until seven weeks old of age. (Farricelli)
Unfortunately, the holiday season also means it’s the time of year ‘when we see an increase of people complaining about sick puppies that they’ve bought from pet stores,’ says Kathleen Summers, puppy mill campaign director at the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). And many of those puppies come from Petland, the largest chain of puppy-selling pet stores in the U.S. It’s not just HSUS railing against Petland. Customers on their own appear to complain far and wide about the chain. The website Consumer Affairs has 490 complaints against Petland, altogether giving the store a composite review of 1 out of 5 stars.
Each story highlights the compromised health of the dogs being sold at Petland around the nation. (Russo) Alana of Redford, Michigan, wrote that her 8-week-old Siberian husky, whom she bought for more than $3,000, was diagnosed with a UTI and a congenital kidney disease. Mia from Las Vegas bought a German shepherd (also for more than $3,000) whom she says had giardia, a parasite. Katrina of St. Louis bought a deaf puppy (which she disturbingly returned, like a sweater), then bought an English bulldog who had spinal bifida, an incomplete closing of the backbone.
Eventually Katrina had the bulldog euthanized. Kellie of Columbus, Georgia, euthanized her cocker spaniel because the animal suffered from facial paralysis. (Russo) A ‘good’ breeder, ‘will want to meet the people who are buying the puppy to make the right fit. A good breeder isn’t going to put their puppy on a truck and ship there dog away to someone they have never met.’ That is also why you shouldn’t buy puppies off the internet, either. Whether the dog is being plucked from some fabulous boutique or a strip mall in Pennsylvania, chances are, that dog came from a mill. (Russo) Companies that carry and sales puppy mill puppies are just as responsible for the treatment as the facilities, as they are buying from them and they continue to grow the brutality that the puppies are receiving.
How can you help? It’s simple, simply by adopting you are helping save a life, you are giving dogs a second chance in life and you helping put an end to mills. With an individual not buying from big companies, such as Petland shows a lot of them and their moral values. That individual is standing against all that the mills do and how they operate. The following statement is one made by a local shelter. “We work daily with local high kill shelters throughout the area to pull “unwanted” pets to safety. We work to find homes for pets of all ages, health, temperaments, and history. Each adoptable pet is given the opportunity to thrive.” (Reno) Unleashed, located in Mission, Kansas. It is an organization that works to save the lives of homeless pets and strives to improve the image of bully breeds in society.
This organization is one of a kind as the team helps you find the perfect dog. One that fits you and your family needs. They want to make sure that you are leaving with a dog that you will bond with. Here, the team cares about the dog and where it ends up in. This organization is no ordinary one, as it allows for dogs to be fostered. Dogs no longer have to wait in cages to find the perfect home, instead they have the opportunity to thrive in the home of others, they are able to be free and roam around. The mission of this organization is to find a dog there forever home, they don’t want to see the dog back in the shelter. This organization does good with the fostering program they have in place as it benefits both the dog and the person wanting to adopt a dog. Before adoption, this program shows you the responsibilities that come with being a dog owner, and the potential that sheltered dogs have. Being a part of the program allows you to grow love and help dogs in need instead of buying a dog that has it all and is in no need of your help.
Dogs are not the only ones that endure harsh treatment, but other animals. Such as cows, chickens, pigs, etc. Animals we eat on the daily, are being treated horrible. Just because some of us live off of an animal, that does not mean that they deserve to live their life in crammed, dark, unsanitary spaces. Both puppy mills and factory farming look at the animals as profit, they do not value the life that the animal has to offer. “The animals are not seen as individual, sentient beings with unique physical and psychological needs but as eggs, milk, meat, leather, etc.” (Harvey) Because of such treatment, many have rebelled against the meat industries, simply by not purchasing products that come from animals. These people are Vegans and many turn down animal products because they value the life of an animal and they do not want to see it suffer. Simply by not buying, they are making an impact in the companies as they are not giving their dime to destroy and harm the life of an animal.
The following cases that are presented are from dogs that have been rescued from mills. Gremmy, was one of the worst cases of abuse that the National Mill Dog Rescue had seen, and the second worst case the animal hospital had ever seen. When Gremmy had first arrived at the shelter in May 2014, the volunteers were under strict orders, they weren’t to touch him. Only the authorized personnel and members of the rehabilitation team were allowed to handle the dog, as they did not want him to regress in his rehabilitation. The dog had arrived to the shelter with a broken and wired jaw, which had to be monitored. (Brodie) There was a case in Indiana where 75 animals were rescued and the owner of the property was arrested. Some of the dogs were taken directly to veterinarians.
The sheriff’s department had requested and received a search warrant for the property. “Once inside they reported finding several dozen dogs, many locked in feces-covered cages with no food or water. Several were already deceased”. (Grant) The last case that will be shown will be of Molly, a female dog that had spent most of her younger years pregnant, someone who has been stuffed in a cage. The story of this dachshund tells you the aftermath puppy mills brings to dogs and the hardships they encounter once they are released.
Molly, if she walked in a room, whether it be a kitchen, or the bathroom, she didn’t know how to get out. “She got stuck in corners, under the kitchen table, at the end of the hallway, because she’d spent her entire life in cages and didn’t know how to retreat or turn around.” (Tutor) Molly to this day loathes cages. She hates being left in rooms if the doors are closed. She is fearful of not being fed, even after all the years she had spent with her new family, she still attacks her food bowl each morning. (Tutor) Similar to Molly, Pickle acts different. He is a very timid dog, still to this day. He is a scared dog, he has been scared, and that will always stay with him. Because of the treatment he had endured in the mill. All the neglect has scared him and he fears people will harm him.
Puppy mills were to help farmers achieve a sustainable income, however the treatment given to the puppies has vanished away as it has become all about making profit. The puppies suffer long-term effects from the mills and many owners can experience it with their dog’s behavior. The companies you least expected to advocate this treatment actually do. It is now up to you to decide and evaluate how you want to help out with this social problem. Dogs are being treated poorly and many do not know how they could be advocating such a treatment. However simply by buying from stores like Petland, you are advocating such treatment to continue and you are giving your money to people who harm the lives of dogs for a living.
Mills limit puppies to live their life to the fullest physically and mentally, they do so by placing dogs in harsh living conditions, and taking away the happiness of dogs, as well as not providing the dogs with the most basic veterinary care. The Puppy Mill Industry is a sad one to be a part of. It takes the life away from puppies, as well as dogs. The people running these facilities are in it for profit and not for the benefit of the people. Puppies are miserable in their cages and don’t live to their fullest, as they should be, sniffing around, simply being a free happy dog. The affects mills have on dogs can be shown through the behavior of a dog. Simply by observing there move and how they act you can tell they have been neglected and/or scared.
