What are puppymills?

Question

im just wondering...

Answer 1

That's a question asking for heat! LOL

It's been said, but a puppymill is a breeder whose only concern is to breed "purebred" dogs in order to make money. Since they're in it for the money, they treat the animals like livestock rather than pets. Cage on top of cage - left in their own poop and pee - no break in breeding - cramped quarters - no human contact other than feeding time and the "harvest". These animals rarely see a vet either - shots are given by the breeder if given at all. The female dogs are rarely given the right kind of nutrition, and as a result of so many pregnancies, their bodies have all sorts of deficiencies and problems.

Generally, the puppymill breeder takes the puppies to a pet store (like the ones in malls), or will sell them outright through the local papers. Since you can get a Golden Lab (for example) for 300 bucks from Jim's Puppy Haven, vs. 800 bucks from Champion Show Pups - most people happily take a trip to Joe's and without question - take their dog home.

These people also don't breed to better the breed of the animal, as true breeders do. They don't care if your Retriever is of good temperment, nor do they care what you're planning on doing with your dog. A reputable breeder is concerned with what your plans are, and won't hesitate to tell you no if they think you don't know what you're doing. Most breeders that are worth anything are going to make you feel like you've walked into a friggin' interrogation rather than a transaction for a dog. Most of all, breeders that are worth anything aren't really making any sort of profit. Generally, since they take care of their animals and show many of them - they're recouping losses from travelling to the dog shows, having a trainer, having a vet for all their animals, and so on.

A backyard breeder is really in the same category as a puppymill - just on a smaller scale. This person will probably do business out of their homes, be afraid to show you all their dogs, and not ask too many questions. They're going to be the ones advertising, "Rottweiler Pups 150$ for females, 200$ for males". A lot of the time, they don't even know what the hell their dog bred with - only that they look like Rotts (or whatever the case may be). A person that doesn't spay or neuter *can* fall into this category - especially if it's happened more than once and they've done nothing about it.

So... that's my quick and dirty without getting preachy. I don't breed animals, but have had experience finding a dog. My advice... skip the pooch that is purebred and go to the shelter. The best dog I ever *met* cost me 32 bucks and I got the chance to save her life. The worst dog I ever had came from a breeder that qualified as a backyard breeder, cost me 500 bucks, and was completely opposite from everything an Italian Greyhound was supposed to be - and he had a pedigree and everything.

Shelters or shelter adoptions at the pet stores are the best way to go. Really.

Answer 2

Well, officially there is no such thing as a "puppy mill"..there are sub-standard breeders that keep thier dogs in poor conditions and overbreed them. This is commonly called a "puppy mill" but it's really not a correct term.
You'll find many websites and news articles about "puppy mills"..but you are being misled. You're only seeing the worst of the worst. They don't bother to show you all of the good breeders out there who only have a few dogs and take excellent care of them.
Some will say the dogs are overbred...do you know that an un-bred, unaltered female can die of pyometra in HOURS? Many vets will tell you it's safer to breed an intact ***** than to not breed her. Of course, if you have no intentions of breeding, spay her!
Others will say that these breeders are "in it for the money"..well..duh..would you work long hours, shovel poop, handle placentas, and nurse puppies for free? I don't think you'll ever find a breeder living in a multi-million dollar mansion if that's what you're thinking. They could make just as much money pushing pencils in an office job, but they love dogs..so they raise them.

Answer 3

A puppy mills is any place that mass produces puppies for profit and does not take good care of their animals. In the worst ones, the dogs never leave their crates and are severely neglected. The first thing that comes to mind is a big dog farm, but I have seen some backyard breeders that qualify as puppy mills to me. Anybody that would sell puppies to a pet store is a puppy mill as well.

Watch any of the rescue shows on Animal Planet and you'll probably see a puppy mill in every episode, unfortunately.

Answer 4

Puppy mills are bad, they are run by breeders that don't take care of thier animals, the breeding stock usually lives in filth and they breed their bitches every time they come into heat.
If the owners aren't willing to show you their kennels and the sire and dam of the litters, if the pups don't have their first puppy shots and at least two wormings in before they are sold you do not want to by from this breeder....alot of pet stores sell puppies from puppy mills. I would not buy from a kennel that sells more than one or two different breeds of dogs.
They are the most inhumane breeders, all they want is the money and aren't concerned about bettering the breed.
It is always wise to buy from a reputable breeder or rescue agency.

Answer 5

Individuals that breed dogs solely for their own income. They do not care how often they bred dogs, they will breed the same dog over and over and over, not considering if the female is healty and well enough to have more litters. The puppy mills only want MONEY they don't care about the quality of life of the dogs. They breed irresponsibly. Dogs from puppy mills often die at the puppy mill or when the purchaser gets the dog home.

Answer 6

Please listen and loosen up. Pets need our support.
Puppymills are a business of mass producing dogs for the most part for money, in the fastest time and cheapest way under the cruelest, most filthiest conditions. Dogs are breed over and over with no consideration for breed standards or genetic or health problems.....until they die.
Puppy mills are legal/licensed under the U.S. Agriculture.
All pet stores that sell puppies are used by puppy mills.
see www.puppymills.com and
www.unitedagainstpuppymills.com.
HELP PUT A STOP TO PUPPY MILLS. WRITE YOUR SENATORS, CONTACT YOUR NEWSPAPER AND CALL THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE U.S./central states.
PLEASE DO NOT GET YOUR PETS FROM PET LAND, ANY PET STORE THAT SELL PUPPIES OR A BACKYARD BREEDER.
CONTACT: www.StopPuppyMills.com

Answer 7

Evil places where they don't take care of the puppies and like 5 or 6 pups are crammed into a crate the puppies are really sick and their moms stay and breed there for life the breeders are only in it for the money. sad... Very Sad...... We should ban puppy mills..!!

Answer 8

There are "back-yard-breeders," and then there are puppy mills. Puppy mills pump out puppies by the quantity, ALL year. The condition of the mills are often unspeakable and horrid. Back-yard-breeders do the same thing, only not as often.

Answer 9

in regards to dogs, some say "puppymills" are dogs that are used purely for breeding.

Answer 10

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Puppy mills (known as puppy farms in the UK and Australia) are dog breeding operations that are considered to be disreputable and irresponsible. The term originated among critics of such operations. Small-scale, irresponsible dog breeding operations are usually called backyard breeding; the terms are akin but not synonymous.The largest concentrations are in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and rural Missouri.

Reputable breeders raise their animals in humane conditions, provide good socialization and often formal training, and adhere to the breed standard. They are knowledgeable about major health problems associated with their breed, and with the principles of genetics, frequently undertaking specific matings to produce or refine particular desirable characteristics in their dogs. They are also sensitive to the requirements of their breeding adults — who may also be breed or performance champions — and the puppies they produce. Reputable breeders frequently screen potential customers rigorously, and usually provide a pedigree and health guarantee with their puppies.

Although many responsible breeding operations tend to be small, size alone is not an indication that a particular operation is a puppy mill. Rather, puppy mills are characterized by ignoring duties that are standard among responsible dog breeders. They may keep their dogs in overcrowded, unclean or otherwise inappropriate surroundings. The puppies they produce may be improperly socialized or may suffer from health problems which are often not disclosed to purchasers. Their breeding animals may also suffer, with females sometimes forced to undergo repeated pregnancies too quickly to fully recuperate between them.

Puppy mill operators may misrepresent the breed of dog being sold, and adult puppy mill dogs may exhibit characteristics uncommon to their advertised breed. Unlike the puppies produced by reputable breeders, the vast majority of puppy mill animals are sold to pet stores. Puppy mill operators are frequently accused of being motivated only by profit rather than a commitment to the breed or any empathy for the animals in their care.

Purchasing dogs, especially those claimed to be purebred, from a pet store is strongly discouraged by reputable breeders and animal shelters. While many pet stores claim to purchase dogs from "local breeders" instead of puppy mills, this is often untrue or is a difference in name only, as reputable breeders generally do not sell animals to pet stores. The phrase "local breeder" may also refer to backyard breeders.