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Puppy Mills and Backyard Breeders
What is a puppy mill? Why are they bad? What is wrong with someone that breeds dogs from their home? Is that always bad? Find definitions ans answers below.
Puppy Mill
A puppy mill is a place where lots of dogs are being bred for the primary purpose of resale. There are generally lots of breeds, although some places only have a few breeds. The breeders breed for profit and generally sell to brokers or pet stores, but some do occasionally sell to the public. Bitches are generally bred every time they come into heat. Puppy mills usually have puppies available at any given time.
No regards for the dogs or puppies health. No regards for the standard for the breed.
Although puppy mills are rampant in some states, they can be found anywhere.
Pet Store
We aren't talking about just any pet store here, we are talking about pet stores that sell puppies. These places sell puppies FOR PROFIT. Not because they love puppies, because if they did, they wouldn't sell them. The puppies are sold at high prices, prices of $500 - $1000 or more aren't uncommon. These puppies are generally young, 8 or so weeks old. Pet stores don't check out the people they sell puppies to, nor do they care. All they care is that you have the money for the puppy. Wanna see where that cute pet store puppy comes from? Watch this . Also, this one is pretty graphic .
Backyard Breeder
This one is the toughie as on the outside it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish a backyard breeder from an ethical, responsible breeder. The one thing that separates the two types is education. Backyard breeders are not usually properly educated on their breed or on breeding.
Backyard breeders usually are nice on the surface. They only have a few dogs, and usually keep them in the house in a clean environment. The dogs outwardly look cared for and healthy. But backyard breeders commonly breed a bitch every time she comes into heat, do indiscriminate breedings, and do not do genetic tests. Genetic testing is very important. You can't see if a bitch or dog is going to throw genetic defects with your naked eye. These tests are very important. Backyard breeders also generally sell inferior quality puppies. They don't enforce spay or neuter contracts on pet quality dogs, obviously because they themselves are breeding pet quality dogs. They commonly sell dogs with full registration and no spay/neuter requirement to people with little to no background or experience in dogs.
Now, you say, what is an ethical breeder?
An ethical breeder is VERY different from the three other types listed above.
An ethical breeder does not breed to sell puppies. Generally when an ethical breeder breeds, he/she is breeding to get something out of that litter.
Responsible breeders will sell most of their puppies on limited registration and on a spay/neuter contract. They will occasionally have show prospects available to the right person and will usually require co-ownership for those inexperienced in the world of dogs. They are very careful about who they will sell a puppy too and screen potential owners very closely.
A responsible, ethical breeder keeps track of where all his/her puppies are.
An ethical breeder breeds for health, temperament, mental soundness, working ability and conformation. He/she generally shows his/her dogs in order to judge conformation as well as participates in other activities. Also they will do necessary genetic tests on dogs used for breeding in order to keep genetic defects out of their breeding program. This also greatly reduces your risks, as a puppy buyer, from getting a puppy who will inherit genetic diseases. Ethical breeders are also very careful about breeding for correct temperament.
So where is the best place to buy a puppy?
From an ethical responsible breeder. You might feel that the breeder has no place to tell you that you have to spay/neuter your dog. Well, all that breeder is doing is trying to protect the well being of the breed and their breeding program. No ethical breeder wants to see the offspring of his/her dogs in a puppy mill or pet store.
You may think that you are saving a puppy by buying it from a puppy mill, backyard breeder or pet store. Yes, you are saving that one puppy, but you are condemning its mother, father and many other puppies to come. If people stop buying from pet stores, puppy mills and backyard breeders then these places will go out of business and ALL the dogs will be saved. If you really want to save a dog/puppy, please check out your local shelters and breed rescue organizations.
But I don't have the tons of money that it costs to buy from a show breeder...
Ethical breeders generally sell their pet puppies for less than or equal to the prices of pet shops puppy mills and backyard breeders.
If you don't have the money, don't resort to getting a "cheap" dog from a backyard breeder. You will spend far more on vet bills in the future. You get what you pay for.
The following information was taken from here .
Where do pet store puppies come from?
Smaller dogs in a puppymill are kept in cages that are stacked on top of each other with floors of wire so that the urine and droppings of the dogs can go through to the ground. This means that the animals in the lower cages end up covered in feces and urine for most of their life - many leading to burns and infections - eventually a septic death. If they live out their life covered in urine and feces, their feet suffer by splaying out due to a lifetime of walking across wire. This is painful and irreversable.
IF they are fortunate enough to have feet wide enough NOT to slip through the wire cages, they won't suffer such injuries as this poor pooch did when its paw slipped through the wire and became tangeled. This dog was left to suffer in this condition for over a week. Its leg was also broken. By the time rescuers freed this animal, gangrene had set in and the leg had to be amputated. What did the miller say when questioned about the condition of this little one?? She simply shrugged and asked, "Think I should give it some antibotics?" This appalling abuse is only the tip of the iceberg. No charges were pressed because the authorities felt there 'wasn't enough evidence'. What do you think?
So, the next time you look at a puppy in a pet shop, picture the above, because this is where that puppy comes from. This is where his parents REMAIN. The larger breed dogs are there too.
As long as people continue to buy those cute little puppies and kittens in petstores, places and incidents like this will continue to exist. Walk away! Go to your humane shelter. Contact a rescue group! Remember - if a petstore doesn't sell their stock of puppies and kittens - they will STOP buying them from puppymills. Supply and demand speaks volumnes! WALK AWAY! If puppymills can't sell puppies - they go out of business.
If you can not do anything more in helping this cause, your walking away and OUT of that pet store, proves to us that you have indeed done done something!! You took the first step in stopping the madness. Spread the word!
We applaude you and thank you for your help!
What is a puppy mill?
There is not an exact definition of what constitutes a puppy mill. But, in our opinion, a puppy mill is a breeder who indiscriminately breeds dogs to produce the maximum number of puppies (profit) for the least expense and without significant regard for the preservation or improvement of the breed traits, the health of the adult dogs, or the future well being of the puppies. A puppy mill is like any other mill. It churns out a commodity.
Because of the USDA's inability to inspect all licensed breeders, a breeder may be "licensed" with the USDA and still operate a puppy mill. Do not be fooled by pet stores which claim their puppies come from "reputable breeders", "USDA breeders", or local breeders. None of these statements guarantees that a pet store puppy has not come from a puppy mill.
A puppy mill may have hundreds of adult dogs, or it may have only a handful. Of course, the greater the number of adult dogs that a mill has, the greater the likelihood that they are not getting adequate care and socialization. However, we have seen small breeders who operate just as poorly as large breeders.
What is wrong with a puppy mill?
Although there are some mills that will handle larger dogs, for the most part the mills all raise small dogs. The dogs are seldom kept in grass or gravel runs - that takes up way too much space and is too time consuming to clean. The smallest dogs are kept in rabbit hutches. Larger dogs may be kept in "kennel barns" . Kennel barns are small sheds that have two rows of cages with a center aisle. The cages have openings to outside elevated wire runs. The wire runs have to have large enough holes so that feces can fall through. Unfortunately, for small dogs, this creates an incredible strain on their feet and causes their toes to splay to the point where they are actually walking on the areas in between their pads. We have had Westies through here who could barely walk because of foot problems. The space allocated to each dog is about the size of a medium sized vari-kennel. Under USDA standards, all the room a dog needs is enough to stand up, turn around, and lay back down.
Puppies tend to do fairly well, because a puppy doesn't start socializing with humans until its about eight weeks old and, by then, it has already left the mill for the pet store. The adults in the mills do not fare nearly as well. They get virtually no medical treatment and many may never see a vet at all. The millers give their own shots and use ivomex to treat for worms and other pests. Because the dogs don't actually see vets, many medical problems such as ear mites, yeast infections, dog bites, tumors, hernias, and dental problems are never treated.
We have seen dogs under two years old who have had ruptured ear drums from untreated yeast infections. And, we routinely see dogs with horrible teeth - because the millers use drip water bottles instead of water bowls for the dogs. We also see an awful lot of undersized dogs. Its not uncommon for us to get adult females that weigh under 10 pounds. And, we almost uniformly get dogs that eat feces. The euphanism for this in the mill world is "they keep a clean pen" and it is something that is to be desired in a mill dog. I've actually witnessed dogs in mills who will pick up their poop and put it in their food dishes.
Females dogs are bred at least once a year and sometimes twice a year, as soon as they are old enough to breed. And, a breeding female is worth a ton of money - regardless of her confirmation. In fact, at most dog auctions, long haired dogs such as Scots or Westies come in fully matted and you can't handle the dogs before the auction. So, there is no way to feel them to ascertain confirmation. But, it makes absolutely no difference because the dog will sell if it is capable of producing. I've seen Westies who were positively tan who have sold for as much or more than white Westies. I've seen Westies and Scotties who's ears are horizontal. They sell for as much as any of the others. And, I've seen dogs who didn't even look like whatever breed they were supposed to be, that sold for an outrageous amount. I've seen dogs sell for as high as $8,000. And, I saw an 8 year old Cavalier King Charles female sell for $1,800 last spring - and by all accounts you would think that she was past breeding age. But, the saddest thing that I ever saw sell was a young Boston Terrier bitch who couldn't stand up because of hip displaysia (the auctioneers had to hold her up). . . .and someone bought her for a breeding dog. I don't remember exactly what she sold for, but it was over $400. I've seen really bad tempered dogs sell. You name it and if it can produce a pup, it is going to sell.
You mentioned that pups coming from these mills sell for about what a good breeder could get for a dog. And, that's true -- at the pet store level. But, you have to remember that the breeders aren't getting that kind of money for a dog. For instance, a broker will pay up to $120 for a Westie puppy (Scottie puppies are cheaper). All of the mark-up on these dogs happens between the broker, pet store, and purchaser. Any reputable breeder will tell you that they lose money on their puppies. It is just impossible to raise a healthy puppy and sell it for $400 or $500 and make any money. So, you can imagine the kinds of corners that the millers have to cut in order to make a profit --- and they are making a huge profit.
Its all perfectly legal and its virtually unregulated.
What can I do to stop puppy mills?
First and foremost, never buy a puppy from a pet store. Puppy mills can only exist as long as people continue to purchase pet store puppies. Boycott pet stores that sell puppies.
Second, boycott Missouri (and any other puppy mill state).
Write to the Governor:
Matt Blunt
Governor's Office
216 State Capitol
P.O. Box 720
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102
and tell him that you will not be vacationing in Missouri, or purchasing any goods manufactured in Missouri, until he takes action to stop the exportation of puppies.
Third, tell your U.S. Senator and Representative that you want better enforcement of USDA regulations of "commercial breeders".
Fourth, help us educate people about puppy mills and pet store puppies. Tell your friends. Tell your children. Tell pet store owners. Tell everyone you can think
of . . .and keep talking until someone listens to you.
Puppy Mill
A puppy mill is a place where lots of dogs are being bred for the primary purpose of resale. There are generally lots of breeds, although some places only have a few breeds. The breeders breed for profit and generally sell to brokers or pet stores, but some do occasionally sell to the public. Bitches are generally bred every time they come into heat. Puppy mills usually have puppies available at any given time.
No regards for the dogs or puppies health. No regards for the standard for the breed.
Although puppy mills are rampant in some states, they can be found anywhere.
Pet Store
We aren't talking about just any pet store here, we are talking about pet stores that sell puppies. These places sell puppies FOR PROFIT. Not because they love puppies, because if they did, they wouldn't sell them. The puppies are sold at high prices, prices of $500 - $1000 or more aren't uncommon. These puppies are generally young, 8 or so weeks old. Pet stores don't check out the people they sell puppies to, nor do they care. All they care is that you have the money for the puppy. Wanna see where that cute pet store puppy comes from? Watch this . Also, this one is pretty graphic .
Backyard Breeder
This one is the toughie as on the outside it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish a backyard breeder from an ethical, responsible breeder. The one thing that separates the two types is education. Backyard breeders are not usually properly educated on their breed or on breeding.
Backyard breeders usually are nice on the surface. They only have a few dogs, and usually keep them in the house in a clean environment. The dogs outwardly look cared for and healthy. But backyard breeders commonly breed a bitch every time she comes into heat, do indiscriminate breedings, and do not do genetic tests. Genetic testing is very important. You can't see if a bitch or dog is going to throw genetic defects with your naked eye. These tests are very important. Backyard breeders also generally sell inferior quality puppies. They don't enforce spay or neuter contracts on pet quality dogs, obviously because they themselves are breeding pet quality dogs. They commonly sell dogs with full registration and no spay/neuter requirement to people with little to no background or experience in dogs.
Now, you say, what is an ethical breeder?
An ethical breeder is VERY different from the three other types listed above.
An ethical breeder does not breed to sell puppies. Generally when an ethical breeder breeds, he/she is breeding to get something out of that litter.
Responsible breeders will sell most of their puppies on limited registration and on a spay/neuter contract. They will occasionally have show prospects available to the right person and will usually require co-ownership for those inexperienced in the world of dogs. They are very careful about who they will sell a puppy too and screen potential owners very closely.
A responsible, ethical breeder keeps track of where all his/her puppies are.
An ethical breeder breeds for health, temperament, mental soundness, working ability and conformation. He/she generally shows his/her dogs in order to judge conformation as well as participates in other activities. Also they will do necessary genetic tests on dogs used for breeding in order to keep genetic defects out of their breeding program. This also greatly reduces your risks, as a puppy buyer, from getting a puppy who will inherit genetic diseases. Ethical breeders are also very careful about breeding for correct temperament.
So where is the best place to buy a puppy?
From an ethical responsible breeder. You might feel that the breeder has no place to tell you that you have to spay/neuter your dog. Well, all that breeder is doing is trying to protect the well being of the breed and their breeding program. No ethical breeder wants to see the offspring of his/her dogs in a puppy mill or pet store.
You may think that you are saving a puppy by buying it from a puppy mill, backyard breeder or pet store. Yes, you are saving that one puppy, but you are condemning its mother, father and many other puppies to come. If people stop buying from pet stores, puppy mills and backyard breeders then these places will go out of business and ALL the dogs will be saved. If you really want to save a dog/puppy, please check out your local shelters and breed rescue organizations.
But I don't have the tons of money that it costs to buy from a show breeder...
Ethical breeders generally sell their pet puppies for less than or equal to the prices of pet shops puppy mills and backyard breeders.
If you don't have the money, don't resort to getting a "cheap" dog from a backyard breeder. You will spend far more on vet bills in the future. You get what you pay for.
The following information was taken from here .
Where do pet store puppies come from?
Smaller dogs in a puppymill are kept in cages that are stacked on top of each other with floors of wire so that the urine and droppings of the dogs can go through to the ground. This means that the animals in the lower cages end up covered in feces and urine for most of their life - many leading to burns and infections - eventually a septic death. If they live out their life covered in urine and feces, their feet suffer by splaying out due to a lifetime of walking across wire. This is painful and irreversable.
IF they are fortunate enough to have feet wide enough NOT to slip through the wire cages, they won't suffer such injuries as this poor pooch did when its paw slipped through the wire and became tangeled. This dog was left to suffer in this condition for over a week. Its leg was also broken. By the time rescuers freed this animal, gangrene had set in and the leg had to be amputated. What did the miller say when questioned about the condition of this little one?? She simply shrugged and asked, "Think I should give it some antibotics?" This appalling abuse is only the tip of the iceberg. No charges were pressed because the authorities felt there 'wasn't enough evidence'. What do you think?So, the next time you look at a puppy in a pet shop, picture the above, because this is where that puppy comes from. This is where his parents REMAIN. The larger breed dogs are there too.As long as people continue to buy those cute little puppies and kittens in petstores, places and incidents like this will continue to exist. Walk away! Go to your humane shelter. Contact a rescue group! Remember - if a petstore doesn't sell their stock of puppies and kittens - they will STOP buying them from puppymills. Supply and demand speaks volumnes! WALK AWAY! If puppymills can't sell puppies - they go out of business.
If you can not do anything more in helping this cause, your walking away and OUT of that pet store, proves to us that you have indeed done done something!! You took the first step in stopping the madness. Spread the word!
We applaude you and thank you for your help!
What is a puppy mill?
There is not an exact definition of what constitutes a puppy mill. But, in our opinion, a puppy mill is a breeder who indiscriminately breeds dogs to produce the maximum number of puppies (profit) for the least expense and without significant regard for the preservation or improvement of the breed traits, the health of the adult dogs, or the future well being of the puppies. A puppy mill is like any other mill. It churns out a commodity. Because of the USDA's inability to inspect all licensed breeders, a breeder may be "licensed" with the USDA and still operate a puppy mill. Do not be fooled by pet stores which claim their puppies come from "reputable breeders", "USDA breeders", or local breeders. None of these statements guarantees that a pet store puppy has not come from a puppy mill.
A puppy mill may have hundreds of adult dogs, or it may have only a handful. Of course, the greater the number of adult dogs that a mill has, the greater the likelihood that they are not getting adequate care and socialization. However, we have seen small breeders who operate just as poorly as large breeders.
What is wrong with a puppy mill?
Although there are some mills that will handle larger dogs, for the most part the mills all raise small dogs. The dogs are seldom kept in grass or gravel runs - that takes up way too much space and is too time consuming to clean. The smallest dogs are kept in rabbit hutches. Larger dogs may be kept in "kennel barns" . Kennel barns are small sheds that have two rows of cages with a center aisle. The cages have openings to outside elevated wire runs. The wire runs have to have large enough holes so that feces can fall through. Unfortunately, for small dogs, this creates an incredible strain on their feet and causes their toes to splay to the point where they are actually walking on the areas in between their pads. We have had Westies through here who could barely walk because of foot problems. The space allocated to each dog is about the size of a medium sized vari-kennel. Under USDA standards, all the room a dog needs is enough to stand up, turn around, and lay back down.Puppies tend to do fairly well, because a puppy doesn't start socializing with humans until its about eight weeks old and, by then, it has already left the mill for the pet store. The adults in the mills do not fare nearly as well. They get virtually no medical treatment and many may never see a vet at all. The millers give their own shots and use ivomex to treat for worms and other pests. Because the dogs don't actually see vets, many medical problems such as ear mites, yeast infections, dog bites, tumors, hernias, and dental problems are never treated.
We have seen dogs under two years old who have had ruptured ear drums from untreated yeast infections. And, we routinely see dogs with horrible teeth - because the millers use drip water bottles instead of water bowls for the dogs. We also see an awful lot of undersized dogs. Its not uncommon for us to get adult females that weigh under 10 pounds. And, we almost uniformly get dogs that eat feces. The euphanism for this in the mill world is "they keep a clean pen" and it is something that is to be desired in a mill dog. I've actually witnessed dogs in mills who will pick up their poop and put it in their food dishes.
Females dogs are bred at least once a year and sometimes twice a year, as soon as they are old enough to breed. And, a breeding female is worth a ton of money - regardless of her confirmation. In fact, at most dog auctions, long haired dogs such as Scots or Westies come in fully matted and you can't handle the dogs before the auction. So, there is no way to feel them to ascertain confirmation. But, it makes absolutely no difference because the dog will sell if it is capable of producing. I've seen Westies who were positively tan who have sold for as much or more than white Westies. I've seen Westies and Scotties who's ears are horizontal. They sell for as much as any of the others. And, I've seen dogs who didn't even look like whatever breed they were supposed to be, that sold for an outrageous amount. I've seen dogs sell for as high as $8,000. And, I saw an 8 year old Cavalier King Charles female sell for $1,800 last spring - and by all accounts you would think that she was past breeding age. But, the saddest thing that I ever saw sell was a young Boston Terrier bitch who couldn't stand up because of hip displaysia (the auctioneers had to hold her up). . . .and someone bought her for a breeding dog. I don't remember exactly what she sold for, but it was over $400. I've seen really bad tempered dogs sell. You name it and if it can produce a pup, it is going to sell.You mentioned that pups coming from these mills sell for about what a good breeder could get for a dog. And, that's true -- at the pet store level. But, you have to remember that the breeders aren't getting that kind of money for a dog. For instance, a broker will pay up to $120 for a Westie puppy (Scottie puppies are cheaper). All of the mark-up on these dogs happens between the broker, pet store, and purchaser. Any reputable breeder will tell you that they lose money on their puppies. It is just impossible to raise a healthy puppy and sell it for $400 or $500 and make any money. So, you can imagine the kinds of corners that the millers have to cut in order to make a profit --- and they are making a huge profit.
Its all perfectly legal and its virtually unregulated.
What can I do to stop puppy mills?
First and foremost, never buy a puppy from a pet store. Puppy mills can only exist as long as people continue to purchase pet store puppies. Boycott pet stores that sell puppies.
Second, boycott Missouri (and any other puppy mill state). Write to the Governor:
Matt Blunt
Governor's Office
216 State Capitol
P.O. Box 720
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102
and tell him that you will not be vacationing in Missouri, or purchasing any goods manufactured in Missouri, until he takes action to stop the exportation of puppies.
Third, tell your U.S. Senator and Representative that you want better enforcement of USDA regulations of "commercial breeders".
Fourth, help us educate people about puppy mills and pet store puppies. Tell your friends. Tell your children. Tell pet store owners. Tell everyone you can think
of . . .and keep talking until someone listens to you.
bigdoglover03 |
Latest page update: made by bigdoglover03
, Jan 2 2008, 11:02 AM EST
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by bigdoglover03
20 words added view changes - complete history) |
|
Keyword tags:
backyard breeder
BYB
commercial breeders
puppy farms
puppy mill
More Info: links to this page
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| labrapaws | BYBrs, Millers & their Websites | 3 | Dec 16 2007, 12:30 PM EST by bigdoglover03 | ||
|
Thread started: Dec 13 2007, 8:36 PM EST
Watch
I thought starting a thred about websites would be good helpful information. An FYI would be never judge a breeder by their site ! I have a few pointers on how to read a website, but I can't think of all on the top of my head. I'll sort though and add them later. Until then, it would be interesting to see what others look for on a website that would raise a "red flag".
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Keyword tags:
backyard breeder
BYB
commercial breeders
puppy farms
puppy mill
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Many people think that breeding dogs is easy.doc (Word Document - 25k)
posted by bigdoglover03 Dec 2 2007, 10:50 PM EST
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