Puppy Mills - What you should know!!! There are many definitions of Puppy Mills. Some are quite extreme and others are not strict enough. There are several guidelines of which we would like you, our customers, to be aware of. Puppies and parent dogs should not be confined to small cages. Puppies and parent dogs should not be confined to ample sized cages or crates all the time; they should be able to spend a lot of their time out of their cages and in the company of humans and each other. The premises should be kept clean of feces, urine, uneaten food and trash/garbage in general. Potential buyers of puppies should be allowed to visit the premises to see where and how the puppies are raised. If the parent dogs are on the premises, buyers should be allowed to see them. Some breeders allow buyers to tour their kennels. It is important to remember, though, that some breeders, due to concerns about visitors exposing their puppies to unwanted diseases, may not allow visits and/or tours. This is a very valid concern on their part as exposing puppie to diseases can end up wiping out many of their puppies and costing thousands of dollars in veterinarian bills. Puppies and parent dogs should be well socialized and have an open area for playing and exercising daily. All dogs should be clean, healthy, with clear eyes, free from any discharge from eyes and nose, and appear happy and alert. Reputable breeders offer a vet check health guarantee within a time frame of 24 to 72 hours. A conscientious, ethical breeder will give a long-term health warranty against genetic defects of his/her particular breed(s). Breeders should be willing to give you references to other private parties who have purchased from them in the past. The number of breeds at one kennel can vary from one to several. Some breeders have several litters available during the year. The puppies should receive appropriate and timely medical care, and be given individual attention. No puppy should leave a breeder before it is at least 8 weeks old and has had at least one set of puppy shots, proof of which is to be supplied to the buyer. Some States have strict regulations regarding the minimum age to let a puppy go to its new home. Responsible and conscientious breeders will provide to puppy buyers a copy of the pedigree as well as appropriate kennel club registration information to buyers for the newly purchased puppy. At a minimum, breeders should provide in written format basic puppy care instructions including the preferred diet, hygene practices, disease prevention, exercise, socialization techniques and common puppy behavioral expectations. Many responsible and conscientious breeders require spay/neuter contracts or limited registrations for their pet puppies and will provide this contract in writing for the puppy buyer. Remember, it is estimated by some authorities that as many as 90% of the puppies sold in pet stores come from puppy mills. That is reason enough to not purchase a potential disappointment from such stores. You should look for reputable breeders who follow reasonable guidelines such as those above. Generally speaking, Puppy Mills of the worst kind do not advertise to the general public and do not welcome you on to their property's. *********************************************************************************************************************************** The Humane Society of the United States has launched a national telephone tip line to report suspected cruelty or unlawful activities involving pet breeding facilities. 1-877-MILL-TIP In your search for a puppy if you come across a puppy mill then please make the call. Can you imagine forcing your pet dog to live his or her entire life in a small wire cage with no human companionship, toys or comfort, and little hope of ever becoming part of a family? That is what life is like for a puppy mill breeding dog. Help us stop this cycle of cruelty that contributes to pet overpopulation and the suffering of countless dogs. Puppy mills have been around for decades. They continue to thrive because they prey on unwitting consumers who are smitten by too-cute-for-words puppies in pet store windows. Puppy mills house dogs in shockingly poor conditions. After their fertility wanes, breeding animals are often killed, abandoned or sold cheaply to another mill to try and get "one more litter" out of the dog. The annual result of all this breeding is millions of puppies, many with behavior and/or health problems. *********************************************************************************************************************************** |