Warning: this article contains disturbing and graphic images of abused animals.
It’s without hesitation that I say that some of my favorite things in the world are puppies. Puppies are fluffy, warm, soft, and everything good that’s in the world.
Many times, people walk into pet stores and purchase a puppy without really thinking of the repercussions. Pet stores get their puppies from puppy mills, which are commercial dog breeding facilities. These puppy mills focus on increasing their profit and reducing any costs. This essentially means that the health of the animals is not a concern. The female dogs that breed the puppies are forced to breed over and over again with no time to rest in between. This can cause deformities in the puppies. These puppies are killed off if they do not meet guidelines for what qualifies as an attractive puppy. When the mother is too old to breed, she is killed off as well.
A puppy mill dog, born with birth defects due to faulty breeding
A puppy mill mother dog
The conditions that the animals live in are cramped and unclean. Puppy mills do not provide any medical attention or protection from the weather. They also do not have health code guidelines, which means that the animals are usually living in an unhygienic environment which can lead to ear infections, dehydration, blindness, and malnourishment. Water is often contaminated and the food is usually infested with bugs.
These are not conditions anyone would want to live in, so why are puppy mills still around when 1.2 million dogs are put to sleep in shelters every year? Cute puppies will always be in high demand. By refusing to buy puppies from pet stores and adopting a dog from a shelter, we not only help to decrease the demand for puppies from puppy mills, but we also give a dog that is deserving of a home another chance.