Puppy mills are breeding facilities that produce purebred puppies in large
numbers. The puppies are sold either directly to the public via the Internet,
newspaper ads, at the mill itself, or are sold to brokers and pet shops across
the country. Puppy mills have long concerned The Humane Society of the United
States.
The documented problems of puppy mills include overbreeding, inbreeding,
minimal veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter, lack of
socialization with humans, overcrowded cages, and the killing of unwanted
animals. To the unwitting consumer, this situation frequently means buying a
puppy facing an array of immediate veterinary problems or harboring
genetically borne diseases that do not appear until years later. In 1994,
Time magazine estimated that as many as 25% of purebred dogs were
afflicted with serious genetic problems.
Sadly, some dogs are forced to live in puppy mills for their entire lives.
They are kept there for one reason only: to produce more puppies. Repeatedly
bred, many of these
"brood bitches" are killed once their reproductive capacity wanes.
Thousands of these breeding operations currently exist in the United
States, many of them despite repeated violations of the federal Animal Welfare
Act (AWA). The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is charged with
enforcing the AWA; however, with 96 inspectors nationwide who oversee not only
the thousands of puppy mills, but also zoos, circuses, laboratories, and
animals transported via commercial airlines, they are an agency stretched
thin.
The HSUS, along with other animal-protection groups, has successfully
lobbied for increased funding for AWA enforcement. Although all 50 states have
anti-cruelty laws that should prevent neglect and mistreatment of dogs in
puppy mills, such laws are seldom enforced.
The Pet Store Link
The HSUS strongly opposes the sale, through pet shops and similar outlets,
of puppies and dogs from mass-breeding establishments. Puppy-mill dogs are the
"inventory" of these retail operations. Statistics from the Pet Industry Joint
Advisory Council (PIJAC) indicate that approximately 3,500 to 3,700 of the
11,500 to 12,000 U.S. pet stores sell cats and dogs. PIJAC also estimates that
pet stores sell 300,000 to 400,000 puppies every year. The HSUS estimates the
number to be 500,000.
Purebreed registration papers only state the recorded lineage of a dog.
Accuracy of the reported lineage cannot be guaranteed. The American Kennel
Club (AKC), the most widely recognized purebred dog registry, readily notes
that it "is not itself involved in the sale of dogs and cannot therefore
guarantee the health and quality of dogs in its registry." Clearly, it is
"buyer beware."
The "Retail Pet Store" Exemption Problem
The USDA has never required dealers who sell their animals directly to the
public to apply for licenses, regardless of the size of the operation. The
Animal Welfare Act (AWA) excludes "retail pet stores" from its minimum humane
care and handling requirements, and it is the USDA's position that these
dealers are retail pet stores. However, many think that a person breeding
animals on his own premises and selling them directly to consumers is not a
"retail pet store."
Each year American consumers purchase dogs from unregulated dealers who
sell animals from their premises. Many of the animals are sold through
newspaper advertisements and via the Internet, which means the purchaser can't
see the conditions in which the dogs live. A number of investigative reports,
however, have revealed that these facilities can be horrific. Thirty-five
years ago, Congress passed the AWA to, in part, ensure that breeders provide
humane treatment to animals in their care. AWA requirements include adequate
housing, ample food and water, reasonable handling, basic disease prevention,
decent sanitation, and sufficient ventilation.
On May 11, 2000, a coalition of animal protection organizations and
individuals filed a lawsuit charging the USDA with failing to halt cruel and
inhumane practices at breeding facilities. The plaintiffs outlined the USDA's
illegal actions in exempting pet dealers who were not retail stores from
compliance with the humane treatment standards mandated by the AWA. The
complaint also described how the USDA's lack of appropriate application of the
AWA can lead to the injury, illness, and death of untold numbers of animals.
On July 31, 2001, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
ruled that the language and history of the AWA clearly show that an individual
who sells dogs and cats from his or her own premises is not a "retail pet
store." Thus, the court found that USDA's exclusion of all commercial dealers
who sell dogs and cats directly to the public is in violation of Congress'
express intent under the AWA.
Upon appeal by the USDA, the decision was overturned. This strikes a huge
blow against the effort to protect all dogs in large scale breeding
facilities. Because of USDA's appeal, dogs who are used in such breeding
operations, and whose puppies are sold directly to the public, have no
protection under the Animal Welfare Act. Animal protection groups have
petitioned the Supreme Court to request the case be heard.
The HSUS's Role
The HSUS has been fighting a relentless battle against puppy mills since
the early 1980s, including monitoring the USDA's performance in this area and
pushing for better AWA enforcement.
In 1984, the General Accounting Office, the investigative agency of the
U.S. Congress, found major deficiencies in the enforcement of the AWA
regulations concerning puppy mills. Despite improvements in its inspection
process, the USDA lacks the resources to effectively enforce these
regulations.
In 1990, frustrated by the apathy of federal and state officials, The HSUS
led a nationwide boycott of puppies from the seven worst puppy mill states:
Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. The
boycott captured a great deal of national media attention, including numerous
newspaper articles and television reports on shows such as 20/20,
Good Morning, America, and The Today Show.
Raids on puppy mills subsequently took place in Kansas, where the state
legislature, attempting to protect recalcitrant puppy mill operators by
hampering investigators, enacted a law making it a felony to photograph a
puppy mill facility.
Lemon Laws
As the horror of puppy mills gained attention, some states responded with
"lemon laws" to protect consumers who buy puppies. As of August 2001, 17
states had enacted laws or issued regulations that allow consumers to receive
refunds or the reimbursement of veterinary bills when a sick puppy is
purchased. While these laws place a limited onus on pet stores and puppy mills
to sell healthy puppies, and theoretically improve conditions at the breeding
facilities, The HSUS feels that they do not adequately protect the animals who
suffer in these establishments.
Latest Developments and HSUS Action
Facing an unreliable regulatory environment and legislatures unwilling to
pass statutes that directly combat the problem of mass breeders and their
nationwide network of dealers, The HSUS continues to target the consumer for
its anti-puppy-mill messages. Consumer demand for purebred puppies, more than
any other factor, perpetuates the misery of puppy mills.
Unfortunately, a dog's lifespan is often longer than a consumer's desire to
maintain this "product." As a result, millions of dogs are sent to animal
shelters every year, where roughly half will be euthanized. The HSUS estimates
that one in four of the dogs that enter U.S.
animal shelters is purebred.
What You Can Do
To close down
puppy mills and ensure the safety and humane treatment of dogs trapped in
commercial kennels, you can:
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Encourage state and federal officials to stop the mass production and
exportation of sick and traumatized dogs. In addition to passing new laws,
legislators can demand that existing laws be enforced. |
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Urge other people not to buy puppies from pet stores, over the Internet,
or from newspaper ads.
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Write letters to the editor about puppy mills and pet stores. Explain
the mills' inhumane treatment of puppies and their contribution to pet
overpopulation.
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Visit a local pet store to determine where it obtains its puppies. Don't
be misled by claims that its dogs were not bred in puppy mills. Insist on
seeing breed registry papers or the interstate health certificate for each
puppy. The papers will list the breeder's and/or wholesaler's name and
address.
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Contact your member of the U.S. House of Representatives and your two
U.S. Senators, asking them to urge the USDA to strictly enforce the Animal
Welfare Act and to support efforts to increase funding for USDA/Animal Care.
Members of Congress can be contacted at: The Honorable _______________, U.S.
Capitol, Washington, DC 20510.
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File a
Breeder Complaint Form if your new puppy appears to be suffering from a
medical condition. |
