Learn the true cost of puppy mills... to dogs, to taxpayers, to all of us
by Denise LeBeau, Best Friends StaffDONATIONS: Donations are deeply appreciated, since costs are rising by the hour. You can donate to this rescue operation today. Puppy Mills! You’ve probably heard of them; it’s a ubiquitous catch phrase. You probably have a vague notion that they’re bad, but you wouldn’t think they touch your life. Well, guess again! Every taxpayer and animal lover is paying the price, with their hard earned cash and/or tears. Dogs produced from puppy mills number in the tens of thousands, and they are often plagued with multiple behavioral and health problems. The glut of unwanted animals impounded and euthanized everyday is in big part a byproduct of puppy mills, and the citizens of the US fund it. The expense of catching and killing homeless pets often falls onto the shoulders of your local animal control!
Puppy mill operators make a profit by giving the bare minimum of care to the animals they are breeding. That means squalid and small living quarters that are rarely cleaned (often the floors are made of wire so their puppies don’t get urine burns), innutritious food, and hardly any medical attention. Providing these should-be necessities would cut into the profit, thus making it a less lucrative business.
The puppy millers often sell their puppies to puppy brokers that take them to pet stores, or they sell them directly to the public via the internet. Both are dubious practices – there have been many articles in the media about dogs dying during transport due to negligence. Again, any attention to actual care towards the animals will take a cut of the miller’s profit margin, and that’s their bottom line. Internet sales are also geared towards duping the public by disguising the animal’s puppy mill origins by creating multiple websites to give the impression that the dog sellers have only one breed with few animals in their breeding program.
Puppy millers are notoriously secretive, and an unusual hub of canine commercial breeding has cropped up within the Amish community, and it is steadily increasing. Their natural veil of privacy lends itself to doing a booming business. You should know that the USDA is the agency in charge of governing these cash crops. To the U.S. government - dogs are nothing more than produce!
Best Friends Animal Society has joined forces with those agencies in animal welfare that are battling these profiteers of greed. From co-sponsoring this year’s Puppy Mill Awareness Day, to helping communities fight commercial breeders on a legislative level, Best Friends is committed to helping end the suffering.
The kennels owned by an Amish family of Bland County, Virginia, was the focus of one such battle. The breeders had a kennel that burned down last year. It was unlicensed, and when they applied for a license to reopen, they were met with public outcry. Best Friends had lawyers and activists helping the local organizations oppose this issuance. As a result, the local officials put stricter regulations on the proposed kennels, making it too costly for the breeders to resume business there. Subsequently, the puppy millers decided to move their operation to Giles County, Virginia. There they were met with the same resistance, and were ultimately denied a kennel permit altogether. This is a monumental decision on the county’s part, and sends a loud and clear message to commercial breeders everywhere!
These puppy millers were essentially forced out of business by their inability to make a profit! This turn of events led to their recent decision to sell their dogs. They were adamant about not giving them to any animal welfare groups, but Best Friends was undeterred. After a clandestine meeting involving a front, some cash and an undisclosed location, Best Friends was able to negotiate freedom from the slavery that these dogs were most likely born into.
Working with local organizations, Best Friends has made it possible for over 179 dogs to roll in the grass and eat some fresh food, today and everyday! Many of the dogs are pregnant, and for the first time, they will receive the medical attention every whelping momma dog needs. This has been a collaborative effort and it could not have happened without every agency doing their part! The public has been beyond supportive by showing up and letting their voice be heard, and by supporting the whole rescue operation.
This is the end of the story for the Bland County breeders, but only the beginning of the story for the animals that were once just numbers! Now they have names like Mabel (pictured at left) and Clara Bella, and their journey from despair to hope has just launched. We want to share their stories with you! Your support of Best Friends is making it happen!
Join the fight, for Mabel!
HOW YOU CAN HELPDONATE Now that these dogs and puppies are in our care, we want to give them the best life we can. They deserve nothing less. Your donations are deeply appreciated.
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LEARN MORE ABOUT PUPPY MILLSPuppy Mill Frequently Asked QuestionsCommon statistics and general information about puppy mills.
photos by Clay Myers