Plight of the Puppy Mill
The life of a dog in a puppy mill is beyond cruel. They are considered and treated as breeding stock, and nothing more. Many of these dogs live their entire lives in a small wire cage outside, exposed to the elements. They are never walked and often have sores on their feet from standing on wires. They are never pet or snuggled, but instead are treated as livestock, and bred every 6 months until they are no longer productive. They receive no medical care, even when they have painful and debilitating injuries. It is not uncommon to see dogs that are missing legs from getting them caught in cage wires. It is the most pathetic life you can imagine.
These puppy mills sell some dogs directly to the public, but many of the puppies are sold to brokers who load them up on trucks and ship them to pet stores all over the United States or sell them online. A breeder will often have a cute website advertising one breed of dog they sell in their "family kennel" when in reality they might have hundreds of dogs of several different breeds that are bred and sold to brokers. Internet purchase of puppies ia a huge business. As pet store purchase of puppies is decreasing, direct purchase of puppies from puppy mills via the Internet is increasing — causing puppy mills to thrive.
Dog Auction Rescues
In the Midwest, there are thousands of puppy mills. When these "kennels" go out of business, they sell their breeding stock at auctions. These auctions are held just about every weekend in the spring and fall, selling dogs to the highest bidder, usually to another puppy miller in need of more breeding stock. And this is where we've found our opportunity to make a difference.
With crates, bedding and donated medical supplies from MWI and food from the Purina company, our group of veterinary technicians and a veterinarian head out to these dog auctions and purchase/rescue as many dogs as possible with donated funds. Only kennel dispersal sales are attended, as we do not wish to contribute to active puppy millers.
Once back in California, the dogs are cleaned up and given badly needed medical treatment by the local veterinary community. Outraged and repulsed by the lack of humanity and common decency shown by these puppy mill operators, this crew of dedicated veterinarians donate a massive range of medical services that include everything from routine dental care and spay and neutering services to major hernia and botched C-section repairs, dental reconstruction of fractured jaws from dental disease, ruptured eye surgery and much more.
After the dogs receive all the medical attention they require, they are turned over to various breed rescues such as the Shih Tzu Rescue, Yorkshire Terrier Rescue, Miniature Poodle Rescue, etc. The rescue groups then rehabilitate, foster and permanently house the dogs. And for the first time in their lives they are given a real home where they are cared for and loved. Be sure to check out the before and after pictures of some of these lucky miracles.
The Bottom Line
Unfortunately, rescuing these dogs is not the definitive answer to solving the puppy mill problem. Everyone who has compassion for these dogs must put in a little effort. Besides saving these dogs from the cruelest sort of life imaginable, we also hope to increase public awareness on what's really going on behind the cute puppy pictures on the Internet. Each rescue is an attempt to capture as much media attention as possible to educate the public.
People need to understand that while they think they are saving time and money by buying dogs off the Internet, in reality, they are often buying dogs with histories of disease and medical problems that will end up costing thousands of dollars in vet bills and an endless amount of tears and heartache. And in the long run, they are also helping to cultivate the business of puppy mills into a thriving, lucrative venture, with no reason to change or stop.
If you or someone you know is considering dog ownership, take the time to do the research. Reputable breeders would never sell their puppies to pet stores or to brokers, they would ensure that each dog gets a good home. To help end this miserable cycle do not buy puppies from a pet store or online.
Close to TEN MILLION animals are euthanized in shelters each and every year. Please adopt a pet or buy from a reputable breeder.
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