A puppy mill is a commercial canine breeding operation whose sole purpose is to create inventory for pet stores and the public across the nation. They are facilities where profit is placed above the health and welfare of the dogs held hostage for their puppies.

Throughout the hills and valleys of Pennsylvania, thousands of puppy mills exist and operate for one reason: greed. It is estimated that many puppy mills earn in excess of half a million dollars a year annually and, rest assured, very little of this money is spent on the dogs imprisoned at these facilities. Given the earnings potential it's not surprising that many kennels continue to function even when the day-to-day activities do not comply with the state and federal governmental standards, guidelines and laws.  Brimming with widespread corruption and fraudulent practices, both canines and consumers suffer at the expense of the puppy mill industry - a network comprised of unscrupulous breeders who continue to stoop to new lows to insure an uninterrupted flow of income based upon a lack of conscience and a love of money.

Frequently housed in small, cramped and filthy wire cages, the dogs of the mills live lives of misery and are forced to produce litter after litter in a Pennsylvania climate that guarantees freezing cold winters and hot sweltering summers. Supposedly operating under guidelines issued by the PA Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, many of the mills are never inspected and even those found in violation of providing less than the most minimum standard of care possible to the dogs continue to operate with little or no interference by state and federal agencies. 

Dogs imprisoned at the mills have minimal interaction with humans, are rarely treated by a veterinarian, receive no socialization with other dogs, are deprived of exercise and, for the most part, are hidden away from view as most people would be outraged to see innocent animals being legally abused and exploited in such horrible conditions. When a dog is no longer capable of producing puppies it is frequently killed and discarded, many times using inhumane methods.  It is, without a doubt, a life of misery, loneliness, pain and sadness.

Puppies produced at mills are sold nationwide to pet stores across the country and give the phrase: 'How Much is that Doggie in the Window' an entirely new meaning. Due to the cramped quarters at the mills, many puppies are born with, or aquire from other dogs at the mill, disease and infection that frequently spreads rapidly.  Kennel cough, parvo and mange are just a few of the chronic problems faced by puppies born at these breeding facilities but the miller's motto is that a sick dog is still a sale waiting to happen and they knowingly ship sick dogs out to stores for unsuspecting consumers to buy.  And what of those dogs who are born with obvious disabilities or illnesses?  Many are sold to unsuspecting consumers by way of the internet leaving buyers with little or no recourse once the money has been paid and the puppy delivered.

Often transported in the rear of tractor trailers with no light, ventilation, cooling or heating, thousands of puppies, sometimes far too young to leave their mothers, are hauled across the country for distribution to pet stores.  In May of 2006 a tractor trailer carrying puppies on Interstate 495, while enroute to Route 3 in Massachusettes, caught fire killing 60 puppies; the driver escaped uninjured.  The truck was owned by the Hunte Company, the country's largest puppy mill operating out of Goodman, Missouri. Similarly, in 2003, over 100 puppies died just outside of Maryland in the back of a truck.

But My Pet Store Tells Me The Dogs Are From Breeders:  Don't you believe it!  Unless you can see the mother of the puppy, along with other litter mates, the dog is from the mills.  Pet stores have an assortment of tactics to try and fool you into believing that the puppies in the store come from caring homes - but they don't.  NO REPUTABLE BREEDER WOULD EVER PLACE A LITTER IN A PET STORE.  Puppies, like babies, are still building their immune systems and no caring breeder would ever allow their puppies to be handled by the public or be displayed and housed in the windows and cages of a commercial pet store.

What you can do:  boycott stores that sell puppies.  Do not buy your pet supplies from them.  Do not buy your pet food from them.  Never grace their premises with your presence and tell your friends and family to do the same.  Even if you believe you have no other retail outlet options consider using mail order instead - if you need help finding a mail order supply house, contact us and we'll help you. Remember: if no one buys the puppy mill business will die.  Do your part and put a nail in the puppy miller's coffin by avoiding pet stores that sell puppies and kittens!!

Call or write your state representative and senator and tell them that you are appalled that the puppy mill business is alive and well in Pennsylvania.  Ask them to do the right thing and insist they begin working to shut down these operations of misery for profit.  Don't know who your legislators are?  Click HERE to find out.  Need help writing a letter?  Click HERE to contact us and we'll help you.

Finally, if you wonder or doubt that the above is really true - and you have a really strong stomach - take a moment to view the following video: click HERE.  Caution: this video is extremely graphic and is a large file; depending upon your internet connection speed, it may take a while to download. After viewing this video, is there any doubt what you need to do? 

Give Hope To The Mill Dogs - BOYCOTT Stores That Sell Puppies