Stacked one on top of another, the wire cages are narrow and cramped. Fecal matter drips from the top cages to the ones on bottom. Huddled in these tiny and dirty spaces are hundreds of dogs, many sick and diseased. The dogs rarely interact with humans, and there are no toys or soft blankets to offer the animals comfort.
These are animals living in puppy mills, or commercial dog breeding facilities that mass produce dogs to sell to pet stores across the country. Those who run these mills have little regard for the well-being of the animals, as the most important aspect of a puppy mill is the profit involved.
Some of the dogs will spend their whole lives in cages, having one litter of puppies after another until their bodies are too worn out to reproduce anymore. Then the female dogs will be killed or sold to another mill because they can no longer be of any use.
According to Kathleen Summers, program assistant for puppy mills at the Humane Society of the United States, hundreds of thousands of dogs are bred at mills across the country each year. These animals are then shipped to pet stores that need a constant supply of dogs in various breeds.
An article from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal's Web site says animals raised in mills often have infectious diseases, parasites and other congenital defects. For example, many mill puppies have respiratory infections and pneumonia or other ailments such as hip dysplasia.
These illnesses may not be apparent at the time a consumer buys a puppy from a pet store. In fact, many of the diseases don't manifest until weeks after the initial purchase, Summers said. These diseases can be very costly to an unsuspecting consumer.
According to Summers, a woman in Pennsylvania bought a puppy at a pet store and then spent more than $10,000 in veterinary bills because the dog had a congenital spine disorder and numerous parasites.
While some people may have the money to help relieve a suffering animal from a mill, other animals are not so lucky. According to Summers, a couple hundred pets from mills are put down each year because the owners can't keep up with the ever-increasing cost of veterinary bills.
And if suffering animals in mills isn't enough cause for concern, puppy mills are a largely unregulated business. For example, Summers stated that in September 2005, only 27 percent of puppy mills in Missouri had been inspected.
What's more, a 2005 audit report from Missouri written by state auditor Claire McCaskill claimed that state authorities had not fined a mill at all in the past two years, even though sub-par living conditions were apparent. The audit also mentioned that in a 10.4-hour workday, state inspectors only spent 4.7 hours inspecting facilities, less than half of the time they were required.
In the past, there has been some legislation that would help regulate the puppy mill industry, but more often than not the bills are shot down before they can progress. Take, for example, the Pet Animal Welfare Statute introduced in 2005. As written, the statute would require anyone who sells more than 25 dogs a year to comply with the same inspections and regulations as large-scale breeders so that the animals being raised would live in humane conditions.
However, the bill died last year. As for current legislation, the Humane Society of the United States is actively seeking supporters for several new state laws in areas such as Minnesota. These new state laws will require breeding facilities to be licensed and inspected.
The puppy mill industry is one of grotesque tragedy and despair where thousands of animals endure unnecessary suffering. The animals experience a variety of physical and emotional problems and often never receive the affection that comes with a loving home.
The puppy mill problem will continue to exist as long as people remain silent about the cruelties occurring behind closed doors. Write to your local representatives and urge them to take a stand against puppy mills. Lend a helping hand to those who can't fight for themselves. Lobby against puppy mills, and help save a life.
Write to Katie at klmastin@bsu.edu
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