Nat'l Animal Sanct. Support League

What is a puppy farm?

In a nutshell... a living hell, where dogs (and often cats) are bred purely for profit.

The bitch is bred every heat cycle, starting as young as 6 months of age. She is often weak, malnourished, and dehydrated. Rarely, if ever, is she provided with veterinary care. She cannot maintain her productivity past her fourth or fifth year. After that, she is nothing more than a drain on the farms resources and must be disposed of. If she's lucky, she'll be humanely euthanized. More often than not, she will be shot or bludgeoned to death.

The dogs are kept in small wire cages for their entire lives.  They will never touch solid ground or grass. Many of the dogs are injured in fights that occur in the cramped cages from which there is no escape. Puppy farms maximize their profits by not spending money on proper food, housing or veterinary care. Dogs in puppymills are debarked often by ramming a steel rod down their throats to reputure their vocal cords. Puppies are taken from their mother when they are 5 to 8 weeks old and sold to brokers who pack them in crates for resale (often at auctions) all over the country. Many of the puppies do not survive the trip.

Thinking of buying a puppy

If you see adverts selling multiple breeds, chances are these puppies will have come from a puppy farm.

If someone offers to deliver your puppy, chances are these puppies will have come from a puppy farm.

A reputable breeder will invite you to their home where you will see the puppies with their mother .

Roughly 99% of all pet stores that sell puppies get them from puppy mills. For every puppy they are able to sell, thousands have suffered.