Why are Puppy Mills Bad?

Julian Omidi is an advocate for the safety and welfare of animals across the world. In today’s blog, Julian explains why puppy mills are a cruel and unsafe practice.

We’ve all been shopping at a local mall or pet store and come across adorable puppies for sale. However, the sad truth is that many of these puppies come from large-scale dog breeding operations known as “puppy mills.” Most people are completely unaware of what makes most puppy mills a detriment to the health and welfare of animals, and why operations like them should be eliminated.

In a majority of these large puppy mills, turning a profit is the only concern. As with any company that treats animals like products rather than living beings, the dogs are often subjected to inadequate and inhumane living conditions. Overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and a serious lack of veterinary care and socialization are common, as is a lack of sufficient food and water.

Puppy mill dogs are usually stacked in cages with wire floors that can injure their paws. And with cages stacked upon one another, waste has nowhere to go except onto the dogs housed below. Because of these unfit conditions, health problems such as matting, sores, mange and a host of other medical and behavioral problems can develop. This leads to thousands of sick dogs being put up for sale at pet stores, where they are sold to unsuspecting families.

Meanwhile, the breeding dogs at many of these mills spend their entire lives outdoors, with little or no protection against the elements. Female dogs are often given no recovery time between litters. And once female dogs are no longer able to reproduce, they are often abandoned or shot.

It can sometimes be difficult to determine if the animals available to buy at pet stores come from reputable breeders or puppy mills, but it is worth taking the time to research before buying a puppy. Any industry that makes a profit from exploiting and abusing animals does not deserve to receive more money to continue the cruel practice. The Humane Society has excellent resources available to help you adopt a puppy without aiding and abetting puppy mills.

The only thing that will lead to changes in the puppy mill industry is raising awareness about the issue, and urging our government to enact stricter regulations so these types of practices are abolished. Together, we can ensure that future generations of innocent animals are not forced to suffer in the name of profit.

Be good to each other,

Julian Omidi

Julian Omidi, along with his brother Michael and mother Cindy, are advocates and co-founders of Animal Support and a number of other charities and organizations that are dedicated to promoting the health and wellbeing of all living creatures.