Why Are Puppy Mills Legal and What Can Be Done to Change It?

Research Paper: Puppy Mills

RESEARCH QUESTION

Why are puppy mills legal and what can be done to change it?

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

One article states, pets may improve heart health during stressful situations, ease anxiety, and keep elderly people in touch with the world (NCHR). According to dictionary.com a puppy mill, or puppy farm, is an establishment that breeds puppies for sale in conditions regarded as inhumane. If you were looking to buy a puppy, a reputable breeder would be the most ideal to buy from. Some ways to tell the difference between a reputable breeder and a puppy mill is a reputable breeder would raise there dogs in a home environment, as opposed to a kennel. They would treat their dogs with love and respect and as a member of the family. A reputable breeder should also give thought to who is taking one of the puppies home. They should have a selective screening process for prospective puppy buyers- not just sell to whoever arrives with cash in hand, and should take part in the raising of your new puppy. Reputable breeders should be willing to take the dog back if your circumstances change at some point and you can no longer keep the dog. They should have the health clearances for their breeding stock, as well as be willing to provide names and numbers of previous purchasers to let you call as references. Reputable breeders should sell the puppies with a health guarantee against any genetic defect. They should also allow you to meet the parents of the new puppy and should not leave there dogs in a kennel. They should not employ inhumane practices for their dogs. A reputable breeder should not be more interested in ‘getting their price’ than the long-term welfare of the dog or what kind of home the dog is going into. They should not breed any female dog under the age of two years or above the age of six years and should not knowingly breed dogs with genetic problems. They also should not have excessive breeding in any given year. Millions of dogs are euthanized annually because of canine overpopulation.

RESEARCH OVERVIEW

There is no limit to the number of dogs on the premises. A puppy mill could have hundreds or thousands of dogs. There is no requirement on the number of staff that must be available to care for the dogs. Dogs may be kept in stacked cages. Mesh or wire flooring is allowed. Dogs may be forced to relieve themselves in their cages. Dogs may be confined in spaces only six inches larger than their bodies, not including the tail. A dog may be caged 24 hours a day for his or her entire life, only removed from the cage to be bred. There is no exercise requirement if dogs are housed with other dogs and certain minimal size requirements are met for the dog’s enclosure. Human interaction is not required. Breeding females at the first heat cycle and every heat cycle is permissible, and unwanted animals may be killed or auctioned off. Some states have their own animal welfare laws that breeders, brokers, and pet stores in that state must follow, and most states also charge their own state departments of agriculture with inspecting breeders, brokers, and pet stores located within that state. Many state departments of agriculture, including the Illinois Department of Agriculture, suffer from the same ills as the USDA – they are overburdened, care standards are extremely minimal, and they operate with leniency towards breeders and pet stores. Some states have begun passing legislation placing limitations on pet stores from buying from breeders. Many cities are passing their own laws geared at stopping puppy mills. At the local level, many of these laws take the form of retail pet sale ordinances. These ordinances often prohibit pet stores from selling dogs and cats (and in some cases rabbits) from commercial breeding facilities and only allow pet stores to sell animals if