How to Avoid Supporting Puppy Mills

The last time I was at the mall, I was so relieved to find that the pet store was no longer there. No longer did I have to cover my ears as I passed so as to avoid the yelps and cries of the poor little puppies sitting in their tiny cages. I am saddened to think about what might happen to those pups when a store like that goes out of business, but at the same time it’s good to see that people aren’t in favor of supporting puppy mills.

If you’ve ever watched an animal rescue show, you’ve probably seen a puppy mill being raided, and you know that they don’t provide good conditions for the animals. The poor mothers are bred until they can barely stand upright anymore and there is often inbreeding that leads to health problems for the pups later in life. If you want to avoid buying a puppy mill pup, here are a few tips:

1. Stay away from pet shops and too-good-to-be-true deals. There is a lot involved in breeding puppies, so any reputable breeder probably isn’t going to let their dogs go for less than market value, and they’re not going to send them to a pet store either.

2. Visit the breeder at his or her home or place of business. Often, breeders work from home, but either way, you want to see where these dogs live and how they’re being treated.

3. Be cautious of any breeder who seems too eager to get rid of her puppies. Although it is a business, most reputable breeders are more concerned with finding good homes for their pups than they are with getting them out the door. If they don’t seem concerned at all with who you are and why you want a pup, that might be cause to be worried.