Spotting A Puppy Mill

Puppy Mills. Everyone thinks they know how to spot them and how to avoid them but globally they are running wild and people that think they know are buying these puppies and helping grow this industry without realizing what they've done. With the growing use of online sites to sell dogs and puppies it is getting an even bigger problem trying to stop these Puppy Mills but being able to spot the signs of a Puppy mill it means that dogs aren't overbred and stops the exploitation of animals.

For those that don't know what a Puppy mill is to put it simply is an establishment that breeds puppies for sale, typically on an intensive basis and in conditions regarded as inhumane. Often this will include the mother dog being bred back to back having multiple litters within a year, the mother being kept in such a cramped environment with no proper care for her or her pups, and not to mention how quickly dogs with 'defects' are dumped and gotten rid of.

One of the biggest giveaways online that the dog you are viewing is from a puppy mill is the wording in the ad itself. More often than not these criminals don't have the time to sit and think how to lovingly write about the litter of puppies or talk about the mother or father dog. Most of the time what these individuals will do is they will just cut and paste certain parts from other ads they have come across online and they may also use very similar details across multiple ads for puppies they have.

If you can't tell based on the advert online and do choose to go and view a puppy then always be mindful of the surroundings of where you are meeting the puppy. Is the mother dog around is one of the best things to ask to see when viewing a puppy someone who genuinely cares for their dog will happily show you the mother dog and she will be around if there is no sign of the mother dog then do not accept the puppy. Criminals will have a house front where they take the dog to show it off and talk about it so it will usually just be the one dog in the house, if you are lucky enough to see a mother dog check what she is looking like to tell if she is being looked after or not as they could try the tactic of bringing the mother dog with them but it will be clear to see that she is not being looked after.

Always ask about the dog's vaccines and ensure that you have proof of all these vaccines. Puppy mills will not get their puppies vaccinated so if they try to show you papers about vaccines it will usually have some indication that the document is a fake.

These dogs will never have been vaccinated so if you do end up getting a puppy immediately take it to the vet so that they can check it over no matter where you got the puppy from just to ensure that the dog has a clean bill of health to give you peace of mind.

The UK does not sell dogs within pet shops but this is still common practice within the US as well as some other places around the world. Pet stores do often state that they don't buy from puppy mills to sell their puppies but this is not always true the people they buy from often work with puppy mills and transport these puppies all around the country to wherever they are needed so my advice to combat this would be to stop buying dogs from pet stores this will stop the mills operation as they are unable to move their 'stock'.

Always research the breeder of your dog, good reputable breeders are always open about their process and will be happy to talk about their operations but mills will never show this as they are very unethical and run illegally. 

If you can't tell based on an advert or a viewing of the dog itself but still want a dog then I'd suggest visiting your local animal shelter and adopting a dog from there. Shelters are brilliant places where you can find a dog that you possibly would have never even considered before and you can also find dogs from all backgrounds and all ages within shelters adopting from a shelter helps the animal you have adopted get a new life, the shelter in their work caring for these animals and it majorly helps cut back on Puppy Mills as without purchasing from them they can't keep operating their scheme.

Visit your local shelter today or look at their online ads for the dogs they have available and see if they have the dog that is perfect for you.

This is in no way the only information about puppy mills and how to stop them I urge you to go and google further and read more about these places and how they run in your country so that together we can all make informed decisions and shut these places down once and for all. Let's get these places shut and all have ethically bred dogs that are healthy and happy and if you can't find a puppy outside of a shelter that you are 100% sure of its breeder and breeding then remember the age-old phrase.

Adopt Don't Shop.

Lucy, Animal Advocate (UK)