Most likely, a puppy mill! Hundreds of thousands of puppies are born each year in puppy mills. Mills are distinguished by their cramped, crude, filthy conditions and the constant breeding of unhealthy and genetically defective dogs solely for profit. Money is these people’s only concern! Female dogs are bred the first time they come into heat and are bred every heat cycle. Because of this, most dogs are only able to produce litters for the first five or six years of their lives. Then, their bodies are so worn down that the puppies are almost always born dead. The mill owner will then kill the dog either by starvation or shooting it, since she is no longer an “effective producer.”

Puppies are born on chickenwire, often without shelter from the sun, rain, or snow. Cages are stacked on top of each other, with urine and feces dripping onto the dogs below. Puppies are taken from their mother when they are 5 to 6 weeks old and sold to brokers who pack them in crates for resale to pet stores all over the country. The puppies are shipped by truck or plane and often without adequate food, water, ventilation, or shelter. Almost half of the puppies do not survive the trip. The food that is fed in puppy mills is often purchased from dog food companies by the truck load. It is made up of the sweepings from the floor and is so devoid of nutritional value that the dogs' teeth rot at early ages.

Pet shops are 99% supplied by puppy mills, ...no matter what they say!

Any reputable breeder will NOT sell to a pet shop.

So if you want a puppy, and you know now that you should not buy from a pet shop, where do you go? If you want a purebred, there are many reputable breeders for every breed imaginable that will sell you a quality, healthy puppy costing much less than a pet shop. Contact the National Breed Organization for references. Purebred dogs are not necessarily better pets, so save a life and adopt from your local animal shelter, which has many loving, quality, homeless animals that are desperately in need of homes. If you answer any newspaper ads, be cautious! If there are many breeds offered, chances are, it is a small-scale version of a puppy mill. Do not support these individuals by buying from them!

Your most powerful weapon is your voice... tell people about this atrocity and write to the AKC and your Congressman and demand more regulation and enforcement.