According to the Humane Society of the United States, 10,000 puppy mills exist in the United States with over 2 million puppies bred in these mills each year. Approximately 6.3 million companion animals enter shelters across the United States every year with only 4.1 million of those animals adopted each year. Approximately 1.5 million animals are euthanized each year in shelters.

As shelters continue to provide their rescues with adequate homes every year, there are an estimated 2.6 million puppies sold annually from puppy mills who are a mix of USDA licensed and non-USDA licensed facilities. Okay, these are some scary statistics but you may be asking yourself what the big deal is. The big deal is that when you buy a puppy from a mill, you are subconsciously funding and keeping that puppy mill in business without knowing the horrors that await the dogs inside. 

Puppy Mill Awareness Day takes place every third Saturday during the month of September to raise awareness about the horrors that happen in puppy mills while also educating the community on what they can do to help rescues abolish the mills. We at Going Mutts Pet Services would like to take this opportunity to educate Lancaster and surrounding communities on what happens behind the scenes of puppy mills and how you can help stop these breeding grounds from operating. We teamed up with Kate DePasquale, a volunteer from the puppy mill rescue group A Tail to Tell, Inc to shed some light on puppy mills.

A Tail to Tell, Inc is a group of dedicated and committed volunteers that work to raise money to rescue, rehabilitate and provide outstanding veterinary care to any dog that is rescued from a puppy mill. This group was formed over 10 years ago when a small group of people saw the need for a rescue group in Pennsylvania to rescue dogs living in substandard conditions in the puppy mills. 

So what is a puppy mill exactly?

“Puppy mills are facilities where dogs are forced to breed their whole lives until they are physically incapable. The primary purpose is profit, so as in any business more profit comes from less expenditures,” says Kate DePasquale. While many of the puppy mills may have USDA licenses, Kate explained that these facilities are kept in “deplorable and unsanitary conditions” and lack any kind of proper veterinary care for the dogs despite having a license. “In the case of puppy mills it means poor vet care, lack of proper nutrition, lack of adequate exercise and a total ignorance towards the health and well being of the parent dogs as well as puppies.” Perhaps one of the most shocking facts about a puppy mill is that the breeders have no problem disposing of parent dogs or puppies that become ill or can no longer produce; since the most inexpensive way to handle these situations is not going to a veterinarian, the breeders will either dispose of the dogs in some of the most cruel ways or just let them suffer and die.

Are puppy mills harmful to the puppies and dogs that inhabit them?

While shelters will provide a temporary home for homeless and abandoned dogs with veterinary care and as much love as they can give until the animals find their furever home, puppy mills will not cater to the puppies and parent dogs' health needs as much. Many of the dogs living in mills have very poor living conditions, which lead to many of the dogs experiencing health conditions that go left untreated. Kate says that “many of the people who purchase puppies from mills end up with sick dogs or dogs that later in life have issues that could have been avoided with proper genetic testing and vet care.” 

Are there signs for everyday people to look for that will tell them if they are buying from a puppy mill?

One of the major red flags that the place you are buying from is a puppy mill is not being able to see where the parent pups are being kept, says Kate. Any online markets selling puppies is another huge red flag that they are coming from a puppy mill, such as Greenfield Puppies, Keystone Puppies, etc. Other red flags that your dog came from a puppy mill include:

• Puppies that are unclean or unhealthy

• Puppies that are not vaccinated

• The puppy mill owners will not meet you at home

• There are multiple breeds available

• Many litters can be found at one place

• Mill puppies can have behavior issues

• The puppies are too young to leave their mother

“Bottom line, puppies sold in pet stores are puppy mill puppies. No reputable breeder will sell their pups in a pet store,” explains Kate. She states that if you are buying from a reputable breeder, they will only breed one type of dog and usually one or both of the parent dogs is a personal pet of the breeder. They will also have just as many questions for you as you have for them because they want to place their puppies in the best homes. While puppy mill breeders are only in it for the profit, reputable breeders are usually in it for the love of a breed, not the money. 

So, how does Lancaster County rank for puppy mills?

Unfortunately, Lancaster County has some of the worst puppy mills primarily because of a large Amish community that uses dog breeding as a means of income - which is another huge red flag for buying puppies. “Sadly, the dogs are looked at as livestock or a cash crop and it is a very lucrative source of income with some puppies selling for thousands of dollars depending on the “breed” - a term I use lightly because many times they are breeding dogs they aren’t even sure of the breed,” says Kate. Due to the large number of mills, the farmers breeding too many dogs and not giving them the proper care they deserve and need, it makes Lancaster County one of the worst areas on the east coast for puppy mills. While Kate mentions that there are laws in place to help protect the dogs, these laws are substandard and are rarely enforced. When there is a fine given, it is usually very small; citations can also be given, but there is usually no follow up action with this. 

How does a Tail to Tell Puppy Mill Rescue come into play with all of this?

A Tail to Tell Puppy Mill Rescue helps to save dogs from some of the worst puppy mills in Pennsylvania, but primarily in Lancaster County. “We vet the dogs completely including vaccinations, blood work, dentals, ear cleanings and any advanced vet care that is needed including any surgeries and rehabilitation. The dogs are then placed in foster care to decompress and learn what it really means to be a dog who is loved and part of a family,” explains Kate. She says that the rescue group will mostly get dogs that are older and no longer producing, sick, injured or born with medical conditions and also dogs that are unsellable at an older age. Sometimes they have dogs that are not only physically impacted by the mill, but also emotionally impacted, which makes placing them in a home sometimes more challenging as they need to find placements with families that understand the different needs of each dog and how they can respond differently to their new life. 

A Tail to Tell also tries to educate the public on puppy mills in hopes to prevent communities from purchasing puppies from mills. “Truly the only way to stop them is to stop the demand for the puppies they are producing,” says Kate. When purchasing a puppy from a mill, the public is contributing to the continuation of the suffering of the dogs who are forced to live and die in them. 

As a puppy mill rescue group, what should future pet owners know about puppy mills?

A Tail to Tell Puppy Mill Rescue would love for all current and future pet owners to know that they can make a difference when it comes to preventing puppy mills in their communities by choosing to adopt rather than buying. “Know that you may feel like you purchasing one puppy won’t make a difference, but this is so untrue. If people chose another option, then the demand would go down forcing mill owners to stop production. Know that when you do buy, you are committing those parent dogs to a life filled with cruelty,” says Kate. A Tail to Tell urges the public to look for a reputable breeder; ask your veterinarian and do your homework when you are buying a puppy to make sure that the parent dogs and the puppies are properly cared for. Although the people you buy from may have a nice house and are very nice to you, Kate encourages everyone to really do some digging and research before buying a puppy. “There are so many wonderful dogs in rescues and shelters all over and so many being euthanized daily for lack of space that there is NO reason to purchase a puppy.” There are many puppies available in rescues and shelters, all you have to do is take a look! 

It may take some time to help put an end to puppy mills, but with everyone's awareness and help we can make some steps towards ending the cruelty towards dogs together. Know who you are buying from, do your research and stay educated on what a puppy mill looks like.

“10 years ago we really thought we would be rescuing dogs for a couple years and then we truly believed that the politicians in the state of Pennsylvania would put an end to the horrors inside these kennels. Sadly the laws have been changed but they are not being enforced and 10 years later we are still fighting the same battle. We don’t know what it’s going to take to put a stop to the neglect and mistreatment of these wonderful canine friends but what we do know is this: Until the last dog is freed and all the puppy mills are closed A Tail to Tell will be there to pick up the broken pieces of these innocent victims of man's greed.” - A Tail to Tell, Inc.

As we work together to adopt instead of shop, remember that Going Mutts Pet Services, LLC is here for you for all of your walking and playtime needs! Keeping our canine companions healthy and active through daily dog walks is a great gift you can keep on giving to your pup. Let us help you with checking on Fido during the day and providing playtime, a walk or a simple food and water freshen. Contact us today for a free Meet ‘n Greet to customize a plan for your favorite fur friend!