What If? If They Hadn’t Been Rescued, What Would Life Be Like?
A look into what life is like for a dog that endures a lifetime in a commercial breeding facility.
Since the rescued puppy mill dogs made the trip from
Virginia to New York three weeks ago, people have applied by the hundreds to adopt them. On some days, you’d think we had Beanie Babies, or Tickle Me Elmo toys instead of dogs from a commercial breeder. What’s incredible to think about is that these very dogs, and millions more just like them, are no more than a commodity to the breeders who use them to make money. If they had stayed in that world, they’d now be at a dog broker’s facility, or on the way to auction, or at a different commercial breeding kennel. That’s the kicker about puppy mills. If you’re an adult breeder dog, you never get out.
The breeding facility the dogs came from was probably one of the less deplorable commercial kennels, or puppy mills, out there. From what we’ve been told, the facility was new (having been rebuilt after a tragic fire that killed nearly 200 dogs last Spring) and not extremely filthy and dark like many are. The dogs weren’t starving, and most are friendly. All said, even the “best” puppy mills are horrible places for dogs to live, and they contribute to much, much more serious issues.
Daily Life, Before and AfterThe Virginia breeder had approximately 180 dogs on his property. All lived in wire-bottom cages, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for as long as he owned them. For a dog in a commercial facility there is no break up in their monotonous existence nor is there an environmental enrichment plan; spending time with dogs or taking them out of the cages just doesn't add to their profitability. The dogs are there to breed. Period.
Pictured left: Apricot—from life in a cage to life with a family.
Dogs in commercial breeding facilities never go for walks or play with toys or sit on someone’s lap, or even have a blanket to lie on. In the hands of people who care about animals,
all the dogs, both adults and puppies will now be:
-Spayed or neutered in the name of stopping pet overpopulation
-Placed in appropriate, responsible homes (or will be soon)
-Given a lifetime guarantee that they will always have safe a place to go (Best Friends)
-Treated as companions, not commodities
-Cared for regularly by veterinarians
In the commercial breeding world, the dogs get none of the above. Even their puppies’ futures are uncertain.
Puppies: the Big PictureCommercial breeders and pet stores sell puppies—not spayed or neutered, to the first person who wants them. They’ll sell to college kids living in dorms, to impulse and holiday shoppers, and there is no recourse for purchasers who may change their minds and decide they can’t keep the dog in the future. Think of how many puppies 140 adult dogs (100 of them female) can produce in a year, and where those puppies might be now, and whether their purchasers still have them, or ever had them spayed or neutered. It’s a scary thought.
Even worse are the congenital maladies we’ve found in this “breeding stock.” We’ve discovered dogs with heart murmurs, cataracts, glaucoma, luxating patellas (loose kneecaps, a condition which can require surgery), bad teeth, mange and more. These are all signs of neglect or genetic conditions that a responsible breeder would
never allow to be passed on to a litter of puppies.
The increasing demand and ease of selling puppies over the internet has caused more and more commercial breeding facilities to pop up across the country. USDA licensure increases each year, and as family farms lose ground to big corporations, people convert their hog barns to puppy farms. For as bad as life is for those fuzzy, hidden faces in kennels across the country, the average consumer has no notion of that reality when they walk into a pet store.
What Can be Done About This Problem?The simplest thing that everyone can do is to
help reduce the demand for puppies. Tell friends and family to adopt! Every pet adopted is a life saved; don’t encourage breeders to mass-produce puppies by buying them in pet stores or online. Instead, search for all kinds of pets including puppies, kittens and purebred animals at:
www.petfinder.comwww.1-800-save-a-pet.comwww.pets911.comYou can also find a dog by contacting a local breed rescue organization by searching
www.google.com Enter a city or state, the breed you are looking for, and the word “rescue.”
Pictured above: Dogs who would have spent life in a cage, now with new familiesMore Ways You Can HelpDONATE Now that these dogs and puppies are in our care, we want to give them the best life we can. They deserve nothing less. Your donations are deeply appreciated.
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LEARN MORE ABOUT PUPPY MILLSPuppy Mill Frequently Asked QuestionsCommon statistics and general information about puppy mills.
Puppy Mill ResourcesWhat you can do to help make a difference.
By Kelli Ohrtman: Best Friends NetworkShare this story: