Get the facts on puppy mills

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) takes the topic of puppy mills seriously. They routinely monitor and research stores that are notorious for using puppy mills to provide dogs for sale.

According to the HSUS, puppy mills are mass-breeding facilities that raise dogs in shockingly poor conditions. Breeding animals at puppy mills are caged and continually bred for years, without human companionship and with little hope of ever becoming part of a family. After their fertility wanes, the breeding animals are destroyed or discarded. When someone unknowingly purchases a puppy mill puppy they support this cruel industry.

"Dogs should be treated like beloved members of the family, not like a cash crop," says Stephanie Shain, the director of the HSUS Stop Puppy Mills campaign. "In puppy mills, dogs can be caged all their lives with no companionship, no exercise, and no quality of life."

There are many pet stores and private breeders who do not practice the process of purchasing dogs from puppy mills for resale. A little leg work on the part of a potential pet parent can reveal the places to go for a healthy and puppy-mill-free dog. Consult the classified section of your newspaper to reach breeders who specialize in the sale of healthy puppies.

Consider these other facts, courtesy of the HSUS:

* The HSUS estimates that 2 million to 4 million puppy mill puppies are sold each year in the United States.

* Puppy mill puppies often have health problems, genetic defects and behavioral issues.

* Documented puppy mill conditions include over-breeding, inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poor food and shelter, crowded cages, and lack of socialization.

* Dogs kept for breeding in puppy mills suffer for years in continual confinement. They are bred as often as possible and then destroyed or discarded once they can no longer produce puppies.

* Reputable breeders often will insist on meeting the family who will be purchasing the dog.

* Puppy mills contribute to the pet overpopulation problem, which results in millions of unwanted dogs euthanized at shelters every year.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization -- backed by 10.5 million Americans. For more than a half-century, the HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Learn more about the organization by visiting www.humanesociety.org.