Death Camps for Dogs

Ann Downing

May 1, 2000


Dogs in small cages, with filthy rotten food, trying to lick some ice through a wire fence, cages stacked one on top of another, dogs coated with urine and feces, runny noses, sores, hungry and scared. These are only some of the images that have been seen on television or appeared in print. These are the victims of substandard puppy mills, which the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), estimates to be about 25% of the 3,500 federally licensed breeding kennels, in the United States

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According to Puppy Mills: Breeding Ills, article at the PETA site, the animals are bread for quantity, not quality. As a result, they are likely have "genetic defects and personality disorders". Mother dogs are bred each time they go into heat, which is unhealthy for both the mother dog and the pups.

A person purchasing one of these animals may spend a lot of money on veterinarian bills, only to get rid of the dog because of personality problems. It is recommended in the article that people go to shelters or breed rescue clubs.

According to the article $4.4M Puppy Mill Scandal, by Laura Italiano, New York Post, "puppy mill" puppies brought in $4.4M a year for the one hundred Amish and Mennonite farmers supplying dog shops.

The article continues by saying that seperate investigations by the ASPCA and the Post found "deplorable conditions puppy mills hidden away in picture-postcard Pennsylvania Dutch country"."A sensless tragedy", look for the following to help you identify a potential puppy mill:

  • Breeders who won't let you see their kennels, the mother or other relatives.
  • Breeders who have several popular breeds and many litters.
  • Breeders who do not provide a certificate of vaccination.
  • High prices crossbred dogs.