There are many who ask; what is a puppy mill exactly? Most have heard of puppy mills yet are not completely sure of the extremes that occur there. Puppy mills are essentially large-scale breeding operations; they do not often care if the puppies are healthy, inbred or otherwise. Puppy mill dogs often face many challenges involving abnormalities and/or genetic defects. Puppy mill dogs often live in atrocious conditions; unsanitary, dirty and abusive conditions.
Adopting a Dog from a Puppy Mill
Often, the dogs which are “puppy mill puppies” are the ones you find in mall pet stores or large pet stores not involved with the ASPCA. If you are interested in rescuing a dog from a puppy mill, there are rescues who are dedicated to doing just that. Puppy mills are discovered and brought down; then, where do the puppies go? Of course! Most of the time if the puppies are adoptable; they will go to a rescue organization.
There are challenges which will be faced with a dog that has been kept in a puppy mill for any length of time, though. You must remember where these dogs are coming from. They are coming from their worst nightmare. These dogs will likely have many behavioral problems associated with puppy mill life. They can; however, become excellent, well-behaved dogs with the right owner and time spent.
A Rescue Organization
An example of an excellent puppy mill dog rescue is the National Mill Dog Rescue. Their goal is to rehabilitate puppy mill dogs and encourage puppy mill awareness to the public. They are located in Peyton, Colorado and have a number of available dogs for adoption. The dogs they rescue are no longer useful to the puppy mill and were scheduled to be killed prior to their rescue.
There are strict requirements for the adopter for these types of organizations. They want to ensure a forever home for these animals as they have already been through so much throughout their lifetime. They are committed to providing them with the best home possible.
Puppy Mill Action Week
The first week of May is dedicated to Puppy Mill Action Week. The purpose of this week is to shed light on puppy mills and raise awareness of the tragedies which occur at these types of organizations. The actions which occur at these types of organizations are quite disturbing and shocking to many.
If you have any questions regarding puppy mills or adopting a dog from a puppy mill rescue organization, you should contact our dog behaviorist for assistance. Now you know what a puppy mill is, find out more puppy mill facts here.
Don´t forget, the week of May 5th is Puppy Mill Action Week !
Amber Johnson, Animal Behaviorist
Miss Amber Johnson has many years of experience with pets and is a licensed cat and dog nutrition and behavior specialist. She currently collaborates with PetPremium where she counsels clients in pet behavior and nutrition. The statements made in this article are the personal opinions of Miss Amber Johnson and based on independent experiences and could be different from the opinions of PetPremium Pet health Insurance or any other pet health insurance provider.