Posted by Catherine | Posted in General Animal Rights Stuff, Pets and Animal Information | Posted on 09-04-2010
Tags: breeding dogs, breeding puppies, dog, puppy, puppy farm, puppy farming, puppy mill
If you bought your puppy from a pet shop, over the Internet or even from someone’s houses you could unwittingly be supporting the sickening puppy farming industry.
A puppy farm (also known as a puppy mill) is a place where puppies are churned out on a massive scale. They are intensive and commercial, not unlike the factory farming of battery chickens and pigs. Some people assume puppy farms only breed pure bred dogs, but in fact they will breed mixed and cross-breeds as well. No thought is given to the health of the animals and it is likely that bad genetics and health problems will be passed from mother to pup.
People run puppy farms for one reason and that is to make money. Sadly the breeding dogs’ and puppies’ welfare is often not even considered, or at best is an afterthought.
Similar to factory farms, puppy farms are often in isolated areas and hidden from the public eye. Prospective puppy buyers will usually not be allowed on site, the puppy farmer will prefer to meet you at another location, perhaps a false ‘shop front’ like a separate house.
Puppy farms do not care who they sell their dogs to, as long as they make money . They will sell wholesale to pet shops, laboratories and private retail. Many also export pups overseas where they can be sold for higher prices.
Even the ‘better’ puppy farms are far from good for the dogs. The mother dogs are bred constantly throughout their lives and killed when they are no longer any use. They are kept in small cages and often go mad from boredom, psychological and physical problems. The animals have no room to express their natural behaviors and little contact with humans, meaning the pups often find adjusting to a new home hard.
Problems with puppy farms include, overcrowding, confinement, poor sanitation, insufficient and poor quality food and water and a poor quality of life.
It is not uncommon to find dead puppies amongst the living and animals lying in their own faeces and urine. Common flooring is either dirt, which harbours all kinds of nasty parasties, 
or wire mesh, which cause injury. Some farms even put food directly onto the floor, resulting in diarrhea. It is usual for this diarrhea to become impacted on the dog’s behind and this can result in fly strike and worms.
Breeding dogs are left to give birth without supervision or veterinary assistance, so she may be left to suffer if things go wrong. Due to a poor diet most breeding dogs will develop mastitis or metabolic derangements.
The housing for dogs is often totally inadequate. Outside housing will have lack of shelter from the elements and inadequate lighting (darkness for long periods) and inside housing will have poor or no ventilation, resulting in noxious levels of ammonia, irritating dogs’ eyes and respiratory tract and in the long-term causing liver and kidney damage.
Of course the dogs are not given basic care such as grooming , worming and vaccinations. Their nails are often left to grow so long they cannot walk properly and their coat ends up like a rug of matts, filled with parasites. This means the dogs are likely to have skin problems, urine scald and fungal infections.
Veterinary treatment for ill dogs is not common, as it costs too much, so dogs are usually left to suffer, or given inadequate treatment.
As for the breeders of these dogs they usually get off scot-free. Even if they are taken to court they will seek to be dealt with under Section 32 of the mental health act 1990, which means the charges can be dismissed due to mental illness. They can do this, as their situation resembles that of a hoarder with exploitive tendencies.
Even those puppy farm owner who are charged are usually only fined a small amount in comparison to their offence and most will get away without paying it, as they will have no money once they are forced to stop puppy farming. Repeat offences are very common amongst puppy farmers. They often try to make extra money by mass breeding other animals such as mice, rats, birds, rabbits and cats.
Many puppy farmers will actually pay for their legal fees by continuing puppy farming. It is very hard for the RSPCA to intervene as there is usually ‘insufficient evidence’. This is due to the current wording of the law and the fact that the regulations are not stringent or easy to enforce.
Puppy farmers will often ask to be paid cash and many do not have an ABN, so they may make hundred of thousands of dollars tax free per year for their cruelty.
There are no positives when it comes to puppy farming and I believe it must be banned immediately.
However I agree with the RSPCA that a good start would be…
- Ban selling animals in pet shops
- Breeders should be licensed to breed any dog (even only one) by the government
- Licensing should have stringent conditions
- License holders should be monitored regularly by RSPCA
- Ban selling and exporting puppies overseas
- Tax office should investigate all breeders
- Amend animal welfare legislation
- Educate people and kids in school to adopt from shelters and spay/neuter
- Stop all puppy farmers from keeping any animals even during court case
- Require defendants to pay all court fees and cost of animal rescue/shelter
Please write to your local MP and urge them to help bring about these changes.
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