There was a video on CNN about puppy mills. I thought I would add it to this thread. I put the link in the title that is where I got it from if anyone would like to read it.
Virginia: The Next Puppy Mill State?
November 1, 2007
Virginia—a state dotted with historic towns, scenic byways … and horrible puppy mills.
A five-month, undercover investigation by The HSUS revealed a substantial Virginia puppy mill industry that is largely unregulated and often in violation of state and federal laws.
Hidden Cruelty
From large-scale operations with hundreds of dogs living in seemingly endless rows of cages; to small, crowded kennels in trailers, backyards and even basements across Virginia; hundreds of commercial breeders are mass-producing dogs with little or no oversight and few—if any—safeguards for the health and well-being of the animals.
HSUS investigators visited puppy mills of all sizes, as well as pet stores and Virginia-based websites selling dogs. Their discoveries were staggering.
Commercial dog breeders in Virginia number nearly 1,000. And many of these operations churn out puppies in the most deplorable conditions imaginable.
The HSUS
Yorkies in a Va. pet store that buys from unlicensed puppy mills.
Denying Basic Needs
Like many states, Virginia has no kennel inspection program to ensure that dog breeders meet basic standards of animal care. HSUS investigators visited mills and pet stores across the state and found that even the most minimal state laws for adequate care and shelter were ignored.
Investigators found breeding dogs and puppies living in cramped, filthy cages, in urine-soaked trailers and in ramshackle kennels without basic sanitation, clean water, veterinary care or even the most primitive protection from the elements.
How You Can Help
Take the pledge to stop puppy mills.
Learn more and join The HSUS in our work to help stop the systematic abuse of dogs in puppy mills.
Learn more about how to avoid buying a puppy mill dog.
Buying a puppy? Check out our puppy buyers guide.
Want to adopt? Visit Proud 2 Adopt.
Flouting the Law
Some breeders were also breaking federal laws. To sell puppies to pet stores, facilities with more than three breeding females are required to have a license from the United States Department of Agriculture.
In Virginia, only a handful of dog breeders hold a USDA license; many of the unlicensed sell to pet stores, anyway.
Others bypassed pet stores altogether and sold directly to the public though classified ads and the Internet, where breeders are not required to have a license and can operate without any oversight whatsoever.
A Sick Business
All this out-of-control breeding has other consequences. Consumers find the market flooded with sickly puppies. Many buy a puppy who seems healthy, only to find out weeks or months later that their new pet has serious health problems.
And Virginia's puppy mills significantly contribute to the state's pet overpopulation crisis: last year, shelters in Virginia had to euthanize more than 42,000 dogs for lack of homes.
In Bad Company
Unless Virginia does something fast, it is destined to be known as the next puppy mill state. The HSUS urges legislators to require higher standards for breeding kennels within the state, as Virginia's puppy mill problem only accelerates a nation-wide epidemic.
Puppy mills all over the country are producing dogs much like Virginia—under the radar and out of sight. Legislators in all states can help stem this cruelty by requiring large-scale breeders to be licensed, inspected, and held to high standards.
What You Can Do
Meanwhile, The HSUS urges dog lovers everywhere to become part of the solution.
Perform your own inspection of any breeder from whom you are considering buying a pet. Pet stores love to tout that they buy only from "local breeders"—wooing potential spenders into thinking the pups came from a good situation. But "local breeders" can and often are local puppy mills.
Help stamp out the puppy mill trade entirely by choosing to adopt your next pet from a shelter or rescue group instead. There are millions of lovable animals across the country in need of a good home.
