Finding the perfect puppy should be an enjoyable adventure. As you research different dog breeds to decide on the best one for your family, you’ll be blown away by all the lovely choices. Since you’re apt to find many pups for sale locally, it’s important to be educated about backyard breeders. These dog sellers are to be avoided at all costs.
The best way to avoid a backyard breeder is to adopt a puppy from a rescue organization or shelter. Shelters have great dogs that are waiting for their forever home. By adopting from a shelter, you’re helping to save a life.
Let’s explore some of the reasons why backyard breeders are problematic.
What a backyard breeder or puppy mill is
Puppy mills and backyard breeders are essentially operations where dogs are bred continuously. The focus is on earning the maximum profit by mass-producing litters of puppies. These facilities rely on a public that’s largely uneducated about how they operate and the deplorable way that they treat the dogs they breed.
If you had access to a puppy mill, you’d see one cage after another of breeding animals and multiple litters of various breeds. The pups and their parents are kept in dirty and overcrowded conditions, often without adequate shelter from the elements. Malnutrition and disease are prevalent among the adult population, and young ones are removed from their mothers to be sold at the first opportunity, usually far too early.
Understanding this is heartbreaking for the average animal lover. It dissuades prospective buyers from doing business with the owner, and some may report the breeder to the authorities. That said, it may surprise you to know that commercial kennels where dogs are caged and kept solely for breeding is actually not against the law.
Why backyard breeders do what they do
Essentially, these entrepreneurs are in the business for the money. While they may try to present themselves in a more favorable light as dog lovers, this isn’t the case.
Typically, they have very little knowledge about the responsibility of breeding, like the importance of genetic screening to ensure that the offspring will be healthy and free from congenital defects. Furthermore, they may be quite unaware that, over time, continually breeding their dog might be putting its health at risk.
Hiding below the radar
Would you believe that across America there are an estimated 10,000 puppy mills? Here are a few other shocking statistics. Backyard breeders keep about 500,000 dogs just for breeding. Plus, each year some 2.6 million pups are sold through puppy mills.
This information comes from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The organization continues to take an active role in tracking data on puppy mills, educating the public and collaborating with local law enforcement to close down such establishments where possible. Impressively, in less than 10 years, HSUS has rescued over 11,000 dogs from about 50 puppy mills and found them adoptive families.
Impact for pet parents
Puppies that start their lives in puppy mills usually aren’t seen by a veterinarian. You won’t receive vaccination paperwork or any information about their health or that of their parents. When you meet your new pup, they may appear to be healthy, but you really can’t be sure until you start bringing them to a vet.
While that first visit to the animal clinic for an exam and vaccines can tell you a lot, keep in mind that it may take time for congenital problems to show up. Regular veterinary check-ups are critical to stay on top of any evolving health issues, hopefully mitigating their impact. And, there’s always the possibility that your puppy’s genetics may be such that their lifespan will be shorter than what’s normal for their breed.
Impact on the marketplace
There’s another larger impact of backyard breeders. Since they’re in the business of breeding as many dogs as they can, there are too many dogs available in the market, and not all of them will be able to find loving homes. It’s noteworthy that many animals from puppy mills will be sold to pet stores where they can attract the eye of shoppers.
With this kind of competition, it means that animal rescue operations and shelters have to really raise their profile to reach available pet parents. Unfortunately, with so many animals looking for forever homes, a large number end up in shelters or with rescue groups where they live out their days.
In conclusion
When you see that adorable puppy in the pet shop window or posing in a photo online, be mindful that they’re probably the product of a puppy mill. Seek out a rescue or shelter to find your prized pooch.