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Rows and rows of barking, crying dogs, confined in small wire cages, often filthy with excrement, never seeing the light of day or knowing the joy of human companionship. This is the life of puppy mill breeding dogs. The females are bred every heat until they no longer produce enough puppies to earn their keep. The puppies often have behavioural problems resulting from a complete lack of socialization with humans, and they frequently have genetic defects and other health problems.
In a supposedly civilized society such as ours, it is hard to believe such places exist. Particularly for those who have had the privilege of sharing their life with a dog, the suffering endured by dogs in puppy mills is unthinkable. What can be done to stop this horrendous animal suffering? How can we put an end to these commercial breeding establishments that care only about the money they are making?
The reality is that there is good money to be made in the puppy mill business. And, as long as people keep buying their puppies, these uncaring, unscrupulous breeders will continue to flourish.
Up until the early 1990s, it was felt that this was an American problem; at that time, the majority of puppies being sold in Canadian pet stores originated from puppy mills in the U.S. midwest. However, in 1992 Agriculture Canada introduced puppy import regulations requiring that puppies coming into Canada from the U.S. be at least 8 weeks of age, be permanently identified with a microchip and have a certificate of health from a veterinarian.
With increased inspection of puppies at the border once the regulations were introduced, the flow of puppies from the U.S. subsided. This created a void that was soon filled by Canadian puppy mills. A recent CBC television report highlighted the horrific conditions in puppy mills, focussing on Quebec, which has a large number of such operations that supply puppies to pet stores across Canada. The lack of provincial animal protection legislation in Quebec makes it a prime location for these cruel operations.
Pet stores are not the only place where puppy mill pups are sold. They are sold at flea markets, advertised in local newspapers, and sometimes sold directly from the farm, although visitors are not allowed to see inside the facility. CBC even discovered breeders producing fake Canadian Kennel Club registration papers.
So, what does a prospective puppy buyer need to know? First of all, keep in mind that bringing a dog into your household is a decision that will affect the everyday life of everyone in the house for the next ten to fifteen years. Unfortunately, too often this decision is made on impulse, based purely on emotion at the sight of the adorable puppy in the window. This makes public education very challenging.
One of the first decisions to make is whether or not you want a purebred or a mixed breed. If you are looking for a mixed breed, or even a purebred, your local humane society or SPCA really is the best place to look. Most dogs in shelters are there not because they are bad dogs, but because their previous owners were unprepared or uninformed about how to care for the dog.
If you decide you must have a purebred dog, you should be prepared to do some research and pay between $500 and $1,000 for your puppy. You should talk to several breeders of your chosen breed as well as to other owners. Most breeds have a tendency towards certain genetic disorders – a good breeder will provide written guarantees against these conditions. See below for specific suggestions on how to recognize a reputable breeder.
Don’t buy a puppy because you feel sorry for him or her – this only perpetuates the market for dogs bred by unscrupulous breeders. The last puppy left that is cowering in the corner looking rather forlorn may be sick or fearful and could end up causing you much heartache and expense. If you have any suspicions about the breeder, then do some more checking. There are far too many stories of people who knew something was wrong but they bought the puppy anyway only to be faced with a sick, lame or unsocialized dog.
Thinking of Getting a Pet?Prospective pet owners may want to read A Commonsense Guide to Selecting a Dog or a Cat, co-published by CFHS and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. Single copies of this 14-page booklet are available free from CFHS.
