What are puppy mills? Why should we be avoiding them? At
Hungry Hound, we take this subject very seriously. Unfortunately, puppy mills
are still all over the place, and being more educated and aware is important to
one day stop them from operating.
Puppy mills are in it for the money – not the care, health,
and safety of the animal. They are large-scale commercial dog breeding
facilities. The conditions of these places are completely inhumane. A lot of
people are completely clueless, especially when shopping online for a puppy,
that most of the time these puppies belong to puppy mills. Be particularly
aware of dogs you are buying from “farms.” Half a million dogs are born in
puppy mills each year. The dogs and puppies born in puppy mills are born in
tiny cages and sometimes die in cages. They are known to have terrible health
and experience horrible abuse. The breeder dogs never experience the definition
of love or know what it feels like to run after a ball. These dogs are bred as
much as possible until they are seen as too old and “not usable” for what the
puppy mill needs. In the end, when you unknowingly purchase a puppy from a
puppy mill, you are supporting their very unethical business.
When you are ready to add a family member, please do the
research to find out where your dog is coming from. We highly recommend rescues
who are fighting to save the lives of puppy mill dogs. If you are looking for a
certain breed of dog, we recommend you search for a very highly respected
breeder. When doing this you want to make sure these breeders are doing what
they do for the right reasons. You want to be sure they are not just in it for
the money. Real breeders love the breed that they work with. They do everything
right and make sure their dogs are healthy. There are way too many “breeders”
out there that act as a high-quality breeder, so it is important to do your
research!
If you’re looking for a new addition for your family, please
first reach out to your local rescues. They are always bursting at the seems
with dogs and puppies to find homes for. This way, you are not supporting
something incredibly unethical. If you are looking for a certain breed of dog.
That’s ok! You can still check the rescues. You’d be surprised that they may
have that breed you’re looking for. If not, yet again you can look for a
responsible breeder. Remember, “responsible” is the important keyword here.
Here are a few rescues we recommend and don’t forget to
check your local Shelters too!
-Sunshine Paws
-Lakeshore Paws
-Giant Paw Prints Rescue
-2x2 Rescue
-Guardians of the Green Mile
-Open Arms Animal Rescue
-Hobart Humane Society
-Humane Society of Northwest Indiana
-South Suburban Humane Society
& Many More!