Puppy mills, is this legal?

ms_minnamouse

16 years ago

I was watching a show and they said that puppy mills will destroy animals that are no longer capable of breeding.

Is this legal?? Even if they try to get it done by a vet?

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Comments (8)

northy
16 years ago
The legal aspects of puppy mills sadly varies greatly state to state.

If I understand your question: you're asking if it is legal for them to put the dogs down? Yes. The reason(s) for putting an animal down don't effect the owner's right to do so. Finding a vet willing to destroy a healthy animal is another matter.

The manner in which the animal is destroyed *may* or *may not* fall under cruelty depending on state. The likelihood that an animal destroyed at a puppymill will ever even be discovered or prosecuted = slim.
quirkyquercus
16 years ago
Usually it is as long as it is done humanely.

Tough to catch people in the act especially when unlicensed puppy mills go without inspection.
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deb18 What a sad but typical story. These people obviously couldn't care for one dog. Many people of this type decide to obtain several dogs to abuse and neglect. Perhaps if owners were required to take a class, pass a test, and pay for a license these people wouldn't have killed that dog or endangered your family with the vicious dog they created. Perhaps if the laws were more preventive rather than reactive these people wouldn't be allowed to own a dog or own a vicious dog. The laws as they were written weren't able to help the dog nor were they able to protect your family. The laws aren't very responsive after a tragedy either. Those dog owners would have a right to their dog even if it attacked your kids, you, or your pets. They have a right to that dog and a chance to harm the dog and the community again. They might get a stern lecture, a small fine, and then they get to break the law again. The community is not protected nor is the dog protected. You were lucky in one area - the dog didn't attack you or your kids. You chose not to directly confront the dog owners and the humane society didn't make the situation worse by revealing that you complained about how they don't care for their dog. In many communities animal control won't do anything to help the dog or the community but will go out and talk to the dog owners that are abusing/neglecting their dogs and reveal who complained. This does nothing for the dog as they are unwilling to help the dog. Often the unstable dog owners will start to harass their neighbors, shouting at their neighbor, vandalizing their neighbor's property, threatening their neighbor etc. Animal control believes that these dog owners are reasonable people who just don't know how to care for their pets and will shape up with some education or that these people are just innocent dog owners that are persecuted by their neighbors. Under current laws these people have a right to own a dog or dogs even if they aren't taking care of the dog or dogs. Your lucky you moved after the dog died and before they got more dogs. My neighbors trained their dogs to bark constantly. Their dogs became vicious of course and eventually attacked a child. They got rid of the dogs a few months after the attack and got about a half dozen smaller barking dogs. I had no break in between to sell my house - despite all the dog owners out there no one seems to want a house next door to half a dozen dogs that bark constantly. Maybe their should be zoning neighborhoods for dogs and neighborhoods for people. Ideally people would only own dogs if they properly care for the dogs. Those that couldn't care for the dogs would have their dogs immediately seized to be either adopted by a responsible owner or euthanized. Those dogs who aren't owned by professional breeders or dogs that are unsuitable for breeding should be spayed or neutered. There are way too many dogs and cats compared to people and its even worse when you narrow it down to responsible and knowledgable people who want to own and are willing and able to care for a dog or cat.
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So you agree, all breeders of show GSD's and English Bulldogs are not good breeders? Of course not ALL breeders of show dogs of any breed are good breeders. I know many show breeders that are not good breeders. There are always bad apples in any bunch. And if I want a purebred dog, I have to pay your price, a price that subsidizes your showing hobby? I have NO idea what you are talking about. Showing is one of the ways that you can tell if a dog is meeting the ideal of its breed -- that's often one of the whole points of getting a purebred, no? You want dogs that are bred from champions -- you can't have champions unless they are shown. And anyone else that breeds nice healthy purebreds but does not show is a backyard breeder? Even if they do testing? They may be nice, healthy purebreds, but they won't be champions. And that is important to a lot of people. It's one of the ways that you can tell that a breeder is at the top of what they are doing. YOU may not like it, but it's the reality of the situation. The average person can not look at a purebred dog and tell if it is well-formed and meeting the ideal of its breed (at best, they can say "That's a Labrador Retriever, that's a Malamute, that's a Pug") -- I've seen many, many "backyard breeders" that are turning out healthy "purebred" dogs. It doesn't necessarily mean that they're coming anywhere close to the ideal of the breed, and in some cases, they are coming so far from the ideal of the breed, that they look like another dog breed altogether.
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The difference is the motivation in the breeding. Take Sue's example about her Persian above. How many of those Persian's were sold in that type of condition by that particular breeder? They were being sold over and over and over, it's a perpetuating situation. That breeder is intentionally breeding poor quality animals and probably has produced 5,000 suffering Persians. Our breeding quality has to be better than that. Think about if we had a large enough resource pool. There are many people that buy decent quality animals. Do you think if I didn't have a litter of great pups, I wouldn't give you one to get you going if you were helping the cause? The quality could only get better and better. As far as annual testing and such, how many reputable breeders still send out litters that are far from perfect? They continue to screen and take the dogs out of the program when they don't screen healthy. They've still created litters prior to this. I know someone that bought from a reputable breeder and they are spending $7000 on knee surgeries because the knees keep slipping out of place. We can't eliminate the genetic suffering these animals are faced with. The damage to the breeds were done long, long ago. We can work to diminish some of the suffering by stopping the Persian breeder from producing those 5,000 horribly suffering kittens, though. Sue and her boyfriend went into that store, young and naive and got taken advantage of. Doesn't that tick you off that the Persian breeder did this to her (and 5,000 more because everyone's just sitting back waiting for people to learn)? She probably suffered way more than the cat with her heartache over him. I don't think she should have learned all about the animal world that way. It's wrong. If she came to me I'd say, yup, you can have this kitty if you want it. However, know that this is the same kitty you're going to find everywhere (pet shop, internet, backyard breeder, etc. etc). Here's a listing of the problems Persians have and a cost list from the vet on repairs. Be prepared because once kitty goes home with you, you'll be so in love with it that you'll spend the money on the repairs. And here's a list of care a cat will need so you can better understand your daily responsibilities. Why don't you take a couple of days to think it over and I'll hold kitty for you. Give Pretty Persian's a call tonight, she's a reputable breeder and is anticipating your call and wants to be able to provide you even more information about the breed. You're going to get much better results this way. You're still going to have people take home my Persian because you can't change them all. At least they are fixed (alleviating a HUGE problem you still have on your hands) and came from a non-abusive situation. What happens to the puppy mill dog that needs a C-section? Breeding doesn't always go right but at least the breeder animals are in caring hands.
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first of all, thanks for rescuing this boy!! once he settles in, he will repay you a thousand times over. i agree...keep things quiet, calm and laid back as much as you can. talk to him a lot, in a soothing voice. for now, avoid a lot of eye contact, particularly staring. dogs find that intimidating. figure out a treat that he can't resist and use it to your advantage. don't reward behavior you don't want, i.e., fear, barking a lot, etc. instead, reward him for calmness and good behavior. since he came from a puppy mill, he most likely spent his life in a cage. you might think about getting a crate for him to let him use if HE feels the need. i assume he is housebroke or you are working on that now. you can put a crate in a quiet place, cover all but the front of it with a sheet or old blanket. let him see you toss a few treats in the crate and see if he will go in on his own. DON'T FORCE HIM. if he goes in, reward him again but leave the door open. the whole idea is to give him a "den" where he can go if he feels frightened or intimidated by something. all dogs need their very own "safe place" and depending on what is going on at any given time, that place doesn't necessarily have to be your lap. take it slow and easy as far as socializing him. let him get used to you and your routine before you start taking him out to a lot of places. when he seems to be settling in (and this will take a few weeks!), then you can start slow...drive-through fast food for a plain burger, maybe a short walk in the park when there aren't a lot of other people/dogs out, things like that. you can work your way up to taking him to a dog-friendly store but don't rush things. you have to remember, his life up until now has been a solitary one with probably not a lot of human contact. things that the average dog will experience day-to-day could very possibly freak him out so you don't want to stress or overload him. can you post a pic or two? best of luck with him and again, thanks for rescuing. you won't be sorry!!! nina :)
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sammy zone 7 Tulsa
16 years ago
Are there laws concerning puppy mills? Is there any government control whatsoever?

Where is the line drawn between a puppy mill, backyard breeder, and a suitable breeder?

Sammy
katsmah
16 years ago
Unfortunately, the chances of euthanasia being done humanely by a miller is slim.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/magazine/20070705_Exhibit_exposes_puppy-mill_abuse.html
Elly_NJ
16 years ago
Don;'t buy dogs from pet stores or unreputable breeders. That will put a dent in their business. They do way worse than kill dogs. It's how the dogs live that get me.
quirkyquercus
16 years ago
"Are there laws concerning puppy mills? Is there any government control whatsoever?

Where is the line drawn between a puppy mill, backyard breeder, and a suitable breeder?

Sammy"

Sammy, there is government regulation of breeders that produce more than a certain amount of puppies each year with the intent to sell them. They are required to be licensed and have regular inspections. The agency that oversees the regulation and inspections is doesn't have the manpower to adequately inspect and enforce the laws. The worst they seem to be able to do is revoke licenses and assess large monetary fines. The fines which they refuse to pay and continue to breed without a license. It's easier to break the rules when they don't have a license because nobody is inspecting then!
davidandkasie
16 years ago
i know a guy that used to run a mill. he not only killed any dog beyond breeding age, he killed any pups that did not sell by week 8. he and his daughters used a hammer to bash in their heads on the pups, a pistol shot to the head for the adults.

no, i no longer associate with him. and i can't turn him in because he no longer breeds them anymore.
sylviatexas1
16 years ago
Many puppy mills are in unincorporated areas where there's no licensing, no inspection, nothing.

& many states do not have teeth in their cruelty laws, they don't have the manpower to enforce cruelty laws, & so...
puppy mills do anything they want.

A very nice woman on another board said that her King Charles Cavalier Spaniel rescue group was given, if I remember right, 5 or 6 female dogs that weren't producing big enough litters often enough, & so their owner had culled them.

Among their problems were heartworms, intestinal worms, uterine infections, infections around their backsides (KCCS dogs have long feathery coats, & if you don't brush them, they get nasty back there).

In addition, they had had almost no contact with human beings & were very shy & frightened.

Not knowing how complicated & miserable the situation was, I asked her why her group didn't try to get the breeder shut down.

She said he was operating within the law, & that they didn't want to make him mad because if he stopped giving them his "culled" dogs, he'd probably throw them out on a country road to starve or freeze or be run over or be killed by coyotes.

& politicians are in a tough position when it comes to passing licensing or other laws restricting puppy mills, because of the backlash reaction from people who become outraged by the idea of "restriction of capitalism" (racing businesses discarding or killing greyhounds is this area)or "restriction of individual rights" or "the right to own animals".
or some such.

It's especially tough in a state that has a lot of agricultural business, since the licensing or control of puppy mills is seen by ranchers as the first step to governmental interference in their cattle operations.

Puppy mills, is this legal?

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northy

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