Commercial puppy mills prioritise profit over welfare, keeping breeding dogs in poor conditions and producing poorly socialised puppies prone to health and behaviour problems.
Puppy mills cause welfare harm at two levels: the chronic suffering of breeding dogs confined in poor conditions throughout their reproductive lives, and the poor welfare start of puppies denied socialisation and health care. Breeding dogs in mills often live entirely in small cages, with no positive human contact, inadequate veterinary care, and repeated pregnancy causing physical and psychological deterioration. Their puppies, denied critical socialisation, arrive in homes fearful, disease-prone, and behaviourally challenged.