The commercial pet breeding industry causes significant welfare harms through puppy mills, genetic disease, and supply chain opacity.
Puppy mills cause severe welfare harm to breeding dogs who spend their entire lives in small wire cages without socialization, exercise, or adequate veterinary care. They are bred repeatedly until their productivity declines, then discarded. Puppies from mills often have health and behavioral problems from early deprivation. The opacity of the pet supply chain allows suffering to continue unseen by consumers.