Puppy mills cause severe welfare harm to breeding dogs and puppies. Understanding how to avoid supporting irresponsible breeding helps reduce demand for this industry.
Puppy mills prioritise volume production over the welfare of breeding animals. Parent dogs spend their lives in small cages with inadequate enrichment, social contact, and veterinary care, producing litter after litter until they are no longer productive. Puppies from mills frequently have undisclosed health conditions and inadequate socialisation, contributing to behavioural problems and early death in their new homes. The supply chain for puppy mills runs through pet shops and online advertising, deliberately obscuring the source from buyers. The most effective way to avoid supporting puppy mills is to adopt from shelters or rescue organisations, or to purchase puppies only from breeders willing to show their facilities, health tests, and breeding practices.