Legislative campaigns to ban or strictly regulate puppy mills have achieved significant successes in many jurisdictions, reducing the number of dogs suffering in commercial breeding facilities.
Puppy mills represent a failure of both animal welfare and consumer protection regulation. Dogs in puppy mills suffer chronic confinement, poor veterinary care, overbreeding, and early removal from mothers. Legislative reform works: states and countries that have enacted third-party sale bans or breeding regulations see significant reductions in commercially bred dog welfare problems. Consumer demand for puppies with known welfare histories also drives change.