Why the U.S. needs regulations for breeding

So this is an issue I feel very strongly about. Th United Kingdom has a breeding law that was put in place in 1999 called the Puppy Farming and Dog Welfare Act. This law states that it is a criminal offence for a person to breed five litters or more within a 12 month period without an appropriate license. The number of litters is not restricted to a single dog. This law is very basic, as the local authorities grant the breeding licenses based upon guidelines. It also gives the Court power to revoke a license if the breeder is found guilty of breaking any provisions of this law. This simple law makes it almost impossible to run a puppy mill yet still allowing reputable breeders to continue their business. Why can't the US be this smart? Then again Pit Bulls are pretty muched banned in the UK. My favorite quote I found, "If they [pit bulls] are properly trained, however, they're no more likely to bite you than a Jack Russell". 


HA. The Jack Russell is definitely more inclined to bite. Work in a doggy day care and you will quickly learn that the smaller dogs are more apt to bite than the large dogs. However, the smaller dogs don't usually hurt as bad and so it's not reported as much as the larger dogs. But Jack Russells have the worst Napolean complex.

From a raid on 2.08.2012. These dogs were lucky enough to have pens instead of wire cages. However the conditions were extremely filthy.

Back to the point of this post - There are entirely too many puppy mills in the United States. Petland still receives all their puppies from these facilities. I know they look precious sitting in their little windows but their living conditions are horrendous. Too many of them are inbred and end up with many health problems. The bitches kept in the puppy mills never see the light of day and then are killed when they can no longer breed. Don't think you are saving a puppy when you buy one from there. You are only making room for them to continue to breed more. There have been too many raids on puppy mills and those puppies that you buy for over $1000? You can find them in a shelter or rescue for less than $200.

A 10 year old Shih Tzu that spent his entire life in a puppy mill until Mostly Mutts him. He has no teeth from chewing on metal bars causing his tongue to stick out. (This is the same rescue my Bijou came from!)

Our country needs to have laws in place to prevent these puppy mills. It's not going to fix all the stray dogs we have, but it is a step towards solving this problem. If we stop the puppy mills it will help prevent those people from buying a puppy just because he looked cute. It will keep those puppies from being turned into a shelter when they become too much work for an unprepared owner. It will prevent those puppies from being bred irresponsibly. And hopefully it will help those who are responsible pet owners find another means of obtaining a pet, like adoption.

I honestly don't have a lot against reputable breeders. There are some great breeders out there that take outstanding care of their dogs and make sure the puppies are taken care of for life. I do think breeders should obtain licenses to prevent "back yard breeding". And that is another story for another day.

So what did we learn here?

Puppy mills should be banned. If you don't think they are a problem or don't believe what I have said you MUST watch this movie, Madonna of the Mills. Can you believe "78% of Americans still don’t have a clue that pet store puppies come from puppy mills?" That is outrageous. Knowledge is power. Visit that site, read the Puppy Mill Facts, and become educated. If you decide to do something about it, visit the Humane Society of the United States OR go sign the pledge to stop shopping at your local store that supports puppy mills.