Why are puppy farms so bad?

Yesterday I posted a piece detailing how the RSPCA is planning to tackle the puppy farm industry in Wales. To keep with this theme today I thought I would talk about why puppy mills really are so bad and why it is not a good idea to buy a dog from an unlicensed breeder.

Puppy ‘farms’ are run by breeders who do not care about the dogs that they are producing, they see the animals as profit and as such do not take the proper measures to ensure that the puppies produced are healthy, happy or safe. Most of the dogs that come from illegal breeding establishments will not have had their vaccinations and will not have been fed a proper diet. In addition, the living conditions are way below an acceptable standard; the poor dogs have to live in their own urine and faeces whilst all being cramped together. This increases the spread of diseases and many dogs will not even live long enough to be sold for profit.

As well as the negative health implications that puppy farms produce, puppies produced in such establishments are also prone to suffering from socialisation problems. The young dogs are often taken away from their mother and litter far too early and this can lead to behavioural problems in later life.

For potential dog owners that are looking to buy a puppy vigilance is a highly important quality to put in place when browsing for a new furry companion. It is not advisable for a person to buy a dog from someone who is advertising online or in the newspaper they will not know where the dog has come from; the puppy may look perfectly healthy but could in fact be very ill. If a potential owner is to buy from a breeder then they should speak to friends or family who have bought from the same breeder, ask to see the breeder’s license and also ask to see where the puppy has been living.

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