Puppy mills are commercial mass dog-breeding facilities that put profit above the welfare of dogs.
Most puppy mill dogs are housed in shockingly poor conditions, especially the ones kept in cages to be bred over and over for years, without human companionship and with little hope of ever joining a family. After they're no longer profitable, these dogs are simply discarded. Hundreds of thousands of puppies are born every year, adding to the pet overpopulation that fills our nation's animal shelters.
Puppy mills sell their "products" to unsuspecting consumers in pet stores, over the Internet, and through newspaper classified advertisements.
It seems astonishing that there are still many people today who aren’t aware of the practice of puppy farming. Unfortunately, even those who are aware of the term can still be scammed by unscrupulous dealers. These buyers often have little understanding of the cruelty and heartbreak this industry is capable of inflicting until they experience it first hand. The cruelty is canine, the heartbreak is human.
There are bad people in our world who are enjoying the fruits of suffering dogs’ labours, some earning six figure sums and living in immaculate houses while a few yards away, their animals are not even afforded the most basic care and attention which is expected of them by the animal welfare act. Simple things like clean drinking water, regular food and dry bedding. Exercise, mental stimulation, socialisation or affection are not a consideration when it comes to treating these dogs as breeding machines. Often they are kept in conditions that would be considered unacceptable for agricultural animals. Dogs subsist in tiny cages, often with filth from one dog pouring through the cage floor onto the poor animal underneath it. Their eyes are scalded out by the ammonia in the urine and the pads of their paws are cut on the wire mesh. Infected, hungry and in pain they produce puppies for several years before being shot, abandoned or sold for a dollar or two to someone who will try to get, "One more litter out of her.”
So, if you’ve ever thought ‘how much is that puppy in the window,’ or been tempted by an online trade ad, or a handwritten card placed on a public noticeboard in your local shop, pet store or vet clinic, please think twice!
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If you are looking to adopt, please first consider one of the many welfare and rescue centres around South Africa. There is a comprehensive list on our Rescue Organisations page.
Some things to consider and to share with others to avoid becoming a victim of the exploitive trade in animals:
- A puppy/kitten should be seen with its mother in the place where it was born.
- If it is a private sale and you can't see the puppy with its mother, warning bells should start to ring.
- Don't take matters on trust. If you have been told that the puppy/kitten has been vaccinated, ask to see the vaccination card. These can be easy to fake, so any card without the name of the veterinarian, his/her signature plus contact details should be treated as very suspicious.
- No vaccinations tell their own story.
- There is no guarantee of the health of the puppy/kitten.
- Pedigree certificates are no guarantee if the condition of the puppy/kitten. They may be homemade and might not even prove the puppy/kitten is purebred.
- Never buy a puppy/kitten from anyone who offers to deliver or who tries to arrange to meet you somewhere.
If you have any concerns about puppies, kittens or any animals in a pet shop, at a flea market or anywhere else, rather contact the local SPCA with the information. Details relating to an informant will be kept strictly confidential.
Puppy mills are often referred to as "backyard breeders" because of the unacceptable conditions in which the animals are kept. The SPCA opposes the donation to, or sale from pet shops of live animals. Sadly, South Africa's situation in many ways parallels that in other countries where puppies and kittens are seen as profit-making entities and welfare is often overlooked.
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