Puppy Mills in South Africa
Despite the growing number of dogs languishing in shelters
across South Africa, unscrupulous breeders continue to churn out litter after
litter, not only contributing to pet-overpopulation, but reaping the rewards
while those in their ‘care’ suffer.
If you buy a puppy from a pet store or an unregistered
breeder, over the internet or through a newspaper classified ad, you could be
perpetuating the abuse. Reputable
breeders don’t sell their puppies in this way, but puppy mills do.
*Reprinted with kind permission from Canine Zone and Sam Scott
Prisoners for Profit
A puppy mill is a commercial, mass-breeding facility that
produces puppies for profit. Notorious
for their filthy, overcrowded conditions, they produce unhealthy, and in some
cases, genetically defective dogs. The
breeders show no concern for the welfare of their animals, and spend little on
food, shelter and veterinary care, thereby maximising profits. The dogs are merely commodities that are only
valuable as long as they are producing. Cats,
snakes, rabbits, gerbils and guinea pigs are examples of other animals produced
and distributed by mills or farms.
These greed breeders naturally seek anonymity to hide the
deplorable/shameful (?) conditions and practices. Disease is rampant due to the close quarter ‘living’
and illnesses run unchecked because vaccinations and medical care are rarely,
if ever, provided. No external parasite
control is given so flies, ticks and fleas are common.
Puppy mills breed misery
The dogs spend their entire lives locked in cramped cages with
no room to play or exercise, and do not receive adequate attention, basic
grooming or medical care. To minimize
waste clean-up, cages have wire flooring resulting in injuries to the dogs’
feet and legs from falling through the cages or crates. It’s not unusual for the cages to be stacked
up in columns. With no regulations or
enforcement, dogs can be living in urine and faeces for indefinite periods of
time.
The dogs suffer from malnutrition and exposure, remaining
caged outside year round and many are injured in fights that occur in the
overcrowded cages from which there is no escape. Some
mills keep the cages hidden out of sight in unheated and unventilated rooms,
where they never get the chance to feel the sun or breathe fresh air. Dogs have been found with matted, filthy
hair, their teeth rotting and ulcers on their eyes. Full grown dogs have had atrophied limbs and
splayed feet caused by being in a cage too small to stand normally. They are left with untreated injuries and
wounds, and dogs sick with cancer or age are still used as breeding machines.
“Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight.” - Albert Schweitzer
Female dogs are kept in the facility their entire lives, typically
undernourished and perpetually pregnant.
In order to maximise profits, and starting as young as four months old,
they are bred at every opportunity with little to no recovery time between
litters. A legitimate breeder will only
allow a bitch to have a litter every second season and will build up their
condition in between.
Food given is normally below standard especially for
lactating females.
The parents of the puppy in the window are unlikely to make
it out of the mill alive and neither will any puppies born with obvious
physical defects that make them unsellable.
Veterinary euthanization cuts into profits, so mill operators typically
shoot, bludgeon or drown animals that cannot be sold or are no longer
profitable.
The puppies are taken from their mothers at four to eight
weeks when they are at their “cutest” and more likely to sell; well before the
recommended eight to ten weeks. Seeing
an adorable puppy in the store encourages a potential shopper to want to
‘rescue’ it by buying the puppy. In
reality, they are creating an empty spot that needs to be filled and the store
owner simply orders more puppies and the cycle continues. Like the mills, pet shops are businesses and
their sole concern is making money, not the welfare of the little dogs they
sell; they have no interest in where the puppy is going and no checks are done
on the prospective purchaser. The
breeders will sell to anyone who is willing to pay, regardless of where that
puppy might end up.
The puppies are transported from the mill over long
distances in conditions that threaten their wellbeing, with little or no food,
water and ventilation. Wetnose AnimalRescue Centre has found some being transported in the boot of a car. Sadly, some don’t survive the trip.
Dogs in puppy mills are sometimes debarked by having a steel
rod rammed down their throats to rupture their vocal cords. They can suffer severe psychological trauma
from the boredom of being imprisoned in a small cage for years that they
develop repetitive habits like going round and round in circles for hours or
barking at walls. They receive no affection,
socialisation, mental stimulation or exercise, being regarded only as breeding
machines.
Red Flags
Puppy mill dogs are everywhere, either in pet stores or
advertised in newspapers or online. Be
aware of any underhand tactics by the person advertising a puppy. If they have several breeds of dogs and are
eager to ship the puppy to you, it is more than likely they are just in the
puppy business for profit, not wanting you to know where and how the puppy was
reared and raised.
Nearly 90% of puppies in pet stores were born in puppy mills
and they are often passed off as purebred dogs in an attempt to attract the
higher prices associated with purebreds.
If you are looking to purchase a puppy, be on the lookout
for:
- Designer dogs that are less than 6 weeks old (well before the puppy should be separated from its mother)
- Breeders that are unwilling to let you see the parents or visit the breeding facility but rather insist on delivering the puppy or arranging viewings and collection in a public place such as a shopping centre or petrol station
- Breeders that show little or no interest in where the puppy will be living or in the potential owners; a good breeder will want to meet and interview the prospective buyer
- A good breeder will welcome questions about their dogs, breeding program, bloodlines and pedigree
- Breeders who are unwilling to take back the puppy for any reason
- Various classifieds or online advertisements by the same person for different breeds
- Breeders who cannot provide the puppies registration papers or stall with many different excuses
- Remember, a puppy mill won’t disclose the honest traits of a breed -whether they drool a lot, shed a lot, need extra exercise - they just want to sell the dog.
Quantity over Quality
Most puppy mills start out as backyard breeders until they
realise that by feeding poor quality food, by skimping on veterinary care, by
producing larger quantities of puppies, and by selling quantity over quality,
they can make more money. A backyard breeder
may advertise themselves as a hobby breeder, but understand that you are
supporting someone who does not have the proper training, education on breed
type, health concerns or character to breed correctly. They will often offer multiple breeds or
offer ‘all breeds available on request’ so that they can broaden their market. In contrast, reputable breeders generally have
a waiting list because they have a limited number of litters born each year.
Spend a few minutes browsing online and you will be stunned
by the sheer number of puppies available for sale. By doing a simple Google search using the
seller’s name, email address or telephone number, you can find a lot of
information regarding them and their reputation. You will quickly ascertain whether they are
selling their pups elsewhere or offering a variety of different breeds.
Be Warned
Puppies born in puppy mills are more prone to have problems
with their temperament. Due to the poor
conditions, they often suffer from health and/or social problems. Raised in a cramped and crowded environment,
they can become poorly socialised to other dogs and humans.
Behaviour problems that you may experience include
housetraining issues as the puppy has been confined with urine and faeces,
going against their natural instincts to keep their den area clean. They may also have missed important
conditioning to appropriate surfaces for defecation and urination, having never
even been on grass.
Deprived of socialization and living in overcrowded
conditions, many mill dogs develop psycho-emotional behaviour problems like
extreme shyness, fear and anxiety. Some are completely afraid of the outside
world, and some are prone to aggressive behaviour and nuisance barking. Still
others develop odd traits like spinning in place - perhaps the only exercise
they ever had in their cramped quarters.
Being separated from their mother and littermates too soon can
also result in biting problems as the puppy has not learnt bite inhibition that
comes from being in a litter. The puppy
would never have learnt how to walk on a leash, lived in a home with a vacuum
cleaner, and would never have interacted normally with other pets or people.
Puppy mill puppies also increase your risk of financial and
emotional heartache when you discover that your new pet comes with an illness
or congenital defect. Your joy of having
a new puppy may quickly turn into an emotional rollercoaster ride while facing
steep vet bills and sleepless nights.
Illness and
disease are common in dogs from puppy mills as the operators fail to treat or
remove sick dogs from their breeding pools.
The puppies are prone to congenital and hereditary conditions that can
include:
- Heart Disease
- Kidney Disease
- Epilepsy
- Respiratory Disorders
- Deafness
- Muscoskeletal disorders (hip dysplasia, luxating patella etc.)
- Eye Problems (cataracts, glaucoma, progressive retinal atrophy etc.)
- Blood Disorders (anaemia, Von Willebrand disease – a bleeding disorder)
- Endocrine Disorders (diabetes, hyperthyroidism)
Puppies
often arrive in the pet stores and their new homes with diseases or
infirmities, such as:
- Kennel cough
- Upper respiratory infections
- Pneumonia
- Heartworm – a parasitic roundworm that is spread through the bites of mosquitoes, which in advanced cases can lead to severe weight loss, fainting, coughing up blood and congestive heart failure
- Giardia - a parasitic infection from coming into contact with contaminated food, soil or water
- Parvovirus – a highly contagious virus causing severe abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting
- Distemper – a contagious and serious viral illness that attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems
- Intestinal parasites – a parasitic infection, which left untreated, can cause damage to the lining of the dog’s intestinal tract
- Chronic diarrhea
- Mange
- Ticks and fleas
The only way you can be sure that your puppy and its parents
are healthy, socialized and well cared for is to visit the breeder’s home and see
the dogs for yourself. Getting your
puppy from a responsible breeder or a shelter is not only a socially
responsible thing to do, but also the best way to get a healthy puppy that
grows into a healthy and happy dog.
If
you choose to adopt, shelters tend to have a good sense of what their animal’s
personality is, what its needs are and who it is going to get along with. Shelters also insist on interviews and home
inspections to ensure their charges are going to happy, healthy
environment.
Save a pet’s life by choosing to adopt instead of buy. Shelter animals aren’t broken; they’ve just been dealt a tough hand. Your willingness to bring one home gives them the new lease on life they deserve.
Adopt, Don’t Shop
With the overpopulation of dogs at staggering levels and the
number of dogs that find their way to shelters around the country every day, it
is indefensible that puppy mills be allowed to continue their unabated
breeding.
By supporting a pet store that sells puppies or by buying a
puppy you saw advertised online only perpetuates this cycle of cruelty and
neglect. If you are looking to adopt,
please first consider one of the many welfare and rescue centres around South
Africa. They have healthy, loving puppies
and adult dogs looking to become a part of a family like yours. You’ll find that while many are wonderful mix
breeds, most shelters have purebreds too!
Or contact a Breeders Club or KUSA registered breeder to find your new
best friend.
When you adopt a shelter pet, you save two lives – the one you adopt and the one that takes its place.
How you can help stop puppy mills
Puppy mills will continue to prosper unless we, the buying
public, stop supporting their greed. If
people stop purchasing puppies from pet shops and online, the mills will
quickly lose profitability and go out of business. Adopting from a shelter keeps money out of
the mill operator’s hands. It is one the
best ways we can fight back against animal cruelty and help close down an
inhumane industry.
- Educate friends and family about the horrors of puppy mills
- Inspect breeders thoroughly and report them if they raise a red flag
- Go to www.hellobreeder.com and submit a report on unscrupulous breeders
- Do your research using the seller’s name, telephone number and email address
- Do not support pet stores that sell live animals
- Ensure that the breeder is KUSA registered by asking for their KUSA membership number
- Ask to see the KUSA certificate of Registration (pedigree) of both the Sire and Dam
- Ask if the puppy will be KUSA registered.
- Insist on a written purchase and sale agreement, in which all terms and conditions are clearly stipulated. The agreement should be signed by both parties prior to any monies being handed over.
- Ask to see the puppy whilst still with its litter mates and mother. Ask to see the Sire to ascertain character traits and conformation. The environment, in which the puppy spends its first 6 weeks, plays an important role in the development of its character. If for what- ever reason you are unable to see the puppy at the breeder’s premises, appoint someone else in the area to do so on your behalf. Avoid at all costs – collection of puppies from a meeting point away from the breeder’s premises. The reason for this arrangement could be due to the fact that the breeder’s premises would not stand up to scrutiny.
- Enquire whether the puppy will be micro chipped (mandatory for KUSA registration)
- Confirm that the puppy will be inoculated and dewormed. Ask to see the vaccination record of the dam
- Deposits to confirm the order of a puppy should only be paid, after you have done all the necessary background checks and satisfied yourself that all is above board
- Spay or neuter your animal companions so that they won’t be stolen for breeding purposes
- Do not give your dogs away ‘free to a good home’ as they may end up living and dying in a breeding facility
- Petition for new laws to be passed to ban breeding and selling of animals in pet shops. As long as the South African constitution sees animals as property and not living beings, the old laws will remain and not be amended to give harsher sentences to those who violate the law
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With thanks to
Wetnose, their inspector, Jacques van der Merwe, the NSPCA and KUSA for their
invaluable information and participation
*This article appeared in
*This article appeared in