A puppy mill is a breeding facility where dogs are kept, sometimes by the hundreds, strictly to be bred and produce puppies. They are bred each time they come into heat, year after year, until their bodies give out. They get minimal, if any, medical attention. They are typically kept in cramped wire cages, many times outside in the elements or inside with no heat or ventilation and with no positive human contact. The puppies are sold in pet stores, through websites or other media. They are bred with no thought to genetic or health conditions. The sole interest of the puppy mill operator is profit, not the care or condition of the dogs.
Please visit these excellent websites for more detailed information about puppy mills!
www.iavotersforcompanionanimals.org
This webste will be of particular interest as it is one of the newest and most comprehensive state sites. On their main menu, click on "Puppy Mills" for FAQ's on several puppy mill topics. If you don't know what a puppy mill is, thy have a detailed answer to that question.
www.nowisconsinpuppymills.org
Another excellent resource by the Wisconsin Puppy Mills Project. Click on "What is a Puppy Mill?" on teh 4th line of the Home Page.
www.petshoppuppies.org
Look under the "Puppy Mills" link on the left. Also be sure to check ou the "Our Indiana Campaign" at the top of their list on links.
www.stoppuppymills.org
This is the HSUS website; fully of the most current information nationwide on puppy mill activity; be sure to see their FAQ section.