What is a “puppy mill”?

Our definition of the term “puppy mill” is a breeding facility in which the profit is more important than the welfare of the dogs. Think of it as a factory farm for puppies. The parents are bred every heat cycle until their bodies give out. They are forced to live in cramped cages their entire lives, their paws never touching the ground. These parent dogs are not always fed healthy food or clean water and they are very rarely (if ever) seen by a vet for illness or injury. PUPPY MILL DOGS ARE NOT CONSIDERED PETS TO THE BREEDERS .

A puppy mill can be obvious, or it can be well hidden. For more information on what a puppy mill is, click here.

Puppy Mill Statistics

10,000 Estimated number of puppy mills in the U.S. (both licensed and unlicensed)
1,902 Number of USDA Class A and B licensed facilities that breed dogs for the pet trade
165,474 Estimated number of dogs kept solely for breeding purposes in USDA licensed facilities
107,558 Estimated number of female dogs kept for breeding at USDA licensed facilities
1,011,046 Estimated number of puppies produced by USDA licensed facilities each year
2.02 million Estimated number of puppies sold annually who originated from puppy mills – USDA licensed and non-USDA licensed.
Puppy Mills are LEGAL. This is a common misconception among the general public. To learn more about the laws, click here.
Puppy mills sell their puppies in pet stores, the newspaper or websites that ship straight to your home.