• Avenson v. Zegart (1994 court case): a dog breeding operation in which the health of the dogs is disregarded in order to maintain a low overhead and maximize profits.
• ASPCA: large-scale commercial dog breeding operation where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs.
• HSUS: an inhumane high-volume dog breeding facility that churns out puppies for profit, ignoring the needs of the pups and their mothers.

Puppy mills are found just about everywhere, though there is a higher concentration of them in Midwestern states. Sometimes puppy mill dogs come from international operations as well.

• Yes, puppy mills are in every state. There are relatively fewer USDA commercial dog breeding facilities in South Carolina compared to states like Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Ohio.
• The most recent puppy mill bust in SC occurred in January 2020 after a buyer complained about a sick puppy. It was located in Laurens County. Both individuals who ran the operation were charged with animal cruelty.

• You might be purchasing a puppy from a puppy mill if:
  • The puppy was purchased at a pet store
  • The puppy was purchased over the internet and delivered to you
  • The puppy was purchased at a flea market
  • The breeder did not let you visit their facility
  • The breeder met you in a parking lot or other roadside location to deliver your puppy
  • The breeder will not take back the dog after your purchase
  • The breeder does not require you to spay or neuter your dog
  • Your puppy turned out to be sick soon after purchasing

• On the federal level, puppy mills are regulated by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).
• Some states also regulate them according to their own standards as well as municipalities within the states themselves.
• In South Carolina, there are no state laws regulating dog breeders, but 7 counties license and/or inspect kennels that offer dogs for sale

• Puppy mills are profit-driven businesses which pay no regard for humane animal treatment.
• Puppy mills contribute to pet overpopulation. If there were no puppy mills there would be considerably less homeless animals.

• USDA regulations permit breeders to:
  • confine dogs in cages 6 inches longer than their bodies for their entire lives,
  • provide only coated wire flooring in cages
  • deny dogs adequate exercise and socialization
  • keep dogs in frigid or sweltering temperatures for up to 4 hours
  • breed dogs repeatedly and excessively, without limits, and
  • provide no regular veterinary care beyond an annual walk-through of the facility.
• Enforcement of these already low standards is lacking, allowing breeders to continue operating despite violating USDA standards.
  • Breeders can be exempt from USDA regulation if they sell puppies to buyers in a face-to-face transaction.

Why do pet stores sell puppy mill puppies?

• Commercial dog breeders are the only places pet stores can receive a continuous supply of puppies of various breeds.
• Good news is some pet stores are moving to a more humane business model and only offering puppies from animal shelters/rescues for adoption.

Why is it bad that pet stores sell puppies from commercial dog breeders?

• The entire experience of a young puppy being shipped to the pet store is stressful and dangerous for the dog.
  • The puppies typically spend days in a cramped truck exposed to puppies from other sources who may be sick if they aren’t already sick themselves. At this age, the puppies’ immune systems are not fully developed and thus they are at a greater risk of getting sick from all the diseases they may exposed to.
• Pet stores often use high-pressure sales tactics to convince consumers to purchase puppies. In May 2020, the HSUS filed a legal petition calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to crack down on pet stores’ deceptive sales and marketing practices. The petition mentions the financing options available to consumers who might not otherwise be able to afford a thousand dollar pet store puppy. Many consumers who proceed with financing later find out that their interest rate is as high as 188%.
• In addition to misleading sales tactics, pet stores often sell sick puppies that appear to be healthy on the sales floor. Most recently, Petland Summerville is alleged to have sold puppies with parvo, distemper, influenza, and parainfluenza, all highly contagious diseases.
  • Buyers are often faced with enormous vet bills or even the death of the puppy within days or weeks of purchase. A puppy may seem healthy for months only to develop symptoms of serious congenital conditions much later.
• Pet store disease outbreaks are not limited to animals.
  • Since 2016, the Centers for Disease Control have tracked a multi-drug resistant outbreak of Campylobacter linked to pet store puppies that has sickened nearly 150 people, with two cases reported in South Carolina. One CDC official warned that due to a lack of hygiene within the puppy mill-to-pet store system, and the overuse of antibiotics in puppies, additional cases were likely to occur.
• Lastly, the sale of puppies at pet stores supports the puppy mill suppliers that mass-produce puppies without adequate attention to their physical, behavioral, or psychological needs of their breeding dogs.