A puppy mill is a huge, profit-oriented, breeding operation where, profit is the main goal. This usually means, poor sanitary conditions, small living spaces, little to nonexistent medical care, and, no proper food and water for the animals concerned. A standard set up for a puppy mill would be wire cages stacked one on top of the other. These cages are usually stationed outdoors where the animals have little to shield them from the elements. Dogs are crammed together in small, compact, unsanitary cages and live in these inhuman conditions until they are either sold or of no use to the owners. Once a dog can no longer be bred it is cast away like garbage. Puppy mill owners care about one thing and one thing alone - Profit.
Every good breeder knows that, the manner in which all dogs are bred and reared affects their welfare. A dogs health as well as it's temperament is largely established by it's inherited genetic material and, to some extent, by it's upbringing. So it becomes crucial that dogs of sound mental and physical health be bred. Puppy Mill breeders breed dogs over and over again without any care for the genetic disorders being transferred to it's offspring. It's no wonder then, that Puppy mill dogs suffer from a host of disorders both mental and physical. These can include Epilepsy, Heart disease, Kidney disease, Musculoskeletal disorders, diabetes and hypertension to name just a few.
But the problem with Puppy Mills doesn't end there. Many pet store owners will tell you that they get their puppies from "USDA licensed breeders." But when you look a little closer at the the federal Animal Welfare Act, enforced by the USDA, APHIS, and Animal Care, here's what it says; "The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) requires that minimum standards of care and treatment be provided for certain animals bred for commercial sale, used in research, transported commercially, or exhibited to the public."(2) Long story short, our Department of Agriculture makes Puppy Mills legal in the United States! The good news is that more and more states are choosing to legislate higher standards of care for commercially bred animals. But on the downside, 21 states have NO laws that regulate standards for puppy mills.
References 1. PETA.org Puppy Mills: Dogs Abused for the Pet Trade 2. United States Department of Agriculture Animal Welfare Act 3. PAWS Buyer Beware: The Problem with Puppy Mills and Backyard Breeders other References include The Humane Society of the United States Nopetstorepuppies.org Animal Rescue Corps