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Make no mistake, puppy mills are about making money. The people who own puppy mills do not care about the quality of life for their breeding stock, the animals they breed, or the eventual experience of the new owners. There is money to be made in selling pure-bred puppies and making some of that money for the smallest cash outlay is their goal. Puppy mill breeders may sell directly to the public usually via advertisements or the internet, but they are more likely to sell to wholesalers, brokers, or pet shops. Consumer demand for purebred puppies perpetuates the existence of puppy mills.
According to the Humane Society, "The documented problems of puppy mills include overbreeding, inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter, lack of socialization with humans, overcrowded cages, and the killing of unwanted animals."
If you visit a puppy mill, your first impression will probably be the smell. Most puppy mills keep the dogs in small cages and sanitation is sorely lacking. Next, you will notice that the dogs are less than enthusiastic about your visit. Many will be lying down, perhaps in their own feces. They are tired, underfed, in poor health and may be lacking even basic food and water. No wonder, they aren't glad to meet you.
There is a puppy mill for almost all dog breeds with an emphasis on those breeds that are the most popular. It is estimated that 500,000 dogs are born in puppy mills each year in the United States. With profit being the motivation, puppy mills supply what is demanded in the market place at the lowest production cost.
Puppy mills make money in the same way that managed health care makes money, by limiting costs. No one knows how much money changes hands as the puppy moves from the puppy mill to the wholesaler to the pet store but a rule of thumb is that the pet store will charge about twice what they paid for the dog from the wholesaler. The wholesaler will pay the puppy mill between 25 and 40 percent of what he expects to charge the pet store.
So, an $800 puppy provided $400 to the wholesaler. The wholesaler in turn paid the puppy mill about $100 for the puppy. If the puppy mill makes $50 to $75 dollars on the puppy, do the math about what food, vet, and living conditions were for the puppy before he got to the pet store.
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