Puppy Mill: A puppy mill, also known as a puppy farm, is a commercial dog breeding facility characterized by quick breeding and poor conditions.[1]
Although no standardized legal definition for “puppy mill” exists, a definition was established in Avenson v. Zegart in 1984 as “a dog breeding operation in which the health of the mill’s dogs is disregarded to maintain a low overhead and maximize profits”.[2] They are cited as being a result of increased demand for household pets,[3] especially after WWII.[4] The Veterinary Medical Association of the Humane Society of the United States defines the main characteristics of a puppy mill as “emphasis on quantity over quality, indiscriminate breeding, continuous confinement, lack of human contact and environmental enrichment, poor husbandry, and minimal to no veterinary care.”[5] CLICK TO READ MORE…