Have You Bought A Dog Not Knowing It Was From A Puppy Mill? [Poll]

Many unsuspecting people buy puppies (or kittens) from pet stores or on the internet without realizing that the animals frequently come from a cruel industry.

A few months ago, a pet store in Brick was shut down due to dogs being kept in deplorable conditions and the owners were charged with health code violations and animal cruelty. 

Earlier this month a group of Ocean county lawmakers introduced a bill that will prevent the sale in New Jersey of dogs and cats from "puppy mills".

According to the ASPCA, "A puppy mill is a large-scale commercial dog breeding operation where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs. Unlike responsible breeders, who place the utmost importance on producing the healthiest puppies possible, breeding at puppy mills is performed without consideration of genetic quality. This results in generations of dogs with unchecked hereditary defects."

And according to Puppy Mill Awareness Day's website:

"Documented problems of puppy mills include: unsanitary facilities, overbreeding, inbreeding, disease, minimal veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter, lack of human socialization, overcrowded cages and the killing of unwanted animals."

I mentioned the pet store in Brick because according to friendsofanimals.crg, "virtually all puppies sold in pet stores come from puppy mills".