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Puppy Mills are breeding facilities that mass-produce puppies. Mature female dogs are used to breed as many times as they possibly can  (every single heat cycle), and once they are no longer useful, they are discarded (by the time they are about five to six years old) and sometimes brutally killed, or sold to laboratories for scientific research. They spend their entire lives in cages, with no hope of human companionship, or even a toy. The puppies, usually purebreds, are stuffed in small cages together where they have little room to walk, let alone breathe. The dogs are often inbred and have very poor if any veterinary care, which leads to many, many health issues and disabilities. Remember, a puppy mill is a business, for profit, not for the well-being of the dogs, or the future owners. To increase profit, not much money is spent on necesities such as food and vet visits. It isn’t uncommon for dogs to freeze in their cages in the winter, or die of heat stroke in the summer, or to have infections from wounds on their paws etc from the wires of the cage or from other dogs.

These mills are the kept secret, and sell their puppies to pet stores or over the internet or newspaper. People see these adorable puppies and can’t resist buying them for hundreds of dollars, not knowing that they run a high risk of having health problems. These problems range from severe behavioral problems to genetic defects to deadly diseases.