Puppy Mills

As I wrote early on in this blog, we believe it is likely that Rogue was from a puppy mill. She was from Clark County, the Puppy mill Capitol of Wisconsin.  She looks to be a Lab mixed with a Jack Russell Terrier, two popular breeds you would expect to find at a puppy mill. She also had puppies, adorable puppies at that.  It seems odd that if she was a pet that got loose, she wouldn't return to a familiar place to have her puppies, instead having them (or being dumped with them) in a ditch in the middle of summer. It is important that more people are aware of puppy mills and why they are so terrible.

Most people probably know what Puppy Mills are, if not, let me quickly explain...

Puppy Mills are horrible places.   Dogs are companion animals, after all, they are "Man's Best Friend" for a reason.  Puppy mills, however, don't care about that.  They care about producing as many puppies as they can, as quickly as they can.  The well-being of the dogs is a distant consideration, if a consideration at all.  Dogs are confined to small spaces, usually exposed to the elements.  They have little, if any human interaction and are often crippled from their living conditions, severely malnourished and often times traumatized.  Reputable breeders will focus on producing healthy animals that strengthen the genetic lines of the dogs.  Puppy mills just look to make a fast buck by creating designer dogs or sometimes purebreds that are even AKC registered.  The bottom line is that you will be getting a dog that has had almost no human contact, has been treated poorly and is very likely to develop health issues, while all the time thinking you are getting a great puppy.

If you think that buying from your local pet store is safe; think again.  Many pet stores get their puppies from puppy mills.  The only way to be sure the dog you are purchasing is not from a puppy mill is to see the place it was born.  Ask to see the parents.  Ask to see their living space.  If a seller is unwilling to do this, you are dealing with a puppy mill.

The videos I am including here are from You Tube.  Some are pretty hard to watch, but if you want to understand what it is like at a Puppy Mill, please watch them.  Some estimates claim that there were 2,500 dogs in puppy mills....just in Clark County, Wisconsin.  This is partly because of the large Amish populations, which unfortunately is a major contributor to this problem.

Wisconsin Act 90, signed into Law by then Governor Jim Doyle, required that any breeder who sells more than 25 animals per year must be licensed.  I also requires that animals be provided proper shelter, food and exercise.  This law is working, but as a result, many of these dogs are now simply being left to run away or are turned over to shelters.  This is where YOU can help, by adopting one of these fantastic animals!  While I have talked about all the negative things you can be expecting with a rescue from a puppy mill, you are also getting an animal that needs you; and with time and work, will develop into a fantastic companion.  At the same time, you are supporting your local shelter and NOT contributing to the continued operation and profit of a puppy mill.

Dog Auctions Exposed

Inside an Eau Clair County Puppy Mill
Courtesy of You Tube User "leinielodge"

I had the experience of purchasing a puppy mill dog over a decade ago.  I didn't know about puppy mills at the time and have regretted the decision to purchase many times; not because I didn't love the dog (we had our issues), but because I contributed to the continuation of this mill.  When we visited the seller at their home in Clintonville, the dog was inside the house.  We met the puppy in their kitchen.  When asked if we could see the parents, we were told they were not available to see.  We could hear dogs barking in the barn.

Rocky was a Cockapoo.  He was a very skittish dog that was leary of people.  At age 6 he had a detached retina in one eye that caused the eyeball to expand from the size of a large marble (normal) to the size of a golf ball.  After traveling to Madison to be seen at the UW Veterinary hospital, we returned to Marshfield and scheduled surgery to have his eye removed.  A month and about $1000 later, we had a one eyed dog.

About two years later, Rocky went blind in his other eye.  He developed bladder control problems and eventually was unable to eat.  Rocky was put to sleep just before Thanksgiving in 2010.  Rocky was a Cockapoo, a cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle, a so called "designer dog".  As he grew, it was obvious that he had other breeds in him as well, probably some sort of terrier.  A dog that should have had a long life of 12-15 years or more, was gone at 9 years old.

Hindsight is always 20/20, and maybe this blog entry will give you some foresight to avoid the same mistake we made.  Rocky was a great part of our family, but the $300 I paid for him allowed that mill to continue to operate.  That money could have been better used at a shelter; where many of these dogs end up when their new owners can't handle them or don't want to deal with them anymore.  It's easy to think you are "saving" this dog, that's the logic I used at the time.  It is tough to say no, but it's what I should have done.

Rocky - 2001-2010