The ASPCA has seen and documented the unspeakable cruelty and horrific conditions of puppy mills.
Dogs in puppy mills typically are confined inside cramped wire cages for life, receive little to no medical care, and live in squalid conditions with little or no exercise, socialization or human interaction. The dogs must endure constant breeding cycles, often at the expense of their own health. Puppy mill dogs are sold in pet stores, online and directly to unsuspecting consumers with little to no regard for the dog’s health, genetic history or future welfare.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently issued a proposed rule to prohibit the import of puppies younger than six months of age from foreign puppy mills for commercial resale in the United States, implementing a law passed by Congress in the 2008 Farm Bill.
The Obama Administration has taken the first step to shutting down the foreign imports of underage puppies. Now it’s time to properly oversee all large-scale puppy mills in the United States.
We ask the President and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to close a loophole in the Animal Welfare Act which regulates large-scale commercial dog breeders who sell puppies wholesale to brokers or pet stores, but provides no oversight or standards for those who sell directly to the public through newspaper ads or the Internet.
Please help us end the cruelty and suffering these puppy mills cause.
