You have wanted a dog for the longest time and have begun your search for that special breed that fits your criteria.
After typing in a few searches you come across several sites that seem to have what you are looking for.
The pictures are cute and the pages are full of lovable, cuddly descriptions that are enticing you to look closer.
Your heart starts to race as you see the perfect dog, waiting to leap from the screen into your arms.
Before you pick up the phone or send the e-mail to inquire more about the dog, you may want to make sure you are not looking at a puppy mill breeder.
Puppy Mills are well established facilities with the sole purpose of breeding and selling dogs for extensive profits without regard to the health and welfare of the animals.
These operations have been around for decades thrive as consumers are unaware of the deplorable conditions these animals live in prior to arriving at the pet stores.
In particular, animals considered "Breeding Stock" are continually bred year after year and spend their entire lives in small cages without human interaction, minimal veterinary care and little access to basic comforts like a blanket or toy.
Once there usefulness has passed, they are exterminated, abandoned or resold to other mills.
This endless cycle results in hundreds of thousands of puppies hitting pet stores and websites across the country, many destined to have health and behavioral issues.
These individuals often falsely claim the animals are well cared for and raised within a family oriented environment.
These unscrupulous owners are very skilled at keeping their operations secret in order to make the sale.
When considering an online pet adoption, The US Humane Society recommends the following tips: 1.
Shelters - Purchasing a dog from an animal shelter is one key way to avoid the puppy mill.
Unfortunately, many people drop off well behaved animals to these shelters, due to changes in financial situations, job relocation or just the inability to properly care for the animal.
3.
Animal Rescue or Foster Homes - There are individuals who provide temporary housing for specific breeds while waiting to place them in the right home.
These "dog lovers" will undoubtedly have a strict interviewing process before placing the animal.
They will ask tough questions to ensure the buyer is well intentioned and able to provide a loving environment to the animal.
The last thing they want to have happen, is to place the dog into a setting where they are abused, neglected and eventually given away.
Their goal is to match a responsible owner who is ready, willing and able to properly care for the animal..
4.
Research, Research, Research - Many local breeders are available through the internet and have reviews and testimonials.
Many websites and newspaper ads are placed by Puppy Mill owners who market their stock to unsuspecting consumers.
If you do come across a website that looks legitimately run, be sure to research them carefully and visit the location if you are seriously considering an animal.
A site visit will be very telling when you see the conditions the animals are raised in.
If the seller is hesitant in any way, move on.
5.
Avoid Pet Stores - Even though Pet stores market their puppies in malls to unsuspecting dog lovers, many carry puppies from mills even though they may claim that their animals come from good breeders..
6.
Resist trying to purchase a puppy from a mill to save them - This will still give the owner what they want, cash.
Even though your intentions are well founded, the money used for the purchase will continue to fund the operation and other puppies will easily fill the gap.
The ultimate way to reduce the need for puppy mills is to remove demand by purchasing animals from reputable sources.
In summary, your quest to get the dog you always wanted can be a bit more work than you would expect.
However, making sure the animal is coming from a reputable source will be much more beneficial in the long run as most puppy mill dogs suffer from health and behavioral issues due to their living conditions and treatment.