Puppy Mills

The Canadian Kennel Club definition: The members of the National Companion Animal Coalition(NCAC),consisting of;the Ministry of Agriculture,Canadian Kennel Club,Canadian Veterinary Medical Association,Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council,Canadian Federation of Humane Societies and the RCMP have developed the following agreed upon definition of a "puppymill".

...A puppymill has been defined by the NCAC as a high-volume, sub-standard dog breeding operation which sells purebred or mixed breed dogs, to unsuspecting buyers. Some of the characteristics common to puppymills are:

• a)Sub-standard health and/or environmental issues;
• b)Sub-standard animal care,treatment,and/or socialization;
• c)Sub-standard breeding practices which lead to genetic defects or hereditary disorders;
• d)Erroneous or falsified certificates of registration,pedigrees,and/or genetic background.

Note: These conditions may also exist in small volume or single-breed establishments.

The AAS definition:

A puppymill is any place or person or business that:

• 1. Breeds more than one dog at a time;
• 2. Sells pups without screening of the purchaser;
• 3. Sells pups to retail pet stores and puppy resellers;

And/or keeps the dogs and pups:

• 1. Isolated from human interaction: i.e. exclusively in kennels, sheds, garages, trailers, pens, basements and closets;
• 2. In conditions generally accepted by the public to be dirty and unhealthy: in cages and buildings that lack light; outside in rain and cold; in mud; feces and urine;
• 3. In a condition generally accepted by veterinarians as unhealthy; skin, ear, eye, penis and vaginal/utereal infections; rotten and broken teeth; overgrown nails; parasitic infestations; and other disease and unhealthy conditions.

puppymills generally breed pure-breds or popular mixes and charge several hundred dollars to a thousand dollars per pup. Many puppymills are registered with the Canadian Kennel Club.