Puppy Mills: Misery FOR Sale - inhumane treatment of dogs and puppies in so-called 'puppy mills'

Animals, Sept, 2000 by Pamela H. Sacks

Both government officials and representatives of advocacy groups concede that, despite damaging revelations over the past decade, puppy mills continue to operate with near impunity. There are 4,000 licensed commercial dog breeders and brokers in the United States, and many do not come close to the standards set by those who really care about the pets they produce.

"The puppies are raised as a commodity, for profit, and by its very nature it will be a deficient upbringing," Luke says. "If you have 20, 30, or 40 litters at a time, it is not physically possible to meet the needs of those animals." Nonetheless, a mere handful of the mills see their licenses suspended or revoked in any given year, a situation noted even by groups that represent pet-shop owners. One such organization is the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, which maintains that humane officials, abetted by sensationalized news stories, have created an inaccurate picture that is "based on the transgressions of a few."

Suggestions for addressing the enforcement problem often focus on the USDA, which is responsible for a licensing and inspection program that is supposed to ensure that animals receive basic veterinary care, a balanced diet, and sound housing. In 1991 the agency had 88 field inspectors; today there are 65, and they must oversee commercial breeders, along with biomedical-research laboratories, zoos, circuses, marine-mammal parks, and commercial airlines that transport animals--some 10,000 entities in all.

While the USDA is quick to defend its record, 11 veterinary and animal-welfare groups, seeing needs that are going unmet, have formed a coalition to lobby Congress for more money. The effort resulted in a $1 million increase for this year, the effects of which have yet to be seen, and members hope to add twice this amount to the USDA's budget in 2001. "The commercial breeders are not illegal," says Adele Douglas, a lobbyist for the American Humane Association. "The only thing we can do is to make sure that the animals are treated humanely, and that's through the inspector process."

Some charge, however, that money is not the USDA's only problem. Hanbicki points out that inspectors return again and again to the same offenders. "Old violations are fixed and new violations pop up. It's a vicious cycle. There should be a limit to that," she says. Armed with statistics indicating that the agency operates inefficiently, humane societies have taken a parallel tack: they have campaigned for greater participation by state governments as well as federal officials. In recent years, legislators in Missouri, Colorado, Georgia, and Oklahoma have all passed animal-welfare laws. Hanbicki notes that Colorado and Georgia, in particular, have established effective inspection divisions, forcing the closure of numerous breeding farms.

As they keep sounding the call to beef up enforcement, humane organizations continue to seek higher standards of care--a campaign that few see as easily winnable. Five years ago, 149 members of Congress, responding to a torrent of complaints about horrific conditions in puppy mills, asked the USDA to adopt tougher regulations. As a result, coating on wire cages was required and the tethering of animals was forbidden. But proposals to limit instances of breeding for a single female and to mandate bigger cages, constant access to water, and better sanitation were not adopted. Such demands are not likely to go away any time soon despite the obstacles faced by the proponents.