Recognizing the Puppy Mill Red Flags

While it may take a combination of signs to indicate a breeder is operating a puppy mill, some of these are direct flags all on their own
Advertisements are constantly in the
newspaper classifieds, on fliers passed out in
public places or listed on the internet to buy
​puppies from the same person or organization.

​An organization listed as a rescue is selling
puppies in large numbers or always seems
to have them available.

A breeder refuses to divulge the name of his
or her veterinarian. (If you are given this
information, we’re not suggesting you call and interrogate the vet. At least look up the vet’s
name and location to ensure it’s legitimate
and the vet is still in practice.)
 
A person holds a sign on the side of the road
or camps out near a busy roadway
trying to sell puppies.
 
The same person always has puppies available
or advertises them at every occasion as gifts.
 
A breeder offers multiple different breeds for
sale or “rare” or “new” breeds. Breeding
should not be an experiment.
 
The seller wants to meet you in a public
place to complete the sale.
 
The person does not ask you any questions
other than money and pickup arrangements.
Any legitimate breeder should care who his
or her puppies end up with and ensure they
are going to suitable homes.
The person sells puppies at everyday events, such as garage sales or flea markets.

You are not allowed to meet the breeding parents or view the home or business facility.

A person claims he or she is selling the puppies as an "agent" for a breeder.

Puppies are offered in opposite-sex pairs to encourage breeding.

The breeder claims spaying or neutering is not required or is unnecessary.
​
The puppies are offered for sale and delivery before they reach 8-Weeks old.

Site Inspections


If the breeder is willing to let you visit his home 
or breeding facility, this is an important step to
ensure your puppy comes from a happy 
and safe environment.

Don’t assume the offer is reason enough not
to accept the invitation. Obviously if he’s
offering, he has nothing to hide, right? ​Wrong.

Look for these warning signs when visiting the location


The appearance and health of the animals can reveal the level of care they are given. Look for dirty or
long coats, missing teeth, eye or nose discharge, overgrown nails, visible injuries or sores, patches
of missing fur or excessive scratching.
​
Temperament is an important insight as well. Are
any of the animals aggressive, vicious,
excessively shy or fearful?

There is a recognizable or overwhelming odor
that is foul or unpleasant. Beware of an overuse
of deodorizers or bleach as this may have been
used to cover up an odor, which is usually a
sign of a more serious problem.

​If the cages or containment areas for the animals
look more like a parking garage than comfortable accommodations, this is another concern. Animals should have enough room to turn around, stand on
their hind legs and have a clean sleeping
area away from food and water.

Animals are contained in an area with
urine or feces (or both).

No food or water is visibly available to every animal,
or the water is dirty. It takes so little time to clean a
bowl and provide fresh water, and this is a
blatant sign of neglect that should have sirens
going off as soon as you see it.
The numbers don’t add up. If there is only one or
two people at the location but dozens of dogs, it
would seem impossible to think each dog gets
proper care, exercise and socialization.

Unless they work in shifts or have a system for individualized care, ask them to explain their
​process or check for other signs listed here.

​The animals are not properly protected from
the weather. Outdoor facilities should be climate controlled in areas with extreme heat or cold,
and adequate shelter for all animals should be available.

Look for small structures in disrepair or animals
​chained to fences, trees or stakes.
Animals are either too skinny or overweight. A
healthy weight is a good sign of nutrition and
exercise. Underweight puppies are not getting
enough food or may be sick, while overweight
puppies may be either fed too much or not
​allowed to exercise.

The breeding parents are not available or kept offsite. So basically their site is where the puppies get dropped off every time the parents breed, and this can also be a sign that the parents are kept in horrible conditions or are being forced to breed with every heat cycle.

There is only one female breeding. Forcing one dog
to constantly breed at every heat cycle is cruel and
can cause health concerns. The dogs are also
more likely to be destroyed once they are
no longer able to produce litters.

The breeder has no idea how many litters the
female has produced. This is scary: The dog was
bred so many times or records were never
​kept of the offspring.
​All of the animals appear to be sleeping or lethargic. This can be a sign of very poor health, or the animals may have been medicated to cover up a more serious problem.
Part of above article at : http://www.petsadviser.com/