Are dog kennels puppy mills?
01 Aug 2008
I purchased my jack russel from a kennel in Easton, MA and I’m concerned that I purchased her from a puppy mill. I’m not sure what the major differences are and I was wondering if anyone had any input. There were a number of dogs that the kennel owner was breeding, but it didn’t seem like any of the dogs were unhealthy or treated badly. The place was clean and well kept. It seemed like this is what these guys did for a living. They also owned dogs of their own, seperate from the ones they had been breeding. I wasn’t smart enough to ask any questions, but my Maggie is very healthy and very happy one year later. What do you think?
10 Responses
2008 Aug 01
I think some would put up the argument that breeders that own kennels are nothing more than high end, high quality puppy millers themselves. Before you start giving me thumbs down, know that I don’t share this opinion since one of mydogs is a pure breed and one of them a rescue. I am also great friends with a reputable breeder of German Shepards, so I know that most good breeders care for their dogs properly. If your dog is healthy and of good temperment, that particular breeding was a success in that you got a healthy family pet out of the deal. I wouldn’t worry about it. You know better now, so next time you will ask questions.
PS: Some puppy millers have exceptionally clean kennels and take good care of their animals—it’s how they make their money, so naturally they want to take care of their most prized assets! They come off as true blue reputable breeders because they need to in order to keep making the sales! Don’t believe every little thing you see or are told.
2008 Aug 03
No, not all kennels are puppy mills, you will know when you see one, all the dogs are kept in small crates all their lives, or such small kennel runs, there is no room to move around, and the puppy mills usually have alot of different breeds..
It doesn’t sound like yours was one of those…..glad she is healthy….
2008 Aug 05
Some of the worst puppy millers present a wonderful front to their business. If they were simply making puppies to sell and the dogs were being exploited just to make money, they are a puppy mill. Just because a dog ‘looks’ healthy at a very young age means nothing - sorry but that is so - it is rare that a dog will have serious genetic illnesses manifest themselves at a year of age and I hope your dog isn’t one that does — the problems with puppy millers is that they simply replicate puppies without any real regard or concern about the specific breeds and their only real concern in the bottom line - the profit. When the profit is the most important thing, putting food in their own mouths and their kid’s mouth, buying that new car, etc., then the wellbeing of the breed or the dogs is of little concern. They turn the dogs into breeding machines and they do keep them up to date on shots and ‘healthy’ because they are their producers - their money makers… I know Kimbertal, one of the biggest Doberman puppy millers for a loooong time, is real impressive to go to — clean runs, all sorts of propoganda on the walls to try to make people believe they are anything but what they are and always have been and always will be, a mill… Do you think keeping dogs for their entire lives in a kennel run to simply make puppies is not being ‘treated badly’?? Is that how you keep Maggie or would like her kept, like her mother?
2008 Aug 07
not all kennels are puppymills.
A puppymill contains many breeding females in small cages caked in feces - it can be many breeds or just one breed with over 30 dogs breeding. They are kept in poor conditions and have never even been on a leash to go for a walk. I purchased one of my dogs from a kennel. They are state and US certified with an extremely clean facility and vet on site. Besides health breeders should make sure their breeding dogs have good temperament too. Many ppl in the central US breed dogs for a living actually - i was talking to one lady and i told her approximate cost for my dogs to visit the vet ranges from 30 to 50 dollars. She said she purchases the shots and administers them herslf and she could do alot with 30 to 50 dollars already - so a $600 pup for some ppl is quiet a bit of money. But that doesn’t mean these are bad people - they too care about the well being of their dogs and keep them healthy.
2008 Aug 09
It sounds like you delt with an exellent dog breeder
who was proud od his kennel,no “puppy mill”
The term puppy mill is usually reference to breeders who
have no interest other than profit,care little about the care
and phisical well beimg of the animals.
2008 Aug 12
Essentially, anybody who breeds large numbers of dogs purely for profit is a puppy miller. Without knowing exactly what you did ask the breeder you bought your dog from, or more about the situation, it’s difficult to establish whether they were or not for sure. If they were apparently unconcerned with your dog-owning experience or your ability to care for a dog and more concerned with making sure you thought the puppies were cute enough to buy, then they were certainly an irresponsible breeder and possibly a mill.
Puppy mills aren’t necessarily the terrible places you see on television or shock internet sites - those are the worst, but not the only, examples. Impressive premesis do not a good breeder make. Not all ill-bred dogs will be unhealthy - it’s possible you were lucky.
Dogs kept in kennels away from the main house may well have been dogs they kennelled for owners on holiday, or dogs they were training for others. Or they may have been dogs who spent their entire lives there so as to be most efficiently bred - if you didn’t ask we’ll never know for sure.
Glad your pupster’s getting on okay, though ^-^
2008 Aug 13
Well i don’t think all puppy mill are the same as the ones in the news. But yeah i think it is a puppy mill. First clue: They do this for a living.
2008 Aug 14
If you got her from a puppy mill she wouldn’t be as healthy, don’t you think?
2008 Aug 16
not all kennels are puppy mills
2008 Aug 17
How many breeding females did he actually have?
Did he give you any sort of health gurantee on your jrt?
Did he give you registeration papers?
Did he require a spay/neutur contract if your dog wasnt up to par with show quality dogs?
Did he tell you the good the bad and the ugly of the breed?
Was he open to nay and all of your questions?
Does he want you to contact him with any concerns or questions?
How old was the JRT when you took him home?
Do you know the name of the kennel? or does he have a website I could look at ? I live in Mass. also and there are quiet a few large breeding kennels that are puppy mills.
If you answer the above questions ,I would get a better idea of what kind of breeder they are. Either add more details or feel free to email me.