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Puppy mills are notorious for their poor breeding practices, inhumane living conditions, and mass-produced puppies. The puppies often face a terrible fate if they do not sell quickly enough. Puppy mills do not want to deal with large amounts of unsold puppies and are already overflowing with hundreds of dogs they cannot adequately care for.
They tend to look for cost-effective and sometimes cruel ways to get rid of unsold puppies, which will all be discussed in this article.
What Is a Puppy Mill?
Puppy mills or puppy farms are types of large-scale dog breeding enterprises. They mass produce puppies for profit, usually in subpar conditions at commercial breed facilities. Puppy mills give little thought to the health and quality of their puppies and focus on producing enough for maximum profit.
It is common practice for puppy mills to over-breed their dogs, even if it puts the puppies at risk of birth defects or poor health. The dogs used for breeding are generally kept in unsanitary and cramped conditions and bred until the puppy mill has no more use for them. Dogs in puppy mills do not have their physical, behavioral, and physiological needs met in a way that allows them to thrive.
The majority of puppies for sale in pet stores are usually from puppy mills, but this is not always the case. Puppy mills also supply puppies to online websites that sell dogs or advertise their available puppies in classified ads.
Puppy mills tend to sell their puppies at low prices and may even offer discounts or special deals on large orders. Although some puppy mills only have a few dogs, others could have over 500 dogs in their care.
What Happens to Unsold Puppies in Puppy Mills?
Unfortunately, not every puppy in a puppy mill will get sold. This could happen for several reasons, such as the puppy mill producing too many puppies than the market demands. The unsold puppies would have to remain in the breeding facility where they are kept in overcrowded conditions with most of their needs neglected. This is until the puppy mill can find ways to deal with the unsold puppies now left to overcrowd their facilities.
So, what do puppy mills do with unsold puppies?
Reduced Price
The main way for puppy mills to deal with unsold puppies is to sell them at a reduced cost. Although puppy mills already sell their puppies for cheap, further reducing their cost might attract potential buyers who don’t want to spend much. Puppy mills may also sell their unsold puppies in bulk at discounted prices to pet stores or online retailers.
Euthanasia
Unsold puppies with behavioral or health issues might be euthanized if reducing their cost doesn’t work. Many puppies from puppy mills have some sort of behavioral or health issue caused by improper breed practices and poor living conditions. Not all puppy mills euthanize their unsold puppies and may instead seek other cruel but cost-effective ways to kill large amounts of unsold puppies.
Abandonment
Puppy mills may abandon unsold puppies if they do not have a use for them or successfully sell them at a reduced price. Adult dogs that are no longer useful for breeding could also face abandonment because the puppy mill can no longer profit from them.
Surrender to Shelters or Rescues
In some cases, puppy mills may surrender their unsold puppies to shelters or rescues for rehabilitation. However, many shelters and rescues are overpopulated with dogs in need of a home, and puppy mills are a main contributor to this problem.
Why You Should Avoid Supporting Puppy Mills
As a responsible dog owner, you should try to avoid supporting puppy mills. Although you might have good intentions by purchasing a dog from a puppy mill to save them, you are still supporting their cruel breeding practices.
The more people support puppy mills by purchasing their puppies, usually through pet stores, the more puppies need to be mass-produced to keep up with the demand. Your purchase creates an available space for another puppy and the cruel cycle continues.
It’s best to stick to purchasing a puppy from a reliable source, such as a responsible breeder. Furthermore, plenty of shelters and rescues have an overwhelming number of dogs that need to be adopted into a loving home.
Final Thoughts
Puppy mills are notorious for mass-producing dogs for profit. This often results in a large number of poorly bred puppies up for sale, but not all of them are guaranteed to sell. Puppy mills may deal with unsold puppies in several ways, primarily by selling them at an incredibly low price. If that doesn’t work, puppy mills may result in killing or abandoning the unsold puppies.
There is no reason to support puppy mills by buying one of their puppies when responsible breeders, shelters, and rescues exist.
Featuredd Image Credit: KITSANANAN, Shutterstock
