Puppy mills-not the only players in the animal cruelty business

July 8, 6:30 AMSt. Louis Pets ExaminerMary Bushnell

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My article on puppy mills in Missouri brought the usual outrage from those few “breeders” that say the problem doesn’t even exist. Well I am going to go a little further now, as I’ve been asked another question by readers that actually want to learn how to stop the cruelty.

We all hear of the puppy mill crimes and yes they are crimes. Are there kitten mills too? Yes people, unfortunately there are kitten and bird mills too. Warehouse type facilities known for abuse and neglect. High volume, unscrupulous breeders that don’t give a hoot about the welfare of the animals; produce in high volume, dispose of the weak, sick and dying and profit off the rest. That is why you have to be so careful of buying off the Internet.
 

The ads look so nice. They always sound legitimate. It is only when you start doing research that you find behind the glossy exterior is a center made up of “toss away” animals, living in deplorable conditions. High volume is the key here. That is why most pet stores are finally; finally getting the fact they can’t sell live pets. Most come from these “mills”. The ones you see in the store window are the lucky ones, if you can call them that. They had to survive the odds to get there. I know of a couple of people that bought kittens from a pet store, two different pet stores in fact. Both cats have semi-serious problems, most likely from being injured in the mill or from inbreeding.
 

The only way for puppy mills (or any pet mill)  to disappear is for people to stop buying their product.  That simple.    Shouldn't’t be that difficult. Go find your perfect pet at a shelter or legitimate rescue group. They are out there-purebreds, birds, rabbits, gerbils, horses, livestock...whatever you want.  Don’t support this business of abuse!

This isn’t about the person down the road whose cat got pregnant (once) before they had it spayed. These are people that make a living off of a high volume system of animal cruelty.

So in answer to your questions-there are indeed other types of “baby animal mills”. Not as high profile right now, but that is even worse for the animals involved. Again, report your concerns to the local humane society. And do your research before buying or adopting a pet. It is an unfortunate fact of life that there are people out there that will tell you anything you want to hear in order to make the sale. 

As long as they can make a sale, they don't care how many animals die in the process.
 

 Thanks for reading!     Keepsake16@yahoo.com

http://www.professorshouse.com/pets/cats/kitten-mills.aspx

http://www.petstoreabuse.com/birdbreeding.html

http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/puppy-mills/puppy-mill-faq.html

http://www.nsalamerica.org/news_and_events/puppy-mills-animal-cruelty.html