My neighbor in Missouri had the most adorable little Shih Tzu I had ever seen.  He had this quirky look with a droopy left eye and the sweetest personality.  I never asked what was wrong with his face but when she proceeded to tell me where she adopted him and what the “farm” looked like, I realized she had adopted from a puppy mill.  As I stood talking to her, I knew what I was meant to do.  I was going to start a blog that would help educate the public on animal health and well being and I was going to help the fight against puppy mills.  I only listened to my neighbor but that was the day I made a promise to myself I would start my blog to not only showcase my two new pups, but I would get involved with the fight against animal cruelty.

According to the Humane Society’s “Horrible Hundred” report, Missouri has at least 23 puppy mills with previous violations, followed by Ohio with 13, Iowa with 10 and Pennsylvania with 9. Other states with more than five breeders are Kansas, Wisconsin, Nebraska and New York.  According to a press release on May 14, 2019—For the seventh year in a row, the Humane Society of the United States has published a list of 100 problem puppy mills and puppy brokers in the United States. The Horrible Hundred report is published annually to warn consumers about humane concerns at puppy mills and highlight the federal government’s failure to enforce the Animal Welfare Act at many of these operations.

I have pulled this information below from many resources including magazines, ASPCA, and research I’ve conducted over a period of time.  I’ve spent time in Amish country and have visited these puppy mills and pet stores.  I can assure you these statistics and reports do not lie.

Puppy Mill Statistics:

An estimated 167,388 breeding dogs are currently living in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-licensed commercial facilities for breeding purposes this very moment.*
There are an estimated 10,000 puppy mills in the United States (this includes both licensed and unlicensed facilities).
Over 2 million puppies bred in mills each year.
An estimated 1.2 million dogs are euthanized in shelters every year.
Thousands of commercially-bred puppies are shipped into Illinois and sold from Illinois pet stores each year.

Never adopt from a puppy mill and this is why:

You may think you are saving a puppy from the abuse but in reality you are helping the puppy mills succeed with their barbaric treatment of animals.  -You are financially supporting these puppy mills.  
Puppy mills are here to make money and nothing else.  They are out for the dollar and nothing else.
Puppy mills are dog breeding operations that put profit over the health and well-being of the dogs.
Puppy mills may be large or small. They may be licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture or unlicensed. In order to sell to a pet store, the breeder must be licensed, though many still sell to pet stores without a proper license.
Puppy mills can house hundreds or thousands of dogs. Smaller does not necessarily mean better. The conditions in small facilities can be just as cruel as larger ones.
Puppy mills are everywhere, though there is a large concentration in the Midwest. Missouri has the largest number of puppy mills in the United States. Amish and Mennonite communities (particularly in Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania) also have large concentrations of puppy mills.
Puppy mills breed all types of dogs – everything from Labrador Retrievers, Boxers, and English Bulldogs to teacup Yorkies – you can find nearly every breed.
Breeding parents spend their lives in 24-hour confinement to cages. It is common to see wire cages stacked on top of each other. They generally do not have protection from heat, cold, or inclement weather.
Dogs in puppy mills live in dirty, unsanitary conditions.
Dogs living in puppy mills receive little to no veterinary care (and puppy mill owners often provide veterinary care without anesthesia or veterinary training).
Mothers are bred every heat cycle and are usually killed when they can no longer produce.
Many puppy mills do not practice humane euthanasia. Dogs are killed in cruel ways, including shooting or drowning.
Puppies are taken from their mothers too young and can develop serious health or behavioral issues due to the conditions in which they are bred and shipped. This leads to expensive veterinary bills, heartbreak, and stress for their owners.

Where can you find a puppy mill puppy?

There are two primary sales outlets for puppies bred in puppy mills: (1) pet stores, and (2) the Internet.
Nearly all puppies sold at pet stores come from puppy mills. Pet stores are the primary sales outlet for puppy mills and are essential for keeping puppy mills in business.
Both licensed and unlicensed mills sell to pet stores (many mills sell to pet stores without the required license and are not held accountable).
Puppies are bred in mills and then shipped all over the country. For example, puppies bred in the Midwest may be shipped on trucks to southern California or Florida.
The shipping conditions are inhumane. They can be forced to go up to 12 hours without food or water, and they are confined in a small space where diseases can be easily transmitted. Many puppies do not survive.