This wasn’t WV.
There are pockets of the same behavior in every state I’ve ever visited, rural Maine, central Florida, New Mexico can be particularly nuts in this regard if you stumble into the wrong area. West Virginia just seems to have more of it, or it’s at least more visible than most places.
Irrelevant.
WV is simply the easiest place to see it in action.
Any Amish or Mennonite farm is another likely place to find puppy mills cranking out dogs.