“So, you’re cool with puppy mills?”
I’ve known several people over the years who bred their dogs, usually at some expense. Then they sold or gave away the puppies. One was accused of running a puppy mill, although I think the term was miss-applied. I think the word gets thrown around like racism and means different things to different people. But if somebody is doing something cruel, which is what I’m guessing you mean, then there are other laws to stop them. Just what is a puppy mill and is it really a problem? I suspect not as much as the article implies.
In general, I’m against both laws and pet stores, as I always wonder what happens to unsold animals. There already enough laws and their are sufficient puppies too. There’s no need to make more of either. (Incidentally, if people are looking for dogs to compete I suspect they have to have papers and that “puppy mill” papers wouldn’t suffice.)
I never go into pet stores because I can’t bear to see pets in cages. By the same token, although I love beef I don’t want to see a cow butchered. We live in the real world and make our own peace.
Yes, I understand that states have laws to fight the puppy mills—and you can be damn assured that they exist. Here, though, another approach is being made, cut off their markets.
FYI, puppy mills are for-profit operations in which pure-bred dogs are kept in deplorable living conditions and forced to breed. I understand that they never get to see the outside world, being confined to tiny cages all their miserable lives. The female dogs are kept constantly pregnant until they die, often being artificially inseminated. The males don’t have a wonderful life of luxury, either.
Unless you think that keeping dogs in these conditions is OK, then yes, this is a problem, a big problem to those of us who love dogs.