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Dogs sold by Puppies of Westport come from puppy mills where breeder dogs are regularly kept in tiny cages for life
The Animal Welfare Act is the law by which the USDA conducts kennel inspections. Minimum cage space requirements are indeed, minimal at best in our opinion. The visual example above is courtesy of Kim Townsend, founder and president of PetShopPuppies.org
Definition of a Puppy Mill:
A large-scale commercial dog breeding operation where profit is given a higher priority than the well-being of the dogs. The health of the dogs is disregarded in order to maintain a low overhead and maximize profits. Veterinary care, nutrition, socialization, integrity of the breed/breed standard and sanitation are substandard in comparison to responsible breeders, who place the utmost importance on these aspects of husbandry. Illness, diseases, fearful behavior, and lack of socialization with humans and other animals are not uncommon characteristics of dogs from puppy mills. Breeding is performed without consideration for maintenance of genetic quality/breed standards, resulting in the passage of hereditary conditions and diseases from generation to generation. Female dogs are bred at every opportunity with little to no recovery time between litters, until they are no longer physically able to reproduce. Puppies are typically sold through pet shops and marketed as young as 8 weeks of age. The accuracy of their pedigree and purebred status is often questionable. (Source: ASPCA)
A news team investigates a puppy store. The story reveals horrific details of an owner who allowed sick dogs to die rather than pay for their treatment. He kept their bodies in a freezer at the store.
Breaking News On Puppy Mills
| Puppies of Westport is just one of thousands of pet stores in America that contribute to the cycle of puppy mills. Puppies of Westport sells dogs that come mostly from Missouri and surrounding states. The parents of the puppies spend their lives in cages until they can no longer be bred. Our group has paperwork confirming the rough and unsanitary conditions these dogs are kept in. The owners of Puppies of Westport claim the dogs they sell do not come from puppy mills. However, the paperwork that has been gathered shows the puppies come from large, commercial breeders that supply pet stores and puppy brokers across America. Pet stores are selling trendy, designer breed puppies that are taken from their mothers at an early age and loaded onto trucks to be distributed to stores. Puppies of Westport is an outlet for breeders who treat the dogs as a cash crop. |