I was so upset about the Oprah show on puppy mills I was spitting nails. Everyone needs to get together and get laws passed to stop this inhumane treatment of dogs and puppies. I actually paid $325.00 to get a male puppy out of a puppy mill place and now I want to do something about these people but do not know what to do in my state.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Although your intentions are genuine and your heart is in the right place. Please don't buy any more dogs from dog auctions or mills with the intent of saving the dog. This just perpetuates the industry. Another dog will just replace the one you saved and live a life of misery. Don't give a dime to those miserable people!

Patricia,

Tell EVERYONE you know about shelters and rescues. Urge them never to buy from a pet store or puppy mill.

If someone says that they want a purebred dog, suggest a breed-specific rescue. So many people do not realize they exist. If you Google the breed, the word "rescue", and the city, chances are there is more than one rescue for that breed in your area. Many rescues have purebred dogs and sometimes litters of puppies. The best thing about a rescue is the dogs are usually fostered in a volunteer's home, so the foster can tell you all about the dog's behavior, training, energy level, etc.

If someone insists on having "papers" and getting a purebred dog, make sure they do ample research on breeders. Make sure that they know to meet the breeder, the parents of the puppies, and see the conditions of where the puppies and parents are living. A reputable breeder's dogs live in their home (inside the house), with only one litter at a time, and usually only one or two adult male and female dogs.

Sadly, right now, pet store owners across the country are being deceptive about the source of the puppies they sell.

They are making deceptive claims about buying from "reputable" breeders or "licensed" breeders.

This deception has enabled this horrific abuse to continue.

ALL pet stores that sell puppies opbtain these puppies from puppy mills, or commercial breeders.

That is the business plan of the puppy-selling pet store industry. There is no other.

They usually buy through brokers that help mask the hideous conditions that these dogs come from.

The business plan is to raise dogs as cheaply as possible (which means abuse and neglect) so that the retail outlet can mark up for retail.

The puppy mill breeders are located in states that have few to no anti-cruelty laws or inspections laws.

It is a business of intentional dog abuse for profit that has been well-hidden by lies and fairy tales that have duped the public.

(And all too often the media. Journalists like Mr. Woestendiek do their research and don't accept superficial propaganda, but too many reporters are willing to accept fairy tales when this breeding industry attempts its coverups.)

The other issue is that puppy mill operators have been discovering that the internet is an even easier way to hide the abuse! They can cook up websites that completely deceive the buyer, and ship dogs without even a physical business address in the buyer's state to be held accountable for things like puppy lemon laws.

Basically, dog sale internet fraud where the dogs suffer even more piteously.

(and the breeder finds it even easier to commit tax fraud as well.)

Here is one way to trace just where that pet store puppy really does come from

http://www.petshoppuppies.org/

And again, a player at the heart of this issue is the AKC which still gets fat and rich from registering puppy mill puppies, and still lobbies for the interests of the mill operators and opposes any kind of regulation that would reduce suffering.

I have helped save 1000s of mill dogs and I can tell you that they are so very grateful and 99% become wonderful companions despite their initial horrific life as a "breeder" dog in a mill. With regards to the lady who said do not buy a dog from a dog auction... I have to say that she forgets that the dog will be undoubtedly sold to someone. If its not rescue, it will be another, probably even worse breeder. They get their money one way or another, trust me. Go to a dog auction, look in their eyes and tell me that you can leave a 25.00 dog behind to go back into the mill. As for me, I will pay 25.00 or whatever I, for me personally, feel I can to get a dog out of the breeding cycle. Anyone that says it is not a good thing to "buy" these dogs has probably either never been to an auction or does not understand how it works. The seller gets their money no matter what but does the dog get to go to rescue or back into another mill? That is the choice you make when you buy a dog from an auction. I have a 3 lb yorkie that I bought at an auction. The amish that was bidding against me for this girl would have bred her to death and now she is a happy, tail waggin, house broken member of our family. I love her and I thank God every day that I bought her out of slavery.

In addition to all of the other comments....

Do not ever, ever buy a dog/puppy online.

First of all, they are shipped on a plane. The seller on the other end will tell you it's safe and they are in a crate while on the plane. What they do not tell you is that the airlines leave the dogs in the cargo area of the plane on the tarmac during layovers and delays. The cargo areas are NOT temperature controlled. Any airline that flies animals will make you sign a waiver that they cannot be held responsible if something happens to your pet.

Secondly, you do not know where the dog is coming from. Most likely it is a puppy mill.