What is a Puppy Mill? What is a Backyard Breeder?

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), a puppy mill is any large-scale commercial breeding operation that cuts corners and prioritizes profit over adequate animal care.

A backyard breeder on the other hand might be a regular family who happens to have an un-spayed female that is a purebred and either have a male of the same breed or find a male of the same breed and decide to breed them together to get more purebred dogs with no regard to the health of these animals or the resulting offspring. These dogs produced may or may not have papers, and they may or may not have “Champion Bloodlines.” Always ask about health testing through a third-party organization such as OFA.org, having a normal run-of-the-mill vet clear a dog for breeding is not good enough.

You also have simply irresponsible dog owners as well thrown into this category. Either they failed to properly contain their un-spayed female, or they failed to alter their female. She got out, and 63-64 days later she’s looking large and in charge then you have an “oopsie” litter this can be purebred, or more likely an accidental cross-breeding. These puppies can sometimes, if they look the part, be passed onto the consumer as purebred dogs.

These are the biggest causes of why shelters across the United States are overflowing, not responsible breeders. More often than not a reputable breeder is going to make you sign a contract that states you are not allowed to transfer a dogs’ ownership without notifying them first. Most contracts also state that under no circumstance are you permitted to place that dog in an animal shelter, pet shop, or laboratory.

What does this have to do with Ethical, Responsible Breeders?

Again, adopting a puppy or dog from a shelter is awesome; at an animal shelter, you can find a lifelong friend while doing your small part to solve an intolerable problem. When, however, the slogan is used fanatically to shame all breeders and anybody who wants a purebred puppy, it becomes a modern-day witch hunt. There are ethical breeders out there, and there are plenty of reasons why you might want a particular breed. Without Ethical and responsible breeders, preserving a breed standard, we would lose our beloved, favorite, and needed breeds forever.

This may not sound so bad right away but think about this:

People who rely on gun dogs to hunt in order to feed their families will no longer have a dog breed to help them, It is estimated that 35% of hunters only do it for the meat to feed themselves and their families. Without gun dogs, hunters have to work harder for less food for their families.

Livestock guardian dogs, who keep away predators from a flock are now gone as well. Which impacts the global markets and local communities alike, if shepherds and farmers cant keep their livestock safe you don’t eat, or at least not cheaply.

Breed-specific dogs are used for police work, border security, and protection work. If you don’t preserve these breeds that are proven to be competent in this line of work you put our defenders against crime in danger, you make their jobs harder and significantly more dangerous. Fewer law enforcement dogs = More crime.

People who rely on a specific breed for service work because of the size or workability of a specific breed are out of luck now too, they lose their freedom and mobility because they no longer have an animal who helps them in their daily lives.