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Ask Yvette

Dear Yvette,

What is a puppy mill, and how can we avoid going to one?

Brad

Mills and catteries are more common than most members of the public realize. Often, people are unaware that they have supported this type of facility. To further the dilemma, some places are not mills but still are less than ideal places to find a companion. Examples can include backyard breeders, accidental matings and farms.

Off the top of my head, I am not sure outside of legal parameters if there is a good definition. In my books a mill is as follows:

“Any facility that transfers the ownership of animals for either profit or convenience without adequate care for the long-term wellbeing of the animal, or the welfare of the family.”

This definition encompasses what people should look for when sourcing a companion animal. And yes, it is possible to obtain an animal and save it. That is often a testament to the nature of a particular animal in combination with the dedication of the family.

Most places that care deeply about an animal go the extra mile. They work hard to ensure that you are not only getting a healthy animal, but that the animal is a good match for your lifestyle. For example, a good Border Collie likely will not do well in a home where this is little opportunity to exercise, or where that are small children to herd. Bad matches can wreck havoc as much as challenging animals.

You can expect to feel interrogated, and you may have to wait to get the animal that suits your needs. Screening processes are an indication that a facility cares. But it is not everything.

When you begin looking around, ask some tough questions. Has the animal been looked after medically? A swollen belly may not be a sign of good food, but may be a sign of severe parasitic infection. Is the home or facility reasonably clean? Cleaning up after a litter of puppies can seem like an all day job. Are animals kept with littermates long enough? Are the parents on sight?

Then look at where the animal is being kept. Is the animal kept in a small cage or kennel on a daily basis? Animals that learn to mess in their living space are painfully difficult to housetrain. Open air markets often make me cringe, and I have a keen aversion to sampling seasonal fruit from stands that are next to parasite ridden animals. How the animal is kept is a direct reflection of the care that has been given to date.

And yet, one must also beware of the clinically sterile environment. There are larger breeding operations with immaculate sterilization and a painful void of human contact. Lack of socialization creates an animal that behaves more like a wild animal. Some pet store environments create similar situations. Others offer temporary showing space for shelters, which is a different scenario. Become educated and ask the right questions.

If a place is obviously filthy or medical care is lacking, then avoid making a pity purchase. In these situations a call to your SPCA is in order.

Yvette is an award winning pet writer and pet behavior columnist. She also is the author of Meeting Milo, a North American dog bite prevention program to reduce the approximately 2 million children bit by dogs annually. She is the owner of AwesomeDogs.ca and works as a behavior consultant in London, Ontario.

This column was originally featured in The Londoner
See more of Yvette... www.awesomedogs.ca
www.meetingmilo.com

Yvette has 2 dogs of her own, KIKI and KAYA. Take a look...

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