May 15, 2025

What is a Puppy Mill? Can a Rescue also be a Puppy Mill in Disguise?

On This Page, We Will Discuss…

1. What a puppy mill actually is & how to know. You can’t necessarily tell by outside appearances & certainly not by looking at a website. After all, they don’t want you to know they are a puppy mill so they will definitely try to hide it!

2. What MBD does differently, to set the bar high, for all breeders. Some believe they know what a puppy mill is but what it really comes down to is how the parent dogs and puppies are treated AND the new ways well intentioned people may be deceived.

3. Tricks to disguise the “mill side” such as renting a vacation home for puppy pick ups

4. How some Rescues & Shelters are actually part of the Puppy Mill problem… Did you know shelters can now CHOOSE which rescue dogs they will or won’t accept based on the potential sale price? But wait, there’s more… scroll down to STAY IN THE KNOW!

What’s new in 2025?

The puppy mill owners have grown half a brain! They have now realized that people have become wise to Puppy Mills and either the customer now knows A. the puppies arrive very sick/dehydrated usually via 3rd party courier, haven’t been socialized and may even be younger than 8 weeks old and/or B. What to look for, such as hidden areas or crates stacked on crates (..see below) with no room for EXERCISE. That’s if you are even allowed to tour the facility. BUT….

ALSO NEW in 2025

It turns out, now that we have all kinds of internet capabilities, there are some rescues and shelters that are actually WORKING with the PUPPY MILLS! If the puppy mills have buyers, they will never stop. Don’t get me wrong. Not all rescues and shelters are doing business with puppy mills. However, I recently found out that some shelters and rescues can BID on dogs or puppies they would like, which sadly includes puppies from puppy mill breeders. These auctions can now be held online privately.

How Would You Know?

After visiting the shelter, speaking with them and searching reviews from multiple sources, you’d likely like find out. However, one telltale sign is

If The Rescue/Shelter Always Seems to have a Variety of Dog Breeds that also Look Pure Bred or Mostly Pure Bred, They May be Involved in this Shady Business.

Having volunteered in many shelters myself and layer, with my own young children, there may be a time for shelter or rescue adoptions. However, in my opinion, that time is not when you have kids that run, crawl, scoot, or do anything other than walk by. Why? Because while there are many great dogs to adopt,

It’s the KIDS THAT ARE UNPREDICTABLE. Kids Represent the #1 Fear for All Dog Breeds.

Kids move faster, they yell, throw tantrums, scream with glee, run round, spin around, bounce around, tumble around, drop food on the floor, bring friends over who also run around, compete for “ground scores” and some kids even poop in their pants! These are all very foreign behaviors to any dog **UNLESS the Dog or Pupoy happened to be very well socialized with young kids and, in general, socialized extremely well with being handled often by people between 0-8 weeks old AND ALSO well socialized, with all different kinds of PEOPLE, PLACES and THINGS between 2 -12 months old**. It’s ALL about SOCIALIZATION with dogs.

Unfortunately, No One Knows the History of the Adoptive, Rescue Dog or Puppy nor How the Breeder Socialized the Puppies from 0-8 Weeks Old.

SO, if you have young kids, especially the kind known to bite on occasion or who run around with friends, I highly recommend thinking HARD about a shelter or rescue dog or Puppy (for now). Once a dog has a bite history, it’s VERY difficult to adopt them out.

There is a time for rescues, however!

In addition, If You are ALLERGIC to dogs, a FURNISHED Doodle May be a Better Fit!

New in 2024:

Puppy Mill Owners have somehow managed to grow a BRAIN! Puppy mill owners often have a secondary “showroom” type of location, away from the puppy mill operation. Alternatively, they will eagerly offer to meet you somewhere with the puppy, so you won’t be tempted to ask for a tour.

Sometimes, they bring the puppies over from another building and/or have a short term lease at a random “home” or vacation rental type of location. ASK to see the facility, ask for a tour or at least, have a phone conversation and ask questions. With the right precautions taken for the safety of the youngest puppies, it IS safe enough to allow a tour! Don’t be fooled.

Are Puppy Mills based on the number of puppies produced each year by the breeder?

No, unfortunately it’s not that simple. Some would define a puppy mill by the number of puppies they produce each year. However, that would mean the breeder has the supernatural ability to predict litter sizes, so that doesn’t make sense.

So…. What is a “Puppy Mill”

A puppy mill has everything to do with the following:

* What are the conditions where they whelp and wean their puppies? When they aren’t having puppies?

* Are the Parents Health Tested?

* What is total number of litters (not puppies) each individual mom dog has? What age does she Retire? What about Dad?

* What happens to the parent dogs after they retire from breeding?

* What if a puppy has Complications?

* What is their overall QUALITY OF LIFE?

* How does the breeder care for & SOCIALIZE the puppies during their initial 0-8 weeks of life? How do you know?

The AKC Standard for the number of litters per mom is…

According to the AKC, the acceptable number of total litters by any one mom dog is 9 litters. Dogs have an average of 1 heat cycle per year. According to the AKC, is acceptable to breed 9 litters and retire the mom at 10-11 years old given that it takes 1-2 years from newborn puppy to reach maturity.

The MBD Standard for the number of litters per mom is…

Based on each individual mom and the maximum is 4-5 litters. However, I wouldn’t want to have a baby Nevermind multiples late in my life Nevermind having 9 pregnancies. Therefore, I have set the limit to 4- 5 pregnancies, assuming there are no major complications. When MBD moms have complications requiring a hospital stay or a c-section, she is be retired right away.

Some MBD mom’s have 5 litters, some have a couple and some have none.

It all depends on the mom, how they do with pregnancy and how they do postpartum. If they have problems during pregnancy or postpartum requiring a hospital stay, they retire from breeding and live permanently with their guardian family.

Health Testing

With Puppy Mills, you’ll find that often they don’t do any health testing but sometimes they say they do! When you ask, suddenly the breeder stops responding OR (you’d have to look for this/ask) they pull a “fast one” by naming their mom and dad dogs the SAME NAME so they only need one dog to pass their health clearances.

At MBD, everyone has their own registered name. When moms/dads don’t pass their genetic and/or hip/elbow testing, they are retired with their guardian family, without having had any puppies.

The Quality of Life standards are high at MBD!

AT MBD…

Exclusive to MBD, we are the only breeder, nationwide, to offer 24/7 live streaming puppy cameras for all 8 weeks leading up to puppy pick day! Transparency means you get to see it all!

At MBD, we are completely transparent in what we do and we WANT you to see all of the hard work that goes into raising puppies. It’s transparent, educational and…..yassss… your new healthy addiction! Yay!

Once your puppy is born, you’ll receive a birth announcement and access to our live streaming 24/7 puppy cams! The quality of care given to our dogs and puppies is yours to see once your puppy is born and all the way through to “Gotcha Day” at 8 weeks old.

There’s no guessing as to your puppy’s life experience between 0-8 weeks old. Nor whether or not they were adequately socialized during the initial 8 weeks of life.

At MBD… there is no guessing about whether or not mom/dad dogs and puppies are treated VERY well, loved, socialized and have enrichment activities! They play in one of our 3 indoor doggie daycare arenas and also outside in one of our outside turf yards!

You won’t any find Kennel Runs at MBD because it’s set up like a Doggie Daycare facility!

You get to see it all and in real time, live, ANYtime of the day or night. We are proud of our work, here at MBD, and we would love for you to enjoy the journey from birth to bringing your new fur baby home.

The Quality of Life standards at a Puppy Mill are just plain sad..

A puppy mill is not a place you would ever want to even visit, nevermind buying a puppy from one. Even if the price is right, you may end up paying tens of thousands due to underlying health problems resulting from bad breeding practices. For example, inbreeding is very common and is the reason why so many “pure bred” dogs die of cancer at such a young age. Not all AKC breeders are Puppy Mills, however.

The Living Conditions at a Puppy Mill are horrible….

A puppy mill is a horrible place for any dog or puppy. They are kept by the hundreds in crates, which are stacked crate upon crate upon crate, for the sole purpose of breeding. Dogs are forced to pee and poop on each other as a result.

There is no socialization or enrichment for the parents dogs. In fact, they are usually kept in crates 24/7, except when breeding, causing damage to their mental & physical health. Parent dogs often have deformities as a result of their neglectful living conditions including; deformities to their bone structure from living in a crate, muscle atrophy and the mental health issues that come from neglect and abuse. They are competently cut off from exercise and therefore extremely expensive to rehabilitate, if the opportunity to rescue them presents itself. Essentially, they treat dogs just like some farmers treat caged chickens… they are kept in over crowded, stacked cages even when mom has her puppies. In these conditions, puppies are not socialized at all or inconsistently, often they arrive home very sick & most are inbred to produce the most desirable colors.

With a puppy mill puppy, it’s what lies beneath the surface… many health problems arising throughout their lives.

The mom dogs are over bred until they can no longer get pregnant, often more than 10-15 litters. When she is no longer “useful” as a breeding dog, she is shot. In most states, it is legal to kill your own dog. Can you believe that?!? The dad dogs aren’t given any attention, trapped in crates day and night, and only come out for breeding purposes. They also suffer the same fate when they are no longer “useful”.

BUT… Why do they kill them instead of giving them away?

Because if the bad breeder surrenders the parent dogs in their poor condition, they would certainly be arrested for animal cruelty so instead, they are killed. It’s very very sad and it should be illegal in every state.

Puppies sold at pet stores almost always come from Puppy Mills!

Over crowding, over breeding and stacking crates upon crates, such dogs are forced to poop and pee on each other, are all common themes in puppy Mills.

At a puppy mill, once the mother or father dog can no longer breed, they are shot and killed.

Yes, sadly it’s actually legal to shoot and kill your own dog in many states. Google “images of a puppy mill” and you’ll see. Just know that you can’t unsee it once you have seen it. However, it’s important to know the many differences between an excellent breeder and a puppy mill.

But the website shows kids playing with the puppies!

Do not be deceived by photos with many children playing with puppies and supposedly socializing your puppy. The REAL facility is NOT at the house, with the family, as people are be led to believe.

Just ask to see the Whelping area, through a window for safety, and you’ll know.

Here is a link that explains it pretty well https://www.dailypaws.com/dogs-puppies/dog-adoption/what-is-a-puppy-mill?fbclid=IwAR3SxcmuIJItw2IpxdgUne5YteNbsG3wrzfrZQ66Cqy8XL4R-lnmjuPM7BE

And a link about the health risks;

https://embarkvet.com/resources/oedipus-rex-inbreeding-its-consequences-and-its-quantification/

Our Promise..

At MBD, we would never ever mistreat our dogs or puppies. We would never inbreed, line breed or back breed either! Not ever. How do you/would you know? You would know because, as a MBD customer, you have access to our 24/7 live streaming puppy cameras so you can see for yourself, anytime day or night. We are the only breeder to offer this transparency nationwide, from their birthday all the way up to puppy pick day at 8 weeks old. We do this because we WANT you to know what happens behind the scenes and all of the hard work that goes into raising healthy puppies. It all starts with healthy, happy parent dogs. It’s educational, transparent and entertaining!

How can you identify a Puppy Mill?

Identifying a puppy mill can be difficult. The following points outline how to identify a puppy mill and how to avoid purchasing a puppy form one.

Most puppies that come from mills are unhealthy shortly after you pick up your pup. The parents are confined to small spaces, their health is severely neglected, they are never rested in between heat cycles regardless of any complications from previous litters. Inbreeding, line breeding and back breeding are all common in puppy mills, leading to even more genetic health issues.

Here is a scam that is very common! If there is a disproportionate number of puppies to whelping mothers – huge red flag! larger breeds usually whelp between 8-12 puppies and smaller breeds usually between 2-7 puppies/litter. The scam occurs when, in addition to breeding some of their own mama’s on-site, unethical and greedy breeders are also getting more of “their” puppies from puppy mills and then selling them to you under false pretenses. This is not illegal, however, it’s dishonest and unethical. More and more breeders who claim to be “in-home breeders” are doing this as the awareness around puppy mills increases nation wide. They buy these puppies from the puppy mills for around $500-$600 and sell them to you for $5,000+

More Red flags…

An organization listed as a rescue is selling puppies in large numbers or always seems to have them readily available.

A breeder refuses to divulge the name of his or her veterinarian. (If you are given this information, we’re not suggesting you call and interrogate the vet. At least look up the vet’s name and location to ensure it’s legitimate and the vet is still in practice.)

Advertisements are constantly in the newspaper classifieds, on fliers passed out in public places or listed on the internet to buy puppies from the same person or organization.

A person holds a sign on the side of the road or camps out near a busy roadway trying to sell puppies.

***The same person always has puppies READILY available AND ready to go home now or advertises them at every occasion as gifts. BIG RED FLAG unless the breeder is new and just starting a waiting list

A breeder offers multiple different breeds for sale or “rare” or “new” breeds. Breeding is not an experiment and responsible breeders will always do health testing on their parent dogs.

The seller wants to meet you in a public place to complete the sale (pre Covid)

The person does not ask you any questions other than money and pickup arrangements. Any legitimate breeder should care who his or her puppies end up with and ensure they are going to suitable homes.

The person sells puppies at everyday events, such as garage sales or flea markets.

You are not allowed to meet the breeding parents or view the home or business facility (pre/post Covid). The more transparent the breeder is, the more you’ll learn about their program. If the breeder seems hesitant or unwilling to show you these areas or the parents of the litter, this is also a big red flag.

However, most breeders won’t allow you into the whelping area or nursery due to the puppies having no immunity, the risk of exposure to illness and the new mother’s protective nature. Her reaction to new people near her puppies is to jump up and bark but in the process of protecting her puppies from the “unknown” people taking a tour, she can accidentally step on a puppy. Additionally, puppies under 8 weeks old are vulnerable to everything ans people can track parasites, bacteria, viruses, etc into the nursery on their shoes.

A person claims he or she is selling the puppies as an “agent” for a breeder.

Puppies are offered in opposite-sex pairs to encourage breeding.

The breeder claims spaying or neutering is not required or unnecessary.

The puppies are offered for sale and delivery before they reach 8 weeks old.

The puppy is from a pet store

Site Inspections

If the breeder is willing to let you visit his home or breeding facility, this is an important step to ensure your puppy comes from a happy and safe environment.

Look for these warning signs when visiting the location:

There is a recognizable or overwhelming odor that is foul or unpleasant. Beware of an overuse of deodorizers or bleach as this may have been used to cover up an odor, which is usually a sign of a more serious problem.

The appearance and health of the parents can reveal the level of care they are given. Look for dirty or long coats, missing teeth, eye or nose discharge, overgrown nails, visible injuries or sores, patches of missing fur or excessive scratching.

If the cages or containment areas for the animals look more like a parking garage than comfortable accommodations, this is another concern. Animals should have enough room to turn around, stand on their hind legs and have a clean sleeping area away from food and water- at the bare minimum. At MBD, we have large playrooms, outdoor areas and a robust guardian home program. We are a kennel-free facility!

Puppy Mills Continued….

Animals are contained in an area with urine or feces (or both).

The animals are not properly protected from the weather. Outdoor facilities should be climate controlled in areas with extreme heat or cold, and adequate shelter for all animals should be available. Look for small structures in disrepair or animals chained to fences, trees or stakes.

No food or water is visibly available to every animal, or the water is dirty. It takes so little time to clean a bowl and provide fresh water, and this is a blatant sign of neglect that should have sirens going off as soon as you see it.

Animals are either too skinny or overweight. A healthy weight is a good sign of nutrition and exercise. Underweight puppies are not getting enough food or may be sick, while overweight puppies may be either fed too much or not allowed to exercise.

The numbers don’t add up. If there is only one or two people at the location but dozens of dogs, it would seem impossible to think each dog gets proper care, exercise and socialization. Unless they work in shifts or have a system for individualized care, ask them to explain their process or check for other signs listed here.

The breeding parents are not available for you to meet. So, basically, their location is where the puppies get dropped off every time the parents breed, and this can also be a sign that the parents are kept in horrible conditions or are being forced to breed with every heat cycle.

There is only one female breeding or there are too many to accommodate. Forcing one dog to constantly breed at every heat cycle is cruel and can cause health concerns. The dogs are also more likely to be destroyed once they are no longer able to produce litters. Overcrowding is a common theme at the puppy Mills.

The breeder has no idea how many litters the female has produced. This is scary: The dog was bred so many times or records were never kept of the offspring.

All of the animals appear to be sleeping or lethargic. This can be a sign of very poor health, or the animals may have been medicated to cover up a more serious problem.

This information and more can be found at Petful.com