Personal Article
Man's best friend? Or foe? If us humans really care about these angels, why do we put them through genetic breeding and puppy mills. Is it really humane?
by Avani Pammidimukkala
After a long day at work, you are on your way home and long for something to take away the stress. As soon as you reach for your doorknob you hear a familiar sound. WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! Your fatigue immediately vanishes and you rush to open the door and see an angel. Your fluffy and adorable angel! Your best friend. Your dog.
Although I am an avid dog lover, I can’t relate to this because I don’t own a dog (I definitely will in the future, I assure you). However, I do know, from spending time with various dogs and their owners, that dogs are, as the saying declares, a man’s best friend and totally worth raising. The first dogs were domesticated around 15,000 years ago, and to this day they are still the closest companions of man. However, the way in which some dogs are bred, before finding their forever home, is controversial.
People who are with The Humane Society believe that individual dog breeders and puppy mills (facilities where dogs are bred quickly and in poor conditions) are downright horrible due to the conditions imposed and detrimental effects on the puppies. Yet, there are some who believe that these breeding facilities are good.
Puppy Mills are Inhumane:
As I briefly explained before, a puppy mill is basically a factory that produces puppies at a fast rate. And, as you might know, any factories’ conditions aren’t the best. The conditions
of puppy mills, however, are described as “horrific” as many puppies are set out to die as soon as they are born. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals states that the puppies that do manage to survive can “develop serious health and behavioral problems” due to their poor genetic makeup “that is expensive and difficult to treat.” These puppies are then shipped off to pet stores that lie about their “no puppy mill” or “no cruelty” policies.
What I understood from this information is one thing—puppy mills are absolutely horrible! What these mills are basically doing is breeding too many dogs and keeping them in incredibly confined areas. These poor puppies are prone to developing disorders like PTSD! This is just plain cruel! No dog deserves to live their early years like this!
Puppy Mills are Acceptable:
Even though I personally do not agree that puppy mills are good places to breed dogs, there are still some aspects about puppy mills that some people see as acceptable.
Puppy mills are specialized in breeding purebred and designer dogs, which some people fancy. These dogs are also offered at an affordable price and allow families to receive their new puppy easily. Puppy mills also have a large selection of puppies for the family to choose from. Some of these puppies also have their benefits which make them easier to raise—some shed less and some require less care than others. Although puppy mills can produce some puppies that can satisfy a small portion of people, they need to account for the countless numbers of puppy lives that are lost in their facilities. The puppies are definitely not satisfied with the conditions imposed on them at the mills, and should be treated with much more love in the near future!
Neutral Perspective:
Since I feel particularly strong about this topic, I can’t exactly be “neutral” in a sense. I strongly believe that puppy mills are bad due to the inhumane conditions imposed on the puppies and dogs which are bred to produce those puppies.
Yes, there are some people who want those purebreds and designers but, hey, there are also dogs out there living in shelters and longing for a home. Why don’t these people just adopt a friendly and kind soul from the shelter instead of supporting these puppy mills?
In the future, if puppy mills adopt more humane breeding practices to nurture these little angels, I might consider accepting this method of obtaining a dog. But, if you ask me, I would recommend adopting rather than shopping! And, potentially creating and signing petitions as well to spread awareness on social media about this inhumane breeding method! Hopefully this evil practice will come to an end and these poor dogs won’t be subjected to cruelty any longer!