A terrifying fact about puppy mills is that people often have no idea that they are purchasing a dog born in one, let alone all of the issues this new family member will have. Puppy mills do a good job of covering up their tracks by selling through pet stores and creating adorable websites. By simply saying they are USDA licensed and writing fake testimonials, people trust their business and cannot resist the adorable pictures of tiny puppies waiting to be purchased. However, the much darker side to these businesses is finally revealed once the puppy arrives at its new home. Because of their awful living conditions, many of the puppies contract deadly illnesses. The most prevalent being parvovirus and parasites, among many others. Their mothers still sitting in the puppy mills have also passed onto them genetic diseases and inbreeding flaws. In the worst cases, the puppies do not make it more than a week before they must be euthanized. In other instances, the puppies often have poor social skills from never experiencing human contact before. This inhibits their ability for human companionship and creates a highly unpredictable dog. Over the course of five years, The Humane Society of the U.S. did a study on puppy buy complaints and the findings were horrifying. Throughout the research, HSUS received exactly 2,479 complaints, the majority of them citing illness. They also compiled stories told by new puppy owners about their ordeals and discovered what happens when the breeders are contacted after purchase. It was found that the majority of these breeders simply could not be reached or they would only agree to replace the puppy, opting out of paying veterinarian bills. Puppy mills are a major problem in this country because they trick Americans into buying dogs that cause major emotional and financial stress.
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