A puppy farm (also known as a puppy mill) is an intensive, commercial puppy breeding operation with an emphasis on production and profit and with little or no consideration given to the welfare of the animals involved. In such operations, the facilities provided for breeding animals and their puppies fail to meet the animals’ psychological, behavioural, social or physiological needs and, as a result, many have a very poor quality of life.
The main problems associated with puppy farms include: over-breeding (too many litters per female), in-breeding (mating close relatives), minimal or no veterinary care, poor hygiene, inadequate and crowded housing conditions and high mortality rates. Breeding animals may never be allowed out of their cage to exercise, play, have companionship or to urinate or defacate. Puppies born in puppy farms often have long-term health and/or behavioural problems as a result of the conditions they are bred in, poor maternal nutrition and a lack of adequate socialisation during the crucial first few weeks of life.
Puppies from puppy farms are sold through the internet, newspaper ads, pet shops or sometimes at the puppy farm itself. Puppy farms may also use a house as a 'shop front' to sell their animals from so you don't get to see the poor conditions they breed dogs in. We don't know how many puppy farms there are in Australia, but with the advent of internet sales it is a growing national problem. RSPCA inspectors have seized dogs from puppy farms where hundreds of breeding females have been kept in cages in appalling conditions. Both crossbreeds and purebreeds can be mass-produced on puppy farms (although the purebreds are unlikely to be registered as pedigree dogs). Recent cases that the RSPCA has investigated involved poodles and Chihuahuas.
RSPCA Australia is strongly opposed to puppy farming. We advocate regulation of the breeding, supply and sale of companion animals to help set minimum standards and stamp out the mass-production of puppies for profit.
Further information on puppy farms and the RSPCA’s recommendations for action to end puppy farming in Australia is provided in the discussion paper listed below.
