Puppy Mills

Nearly half of all households in the United States have at least one dog. Many have multiple dogs. All of those dogs were bred somehow and somewhere. This episode is to increase awareness of where your puppies and dogs may have come from. In particular, I will be focusing on commercial dog breeders known as puppy mills. Specifically, those located in the state of Ohio, even though they exist worldwide.Puppy mills are not the reputable breeders your friends or family may have recommended you get your puppy from. Commonly, they are unsanitary and have inadequate veterinary care. Their dogs are overbred and ill-bred, live in crowded undersized crates, and are provided insufficient socialization time, if any at all. There is no limit to how many dogs can be in one building. It can be hundreds. It is doubtful that there are enough people to properly care for the dogs housed in one location. Puppy mill owners typically use brokers who act as “middlemen” between the puppy mills and pet stores, breeders and online sales. However, they can also sell directly from their kennels to prospective customers like us. Many customers may not realize that they are dealing with a large-scale commercial breeder. The facilities, which can house hundreds of puppies, are often located at a distance from the point of sale and may not be visible to buyers. These breeders frequently transport animals across state lines. Puppies raised in such conditions may experience significant stress, potentially leading to behavioral challenges such as fearfulness or aggression. There are puppy mills who relinquish breeder dogs, and sometimes puppies, to rescue groups and shelters. They also call rescue groups to let them know that they have a certain amount of puppies or dogs they need to move out of their facility within hours. Some of the reasons could be:* an upcoming inspection* not adhering to size requirements of crates per dog* dogs can no longer produce puppies for health reasons* shoddy veterinary procedures* cost of euthanasia For this episode, I introduce two women from Columbus who are passionate in their advocacy for dogs and decided to do something about it. Stefanie Mowrey, seated next to me in the studio, and Zaron Van Meter, have tirelessly volunteered their spare time for many years by fostering, rescuing, and adopting dogs. Stefanie is a registered nurse whose passion for animals has endured since childhood. She was heavily influenced by a “60 Minutes” episode decades ago which depicted the unsavory conditions of puppy mills. It captivated her attention to take action when she became an adult. She started fostering, adopting and then volunteering at the local Humane Society, and for the Ohio state chapter of Bailing Out Benji., where she met Zaron. Bailing Out Benji is a national non-profit organization which advocates for dogs in puppy mills and also provides research and education about them.While volunteering, Stefanie became more aware of the increasing number of dogs and puppies from mills and backyard breeders ending up in shelters and rescues. All too often, the shelters were already at capacity. Therefore, they have to rely heavily on fosters to take in dogs, especially puppies. Stefanie uses the example in our podcast of the shelter she volunteers for. This shelter will only adopt “puppy mill breeder dogs” out to a home that already has a resident dog in order to help the mill dog become less anxious and learn how to actually be a dog. Some puppy mill dogs do not know how to play. They don’t know how to socialize with people or other dogs. As a dog trainer, I know that the best teacher for dogs like this are other patient, gentle dogs. Dogs learn quickest and most effectively from other dogs, but it has to be the right type of dog. Dogs also want to know where they fit in their pack. A dominant and/or guard dog in this situation with a fearful newcomer can cause havoc. It is also up to the humans in the pack to ensure the safety of those involved. Zaron Van Meter is a business owner and has been an advocate for dogs for over 25 years. Through her involvement as the founder of SK9 Scottish Terrier Rescue, she organized presentations by well-known devoted companion animal advocates, such as Cesar Millan, Dr. Jean Dodds, Temple Grandin, and Dave Hunt(an expert on dog fighting). In 2012, Zaron was instrumental as an activist in getting an anti-puppy mill law passed included in Senate Bill 130 (Ohio Revised Code 956.20)1️⃣ which mandates better living spaces, regular vet exams, and health certificates fo