Enforce an Erie County Puppy Mill Ban and Improved Animal Welfare Regulations in Pennsylvania

Lancaster, Pennsylvania is largely considered the "puppy mill capitol" of the United States. If you have never watched a video describing what a puppy mill is, I highly encourage you to take a minute to do so. If you have ever loved a dog, you will agree that puppy mills are no longer welcomed in the USA.

A puppy mill is a large scale breeding facility that aims to produce as many puppies as possible, as fast as possible. In a puppy mill, mother and father "breeding stock" dogs are confined to small, often wire cages. They do not receive proper veterinary care, they do not get exercise or even know how to play socially with other dogs, and perhaps worst of all, they do not know the love of a human hand. A puppy mill is no place for man's best friend to be born, raised, or confined.

"Puppy mills" are legal in the United States. There are an estimated 10,000 puppy mills here, some are regulated by the USDA, and some are not. Even the regulated puppy mills keep dogs in conditions that would be considered extremely cruel by the average dog lover. The US puppy mills produce and estimated 2.7 million puppies a year, that are then sold at pet stores, online, from newspaper ads, and at flea markets. A unsuspecting customer purchases a puppy from one of these locations, and by doing so, they support the horrendous puppy mill business. In return, they are often times handed a puppy that is immediately ill with parasites or respiratory disease, or develops genetic illness or behavioral issues due to inbreeding, neglect, and lack of proper socialization in the puppy mill. Many storefronts use "doublespeak" to try to convince potential customers that their pups do not come from mills.

In the US each year, 4 - 6 million companion animals are euthanized due to pet overpopulation. There are not enough homes for the dogs that are accidentally bred, so there is certainly not a need to mass produced genetically unfit puppies purely for profit at the expense of the breeding stock's welfare.

We think that it is time to move Erie County and Pennsylvania in the right direction. The outdated puppy mill, pet store, and online supplier business currently supports large scale animal cruelty, puts consumers at risk for being taken advantage of, and costs taxpayers valuable dollars to euthanize pets due to overpopulation. Over 85 municipalities across the US have already passed legislation that orders a ban of puppy mill dog sale in pet stores. Pet store owners and employees can remain in business by converting to a humane model, in which they offer only rescued or adoptable dogs.