Most pet store animals are produced in factory-like environments known as “puppy mills.” Puppy mills are large-scale dog breeding operations where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs. Puppy mills treat dogs like products, not living beings, and usually house them in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions without adequate veterinary care, socialization, or even food and water.

Many puppy mill puppies are born with or develop overt physical problems that make them unsalable to pet stores—which means they end up abandoned or just left to die. Many sick puppies do manage to end up at pet stores, though, where the new puppy owner unknowingly purchases the sick dog.

Over 250,000 companion animals are euthanased each year in Australia. This is majorly because of people impulsively buying animals from pet stores instead of buying them. The only way to help cut down the number of animals killed each year is to get people to adopt them from shelters and rescue organisations instead of buying them.