According to the Humane Society of the United States, puppy mills are inhumane dog breeding facilities with poor sanitation, over-breeding, and lack of preventive veterinary care.

Imagine being a dog in a puppy mill. You would be trapped in a filthy, crowded cage along with other suffering dogs and would receive little to no personal attention. You would likely have bleeding or swollen paws as a result of your paws falling through the wire cage you are stuck in, severe eye and ear infections (so bad that there is a high chance you would become deaf or blind later on), tooth decay, and dehydration and malnutrion (due to being fed little food and water that is likely contaminated). You would have to live in your own urine and feces, and would have little to no protection from the weather, meaning you would have to deal with extreme heat and cold. If your mother and father could no longer breed, you would have to watch them be abandoned or killed, knowing there was nothing you could do to help them. (Credit: The Humane Society of the United States) 

Believe it or not, this is a reality for over 194,000 dogs in the United States. There are around 10,000 puppy mills in the U.S., and 2 million puppies are sold each year from puppy mills. Dogs suffer terribly in puppy mills, yet they are not illegal! In most states, it is legal for dozens or even hundreds of dogs to be kept inside small cages their entire lives as long as they receive food and water. Dogs deserve to live with a loving family and be able to feel how nice a good belly rub feels, the grass tickle their paws, and so much more. Puppy mills have been inhumanely breeding and selling dogs for decades. It is time for us to put a stop to this. We need to convince the U.S. Department of Agriculture that puppy mills should be illegal in the United States. You can help convince the USDA by signing and sharing this petition.

For more information, check out https://www.humanesociety.org/all-our-fights/stopping-puppy-mills