Puppy mills are disgusting, but the ways they get their breeding stock is worse. Some just breed their own stock but this, they know causes problems with the amount that survive until the broker can sell them. They wish to earn a profit and dead pups don't earn profits as they think.

 

Their are auctions which Mills sell off unwanted breeding stock to other mills, and this is how some get their stock. The dogs that are sold here are in the worst shape that a dog could be in. A direct quote from a auctioneer "not a tooth in her mouth, but that isn't where she breeds", they know that is why these people are here.

 

However the most vile way is that they steal or pick up unfixed dogs. Breeders have had dogs inwhich they only left for a second come back to find the dog gone. Tatoos which are designed to prevent this can easily be removed by many means. It just depend on where the tatoo is. In some cases to get rid of tatoos the mill owner cut off the ear of the dog to get rid of the tatoo.

 

Also Mills can easily take dogs from rescue missions that haven't been neutered,'promise' to neuter them and run away with the dog.

Authors Personal Experence:

I have help find homes for many dogs in many rescue missions/organisations. I have had many encounters with 'suspicious' people with them. The one case I am going to tell you is the one I was sure on:

 

I (Kris Young) was watching the people go by looking at the dogs and hoping that they would take one (don't we all), when I noticed this middle-aged man looking at the dogs. I, to this day, do not know what struck me as odd about him, but I felt I should watch him. Being a breeder and though these were not my dogs I was responsible for them so I watched him. He examined all of the dogs until he stopped at a young female begal that was in a crate. He then came up to me and asked the price to adopt a dog. I told him the price and then asked him a few friendly questions such as "have you ever owned a dog before", and "do you do and trials or any other activity with your dogs" making it seem like small talk, but I was actually learning about him. I leaned that he had a begal male, he hunted with the dog. I finally asked why he wanted this dog, he immediatly said that she was to be a companion to his dog. I though nothing of it until my supervisor brought to his attention the contract saying that the ALL dogs were to be fixed. He imediatly said "she not going to be fixed", my supervisor told him we had a zero breeding policy on the dogs. The man said that the reason he wanted the dog, was to be a companion and mate to his male. We told him no this was not allowed. He tried for Half an hour to convice him other wise, using money, being buddy buddy, and even trying to use warped common sence on us, everything he could do to try to convice us otherwise. He finally walked off VERY angry. My supervisor and I decided that he was not worth the risk and he was not to get any dog from here. He came back later and told him that he wanted the dog and he would get her fixed. He told him no and again he was VERY angry. He walked off like this, and I saw him ocasionally that day and next looking at the dog and he still loked angry. The dog utimatly got sold to a woman that was trusted by my supervisor to be good to the dog. I didn't know if he was a puppy mill or just some guy trying to get a female to breed some pups, but to this day I am glad that he didn't get that dog. I don't want to think where she would have ended up.

 

Owners of mills can look like anyone, a sweet family or a caring old women. Many times breeders/organisations have trusted people to keep their word only to find they shouldn't have.