Right now the United States Department of Agriculture is considering a proposal to crack down on puppy mills. Because of a loophole in the law, many dogs live in filthy conditions with no medical care. The females are bred back to back which means after they whelp a litter of puppies, they are bred again on the next heat cycle. Reputable breeders give the girls at least one heat cycle off to recover from the stress of raising a litter. The new rule would require large scale puppy producers who sell directly to the public to be licensed by the USDA just like producers who sell to pet stores. That means passing regular inspections to insure the facilities meet minimum care standards.
Of course, the above presumes the USDA does their job and puts animals first. In my experience, this has not always been the case.
The USDA will be taking comments from the general public until July 16th, 2012. Please go to the Humane Society of the United States website or click on the following link that will take you directly to the comment page right away. Together, we can close the loophole that allows this horrible abuse to continue. Also, please adopt from a shelter. If we buy from puppy mills, we are the problem. Thank you!
https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=5493