Puppy mills. Hearing this term should make a person furious. Puppy mills are dog breeding establishments where profit comes before the welfare of the animals. Puppy mills are a major concern, not only for dogs, but for future generations. The United States government must eliminate puppy mills by incarcerating mill owners instead of just fines, allowing more research on certified breeders, and calling on Congress to pass a nationwide law national. General information Against the background of the American dog breeding society lies a dark secret. With over 4,000 puppy mills, they are inhumane, brutal and selfish operations where profits come before the health of the dogs (ASPCA). Conditions in the factories are comparable to those of raising livestock in the meat industry, except that some dogs have to suffer their entire lives, while the months spent in slaughterhouses are not enough (Bradley). The food is rancid, the water dirty and the cages are cramped. The cages are stacked on top of each other, leaving cuts on the dogs' paws. The dogs have open wounds, visible bones and decayed teeth. It has been scientifically proven that animals like dogs and livestock feel pain, so one can imagine the incredible torment these innocent dogs must endure (Currie-McGhee, 19). Why do puppy mills exist? Well, the answer to that question lies with the American people. Every year, thousands of dogs are adopted from pet stores. Petco and Petsmart are examples of these stores. They get their puppies from puppy mills. If said companies have a reliable source of dogs, they will not be inclined to stop purchasing the dogs (PETA). If anyone buys dogs and thinks it won't affect them, they are wrong. The simple fact is that dogs...... middle of paper ......26936&source=Bookmark&u=wauc1781&jsid=5dd1f0e14b83cd11547386fd01721672http://www.peta.org/issues/companion-animal-issues/companion-animals- factsheets /puppy-mills-dogs-abused-pet-trade/http://www.aspca.org/fight-cruelty/puppy-mills/puppy-mill-faqWorks Cited Arluke, Arnold. Just a Dog: Understanding Cruelty to Animals and Ourselves. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 2006. Print. Bradley, Carol. Saving Gracie: How a Dog Escaped the Dark World of America's Puppy Mills. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2010. Print. “Puppy Mill FAQ”. PHAC. Internet. March 14, 2014. “Puppy Mills: Dogs Abused for the Pet Trade.” » PETA. Internet. March 14, 2014. .Woodward, Kay. Animal rights. Milwaukee, WI: World Almanac Library, 2005. Print.