Have you ever walked past the window of a pet shop and wondered where the irresistibly adorable little puppies that fill your view come from? After all, these have to be the tiniest, fluffiest little creatures you’ve ever seen and it is extraordinarily difficult to walk away from their small faces. Well, the dogs might be adorable, but the places where they came from are not.

For those unaware of the term, a “puppy mill” or “backyard breeder” refers to a for-profit animal breeding facility that, mostly, neglects the health and well-being of the animals in their care. Conditions in puppy mills are horrific, laden with filth, disease, abuse, and misery. Animals are forced into a life of constant breeding in cramped cages, and when they are not considered profitable, they are killed or abandoned.

These backyard breeders stay in business because many pet shops buy these animals to sell in their stores. Puppy mills also sell animals online directly to customers. When people see these adorable puppies, kittens, rabbits, and other animals in pet shop windows or online, most are unaware these precious lives began in such awful environments.

In a petition on Care2, The Humane Society of the United States is requesting everyone to make the pledge to never buy an animal from a backyard breeder or pet shop that sells animals from puppy mills. Additionally, they request we also boycott purchasing anything (pet food, supplies, grooming services, etc.) from pet shops that Support puppy mill breeders. If these facilities can keep making money from these animals, they will continue to sell them. Seeing as many cities have taken measures to ban the sale of mill dogs – and even helped get rescued dogs from shelters into pet shops instead – there is no reason for this industry to continue.

Please take a moment to sign this pledge proclaiming your stance against puppy mills, and please share this with friends and encourage them to join you. Remember, always adopt, don’t shop!

Image Source: Caio / pexels.com