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The Horrors of Puppy Mills
1 A cold, dark room. It smells disgusting. The creatures in front of you shake uncontrollably,
packed one on top of another in tiny wire cages. To eat, they have only crumbs in front of them,
and to drink, only a dirty bowl of water. Many have eye problems, ear problems, diseases, and
infections. They’ve never been groomed. They’ve never been for a walk. And they’ve never seen
the sun.
2 For too many dogs across America, this is how life begins—in a puppy mill. Puppy mills,
4 Puppy mills have been around for a long time, but they’ve grown dramatically in recent
years. The Humane Society estimates that there are more than 10,000 puppy mills currently oper-
ating in the United States. According to Stephanie Shain, the Society’s Director of Outreach for
Companionable Animals, of the 7 to 9 million dogs sold in this country each year, 2 to 4 million
come from puppy mills. That’s double the number from only a decade ago.
5 Rather than producing the healthy, happy pets that millions of families dream of, puppy
390 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES FOR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
8 You can get a better sense of how disgusting puppy mills are from this photo, taken after
the dogs were removed by animal protection officials. You can see how narrow the cages are and
how they’re crammed one against the other. You can see the filth and debris everywhere.
9 Finally, take a look at a couple individual dogs. The first one came from a puppy mill
here in Wisconsin. It was so malnourished that it couldn’t stand up by itself, and it had lost the fur
on almost all of its body.
10 The next dog was in even worse shape. Covered with its own filth, it had a rash of infec-
tions and diseases and had lost the sight in one eye. Like other puppy–mill dogs, it never saw a
veterinarian until it was rescued.
11 It’s time that we stop the horrors of puppy mills and help dogs and dog owners alike.
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20 In conclusion, I’d like you to imagine your own pet—no matter what kind of animal it
might be—living even one day in the conditions endured by dogs in puppy mills. Then imagine
your pet living in those conditions day after day, week after week, month after month. Surely you
would not want this for your own pet.
21 Yet even as we sit here, millions of dogs are suffering from the horrors of puppy mills.
It’s time to stop puppy–mill breeders from profiting on their cruelty. Even if, as the movie title
says, all dogs go to heaven, we should not allow them to start their lives in hell.
392 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES FOR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
The Horrors of Puppy Mills
Commentary
“The Horrors of Puppy Mills” seeks both passive agreement and immediate action from the audience—
passive agreement on legislation needed to solve the problem of puppy mills, immediate action on steps
the audience can take to avoid purchasing a dog from a puppy mill. Video of the speech is available
online and on the DVD of student speeches that accompanies this edition of The Art of Public Speaking.
Here is a synopsis that focuses on how the speaker employs the methods of persuasion discussed in
Chapter 17.
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that action needs to be taken to combat the problem of
puppy mills.
Central Idea: Puppy mills are a serious national problem that can be combated by a combination of
legislation and individual initiative.
Method of Organization: Problem–solution
Credibility: The speaker’s credibility statement appears in paragraph 3, where he states that he is a dog
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The speaker also uses evidence when presenting his solution to the problem of puppy
mills. His proposal for legislative action (paragraphs 12–14) represents a synthesis of plans that
have been presented in various states. Although he does not have time to mention the specific
states, it is clear that he has done his research and has a well–thought–out plan. When talking
about actions the audience can take as individuals (paragraphs 15–19), he draws upon recom-
mendations of the U.S. Humane Society. He uses PowerPoint to highlight each recommendation
and to make it easier for the audience to remember.
Reasoning: When discussing the problem of puppy mills in the first main point of the body (paragraphs
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