“The Horrors of Puppy Mills” Transcript
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.
For too many dogs across America, this is how life begins—in a puppy mill. Puppy mills, as
defined by the Humane Society of the United States, are “mass dog–breeding operations” that
take place in “shockingly poor conditions.” Puppy-mill breeders produce puppies for profit—only
for profit—with little or no concern for the physical, social, or emotional needs of the dogs.
As a dog lover, I was shocked to discover the horrors of puppy mills across the country as I
researched this speech. I know from my audience-analysis questionnaires that most of you had
a dog or another pet while you were growing up and that you believe they should be treated
humanely. Today I’ll show you that puppy mills are not treating animals humanely and I’ll
suggest some ways of solving the problem.
The next dog was in even worse shape. Covered with its own filth, it had a rash of infections and
diseases, and it had lost the sight in one eye. Like other puppy mill dogs, it never saw a
veterinarian until it was rescued.
It’s time that we stop the horrors of puppy mills and help dogs and dog owners alike. Solving the
problem requires action on two fronts—legislation and individual initiative.
The first step is for new laws that will put puppy mills out of business. Current laws, such as the
Animal Welfare Act, are ineffective at best. This law only regulates a small number of breeders,
leaving countless puppy mills to operate under the radar.
Here’s the legislation I propose. It’s based on a combination of proposals that have been
presented in several states. All dog breeders who produce more than 30 puppies a year should
be required to register with their state’s Department of Agriculture, which would inspect dog
breeding facilities just as the health department inspects restaurants.