Ending puppy mills
What is a puppy mill? A puppy mill is a dog breeding operation in which profit takes priority over the health, comfort and welfare of the dogs.
Even though more and more Americans are taking a stand against them, the U.S. still has thousands of puppy mills.
A puppy mill is a "factory farm" for dogs, where profit takes priority over the health, comfort and welfare of the dogs. Even though more and more Americans are taking a stand against them, the U.S. still has thousands of puppy mills.
In puppy mills, dogs live in small, cramped cages; females are bred constantly; and most of the dogs are deprived of love, socialization and medical care. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats are killed in shelters each year (425,000 in 2024 alone) just because they don’t have safe places to call home. But you can help change that.
The problem with puppy mills
Many people don’t realize that when they buy a dog from a pet store or the internet, that dog most likely came from a puppy mill.
Every dog should feel safe, happy and loved
Best Friends collaborates with passionate people like you to put laws in place that help eliminate puppy mills.
Through Best Friends’ puppy mill initiatives, we are working to encourage pet stores to offer pets for adoption instead of selling pets bred in mills, educate consumers about puppy mills, and create and lobby for humane legislation and policies that protect pets.
We’re making a difference for dogs
Best Friends is working at all levels — local, state and national — to end the suffering of dogs in puppy mills.
Advocating for humane pet sales laws
Humane pet sales laws are an effective way to put the squeeze on commercial breeding operations.
These laws prevent pet stores from selling puppies and kittens from breeding mills, which shrinks the market for inhumanely bred pets to be sold.
Supporting local efforts to end puppy mills
Our team of grassroots advocates, called the 2025 Action Team, is made up of dedicated and passionate people like you.
