Until the laws change and we STOP treating dogs as livestock - puppy mills will continue to flourish. ... Along with people's need for instant gratifation and wanting something NOW. People will go to a pet store, rather then waiting a few days and getting a dog from a Rescue.. Stop buying dogs at pet stores - therefore, the demand will deminish, hence puppy mills will follow.

sorry for the misspelled word. Typing too fast.

We purchased a puppy from the Naperville location of Happines is Pets 8 years ago. It was a pleasant experience and she was healthy. We saw no issues with the facilities. They did schedule a vet appointment and enforce having the pet chipped. Some see this as as scam, but I saw it more as assurance that the animal was being cared for as it should be. Our pet has been an integral part of our family and we love the joy she has brought us.

I agree with concerned. My dog is 3 and has been incredibly healthy. My parents adopted a dog and cannot say the same. While puppy mills as very upsetting...what is supposed to happen to all the dogs in pet stores?

Dear concerned,
I'm so glad your dog is healthy and happy unfortunately the parents of your dog are neither. I'm certain that were not told the entire truth of where your puppy actually came from because my guess is that if you knew the truth you would have not knowingly supported this horrible industry.

Seriously , If people stopped buying pet store dogs they would not be bred supply and demand.

I think the point is being missed here folks

Yes, Jill - it is!!

I'm an educator for The Puppy Mill Project I would love the opportunity to anwser anyone's questions in regards to this subject I can be reached at
Jill@thepuppymillproject.org

20+ years in the rescue field and it never gets any better. While not everyone is going to do well with a rescue, you can get your dog from a reputable breeder. Visit the breeder, see where the pups are born and most importantly see how they treat their animals. Ideal conditions would be as a family pet would be treated and not more then one breed of dog. There are reputable breeders and they would never sell to stores, period!
People need to understand that Illinois has 3 inspectors for the entire state to look after every single store, farm etc... Impossible to keep up on the complaints and wrong doings. Illinois is one of the worst states for inspecting anything so buyer beware!!!! Don't rely on what is told to you, do your own homework or you will pay the price in the long run.
I hope that Oswego knows what they are getting themselves into! I hope the approval of this new pet store doesn't cost the rest of us with lawsuits.

jill e keep up the great work! I'm in the field and don't get to see your end very much, happy to know that so many care. Now if we could only get rid of the "dog caves" in Missouri.

Unfortunately I bought 4 dogs at Furry Babies before realizing they DO get their dogs from puppy mills! I should never have believed their lies!! Mine were all sick as pups and the one that wasn't died in July at the age of 2-1/2 after having terrible seizures! Please don't buy from pet stores! The poor moms and dads live in terrible, filthy conditions and moms just breed over and over again!! This is NO life for these poor dogs!!

You liberals need to learn how to think critically. The information reported above is not from an official government agency, but rather this liberal pet group. This article does mention that no violations were filed against these stores, yet you then make up your own requirements for what these stores should be doing then condemn them based upon your interests.

They overemphasize that 4 stores didn't have the breeding information conspiculously displayed but did provide the information in binders. Big deal- just a small technicality that doesn't mean a thing other than they probably don't have room elsewhere to display the information. But they DID provide the information when this group requested it and yet you still fault them for that. Pretty petty if you ask me.

And you should be reminded that your group is not a law enforcement agency and yet you are writing libelous articles that accuse these businesses of violating the law as if though they've already been cited and convicted by a government agency. You are WAY overstepping your bounds.

Tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of animals are bread for pet shops each year. It is easy to look through gov't reports and find citations against breeders simply do to the large volume of animals that get sold. You can do the exact same thing in the restaurant industry.

And the term 'puppy mils' is a term that you created and is not one that is applied to these breeders by any recognized gov't agency. So you start by slandering every breeding operation simply because you don't want them to sell animals and not because they are necessarly doing anything illegal.

My daughter has been trying to educate people on the inhuman treatment in the puppy mills for years. She just went undercover to a puppy mill auction in November and said it was a cruel , sad, and horrifying and wished other could witness these disgusting acts for there soul financial gain. She owns here own rescue and says she wishs to end the suffering that these dog are brought in this world in and leave the same way .

Debbie- being irrational again? I have no interest in the pet industry. Our family owns one dog actually that we got from a shelter. I did not say that there is no evidence of cruel conditions- you are making that up.

What I am concerned about is your organization going after local businesses for which you do not have adequate evidence of their operations. You are making tenuous connections.

I could do the same thing with your charity. I could show you all sorts of charities that have had IRS problems then accuse your charity of the same thing. You have not provided any evidence of specific abuse of specific animals that then made it to a local pet shop. Furthermore, unless the local pet shops are actually abusing the animals themselves then your organization is way out of bounds with your accusations because the local pet shops are actually selling animals to loving families who want to buy a pet. You know, the same thing that your 'rescue' organizations do as BUSINESS. You are going after your competitors actually.

If resuce organizations gave away animals that they resuced, or charged a nominal fee, then their intentions would be pure. But instead, they steal dogs from breeders after making accusations then resell those same dogs.

I'm not saying that there is no abuse. But I am saying that you can't just aribitraly make accusations against all of your competitors without legal evidence.

I'm not saying "puppy mills" aren't terrible Debbie W. I'm saying that not ALL dogs that come from them are sick. And that not ALL dogs that are adopted are healthy. And again...what do you think happens to ALL of the dogs that DON'T get purchased from pet stores. No need for you to be so nasty.

Tim thank you for your fact based post.
Thank the good Lord for organizations that take in the unwanted, abused and left to die animals.The small fees that are paid for adoption don't cover the cost for medical care most of the time. If you've brought your dog to the vet lately you can easily spend $300-$400 on an annual check-up. Imagine what it costs with a sick dog/cat.
Having worked the field for half my life one would think that the nightmares would end, they're not. We have become a society so greedy that we use innocent animals to turn a profit. These mills and they are hell are nothing but the greed of some and the almighty dollar. If any of you saw what takes place you would not only become violently ill you would never purchase a dog from a pet store again.
As far as these stores being inspected you need to check when the last inspection took place. Many of them are inspected before they open the store and it will be years before another inspection takes place. There have been cases where the store never saw another inspection again. There's not enough inspectors in this state to do the work that's needed.
I have testified in court on the animals behalf and I wouldn't change one day. It's one day that has put the breeders out of business and saved an innocent life, one that has no voice.

Bottom line. Want a dog? Adopt or research a reputable breeder. Many breeders will even be willing to let you "adopt" one of their older dogs that they either use to show to just no longer breed (as a child my Mom adopted two Shelties this way - our boy was a retired show dog and our girl a retired Mama).

If you buy from a commercial store that sells dogs you are contributing to the existence of puppy mills. No reputable breeder will sell their dogs to a commercial store such as these.

Eliminate the need for puppy mills and they will go away.

People... please, please, please, I beg you, try to see the bigger picture here. Those of us (myself included) that are against pet stores that sell puppies, are just trying to stop a vicious cycle of abuse. I work in animal rescue, and LOVE my rescued dogs... just as I hope anyone who has bought a puppy from a pet store loves their dog too. We hope, if you did purchase a puppy at a pet store, that it IS healthy. We hope that you love and cherish this dog for a long time, just as we love and cherish our rescued dogs. We WANT you to have years of love, enjoyment, and companionship with your furry friend. We hope you DON'T have to suffer from the anguish of caring for/or losing a sick dog... ever. We are NOT saying that rescue dogs are "better" than those adorable pet store puppies... I would love to take home all those beautiful babies because I love dogs. BUT I CAN'T AND WON'T BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IS JUST FUELING THIS UGLY INDUSTRY. It is a supply and demand issue... simple as that. If you buy a puppy from a pet store, it is simply perpetuating the big ugly industry of puppy mills. We just want to educate people that when they buy from a pet store, the puppy millers will just continue to churn out more puppies, with no regard for the parents of these puppies...who will live a life of agony in these mills. You said it yourself Mike, "Tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of animals are bread for pet shops each year". ('bread" your word not mine)... disgusting.

Where do the rescue organizations get their animals from? Your puppy mills! They are selling the same animals that they say that the pet stores shouldn't sell. Worse yet, they don't usually even pay for these animals that they steal from the breeders.

The fact is that any large operation is going to have some violations. So it's really lazy of you just to state that a particular breeder has had violations, then exagerate that into thinking that every animal is subject to abuse and every pet shop who buys an animal from the breeder is participating in that abuse. Why not go after the breeders themselves? Is it maybe because they are operating legally and are not shut down because their operation isn't bad enough for the gov't to shut them down? Yes, that's the truh. You are applying your standards which are not laws and regulations despite the fact that many of these breeders and pet shops are following the law. You are frustrated because you can't convince gov't agencies to write laws in your liberal favor. Your group constantly talks about 'profiting' off of these animals. Do you every buy food at the store that came from an animal? Be glad that there is profit involved or else there wouldn't be money available for pet stores to exist.

I can go through restaurant inspection records throughout the country and find tens of thousands of violations at the major chains. They haven't been shut down because at the volume they deal with

So true Donna, so sadly true... the blinders created by the almighty dollar make many of these pet store owners believe that they are actually "saving" these little puppy mill puppies by selling them in their stores!! What a joke... they cannot see beyond their fat wallets, or have no desire to do so. And I just love the comments by some people unsinuating that animal rescue organizations see these pet stores as "competitors"!!! What an even bigger joke!! These people have obviously never seen the operating books of a rescue or shelter. I can speak only for my local animal rescue... we are a non-profit, or should I say "NEVER in profit". We fall deeper into debt everytime we accept a puppy that someone "impulse bought" likely on credit, for hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, and then could not afford to keep. Geez, the cycle just infuriates me.

Last month I attended a dog auction, where those in the puppy business sell their dogs and puppies when they have no use for them any longer, or if they are getting out of the business. I attended this auction because I literally thought that I was going crazy. I was called a liar, and told I had no facts or proof. I was told I was an animal rights extremist. That I am not. The sights and sounds of the auction proved to me that I was not crazy. I arrived at a farm in the middle of nowhere, 10 hrs. away from here in Yorkville. There were around 250 dogs and puppies, and all of the licensed breeders who sold at this auction had violations with the animal welfare act. We managed to rescue three dogs. One dog, who a family member has decided to keep permanently was advertised on the auction block for her breed (Italian Greyhound) and the auctioneer stated that they were selling well in pet stores and they could earn your money back fast. I received her with brown/green sludge covered teeth (couldn't even see her actual teeth), a broken tail, a broken jaw that was never treated, and was 7 years old. She produced her last litter in July, and lived her entire life in this facility. All of the dogs we rescued had never felt grass on their feet and panicked the minute they felt the strange feeling. I had to look around 250 dogs in the eye and leave them in the hands of more cruel breeders. I will never forget those eyes, and the 10 year old pregnant females. The proof is indisputable.

Last month I attended a dog auction, where those in the puppy business sell their dogs and puppies when they have no use for them any longer, or if they are getting out of the business. I attended this auction because I literally thought that I was going crazy. I was called a liar, and told I had no facts or proof. I was told I was an animal rights extremist. That I am not. The sights and sounds of the auction proved to me that I was not crazy. I arrived at a farm in the middle of nowhere, 10 hrs. away from here in Yorkville. There were around 250 dogs and puppies, and all of the licensed breeders who sold at this auction had violations with the animal welfare act. We managed to rescue three dogs. One dog, who a family member has decided to keep permanently was advertised on the auction block for her breed (Italian Greyhound) and the auctioneer stated that they were selling well in pet stores and they could earn your money back fast. I received her with brown/green sludge covered teeth (couldn't even see her actual teeth), a broken tail, a broken jaw that was never treated, and was 7 years old. She produced her last litter in July, and lived her entire life in this facility. All of the dogs we rescued had never felt grass on their feet and panicked the minute they felt the strange feeling. I had to look around 250 dogs in the eye and leave them in the hands of more cruel breeders. I will never forget those eyes, and the 10 year old pregnant females. The proof is indisputable.

...and yes, we have proof that area pet stores and brokers get their dogs from this type of "breeder". USDA reports are public, I am at ease with myself knowing that I am NOT crazy and this goes on, no matter what anyone tries to tell me or say otherwise.

Rescues take in the animals that are broken and discarded, then do whatever it takes to make them whole and adopt them to a responsible home. Some dogs need extensive surgery for hip displaysia, luxating patellas, heart murmurs, etc. More common maladies from puppy mill dogs. Some are from puppy mills, but we do not profit from that. If we did, we wouldn't be trying to shut them down. Our purpose is to promote responsible ownership and eliminate the need to euthanize pets whose only crime is being homeless. We don't usually get paperwork with them so their path to our door is not always clear. Non profits and adoption are very different from puppy mills and puppy sales. I will say it again. The best puppy mill is a concentration camp for dogs. They may be legal but if people knew where they come from, and the story behind pet store puppies, they would not be so inclined to buy from them. That's why the pet stores LIE about where they come from. If there's nothing to hide, why don't pet stores tell people that they come from puppy mills? Do you realize that you just compared restaurant violations with violations against living breathing animals that feel pain? Now if that doesn't just sum up all that is wrong your outlook on this subject. By the way, You need to try to remain rational Mike.

@Mike, I pay for every bit of medical and expenses for the dogs and cats I take in out of pocket. By taking those animals from high-kill shelters and poor breeding facilities and dealing with the expenses on my own or with small donations from others, I keep peoples tax dollars from being used to kill and dispose of those animals. Tell me how I make a profit, when even with a wonderful vet who assists us in discounts for our volume of animals, we spend OVER the amount of the adoption fee on medical. All of the animals I take in are spayed/neutered, microchipped, fecal and heart worm or FIV/FELV tested, and vaccinated. The adoption fees? Many times I have waived them on certain animals that were hard to place. Other times I broke even. I NOT ONCE made a "profit" off of an adoption, were all in the red while we clean up societies messes. However, even in the face of adversity and doubt, we continue because to us "Saving one animal won't change the world, but it will change the world for that one animal". I am happy that you and many others have taken the route of rescue when looking for a new family member, and hope many continue to do so and become educated. With so many technological advances there is no reason we can't all look up a breeder or brokers name without even leaving the pet stores!

Tim-- your far fetched search for a definition of a puppy mill from a legal filing is really stretching it. There are hundreds of millions of pages of legal paperwork and that's the best you can do? I'm talking about a gov't agency in charge of breeding operations who uses this term. Not a plaintiff in a lawsuit that ran into the same problems of having someone question his term too. The proper term is breeders.

And no one has provided any specific evidence of a local pet shop selling a particular animal that came from a particular breeding company that abused that animal's parents. Generalizations don't work here any more than I can provide all sorts of examples of corrupt charities then extend that to say this this wacky animal charity is also corrupt. Your wide spread allegations are tarring all sorts of businesses that are operating legally.

What do you think happens to the millions of animals that have been bred? That vast majority of them have been purchased by loving families who are now taking care of them. The others were stolen by 'rescue' organizations who then sold them at high prices in order to profit off them.

My only interest in this subject comes from having bought our dog last year from a rescue facility and being shocked at the expenses, and frankly, lack of paperwork to follow the dog. I realized then that the resuce industry is mostly made up of hacks who make money off others under the guise of being compassionate.

Those of you who have a pet know how much work they are. The puppy mills have anywhere from 50 dogs to over 1000 dogs. How do you walk, play with, properly take care of that many dogs? Answer: you don't. You let them rot in their dirty cages. They are "products' whose only purpose is profit for the mills and the pet stores. Refer to Mike's comment above comparing violations against dogs to restaurant violations. It's that mentality that is used to rationalize the abuse the dogs suffer in the mills. Mike also attempts to compare the situation of the mill dogs with the dogs in a rescue. The dogs in a rescue are walked, groomed, receive Vet care, have toys, beds, proper nutrition. Background checks are made before the dogs are adopted out and they can always be returned. The rationale is disturbing at best.

Mike, I can't respond to some of your comments and remain dignified without getting some background on your anger. Please tell me what you mean by rescues "stealing" dogs from breeders? You have made reference to stealing in a few of your posts. Also, please tell me your expenses related to adopting a resuce dog, and what was the problem with paperwork? Please expound before we can have a healthy debate if called for. Thank you.

This whole discussion is crazy. I only would pray to God this much concern would be applied to starving , homeless children in this country, that go to bed every night with no hope for a bettter life.Happy Holidays to all the Fiddo's & Fluffy's that have a warm place to sleep.

Mike. You seem to think that the rescue operations are in it for the money. Our last 6 pets have been someone else's "rejects". I'm familiar with many rescues & those that I know of do the work on a volunteer basis & put many many hours in. All the money received for pet adoption goes right back into the rescue. Just maintaining dogs with vet care, shots, food, & suitable living conditions is expensive. Also, I am a conservative & I don't understand your lack of compassion for another living being. This isn't political, it's being aware of what's really happening. If there weren't puppy mills & irresponsible owners, we wouldn't need dog rescues. That would be terrific!

Perhaps Mike could put a referrendum question on the ballot for the next election asking all puppy mills to reduce their output by let's say 20%. I wonder how many people would vote yes on this.

Mike E PLEASE send me your contact info so that i may send you the receipt from Oswego Animal Hospital from monday the total was close to $750 for 4 LOCAL puppymill Breeder dogs. The female's uterus was hanging out about 7 inches the males all had bloody infected paw pads from living on wire and stepping in their urine and feces for 3-5 years, all of their ears were nasty and infected. Don't think this happens close to home, think again. So now these dogs are safe and vetted (all the money is coming out of generous volunteers personal pocket books). The adoption fee is not even going to cover the vetting that was done-NO PROFIT MADE ON THIS ONE MIKE~oh by the way there is possibly more coming soon. I sure hope that if ever you are in a situation where your insides are hanging out someone is kind enough to help you out.

Our dog arrived at the Yorkville vet clinic, from Tennessee, via a large trailer with a few dozens of other dogs. We were shown six dogs that met our criteria in a private room. All of the dogs coats were dirty and tangled up and the dogs were urinating all over each other. We were told that our dog would be groomed once we bought her. They had no interest in grooming any of the dogs unti a sale was made. Pretty interesting that money was what was driving the dog's care. No vet care until we paid our money.

I spent a week tracking donw our dog's rabies records out of concern for our kid's safety. The rescue org told me they stopped in Danville, ILL at a vet to get the dogs shots. Too bad they lost the paperwork.

My family adopted our dogs, through the years, from a greyhound rescue group (years ago, my son and a greyhound had a 'love at first sight' moment at a rescue event. We went through a 3 month process to finally get our very special dog) and years later, at Kendall County Shelter after our greyhound passed away (where we ended up adopting a pedigree dog dropped off by a breeder.) Our cats, in separate adoptions, are from the Naperville Humane Society.
I think that checking out shelters first for a loving pet is always a good idea. Especially now. Some sad families have had to give up their loved and loving pets for financial reasons, moves, foreclosures etc. and wonderful, sweet, playful and sometimes, very well-trained animals are waiting for good homes. It's win-win. Just sayin. :)

I hope none of you on here eat meat because the way they treat cows, pigs and chicken is not pretty either. They are animals too.

MIKE!!!! YOU ARE A DUMB ASS

There, that sums it up!

First let me say that I have no affiliation with any pet store, breeder, veterinary clinic, or animal rights group. I am just a happy pet owner of two dogs.

I appreciate both sides of this argument and think all need to work to find some understanding for each others positions.

The article seemed to have a very negative slant. I was just pointing out that I had a good experience at Happiness is Pets. They are a legitimate business and have every right to exist. I can understand why they would be reluctant to expose their source of animals as that exposes their supply chain. Their value as a business is to bring breeders and prospective pet owners together. Given that, I also understand that the retail outlets provide a way to market for less than reputable breeders, but I find it difficult to believe that all puppy's sold by retailers come from horrible experiences.

I believe the term 'puppy mills' to refer to all breeders is unfair, as in all areas of life you will find reputable and disreputable people involved. Also the term 'rescued' seems to be preferred to what we used to call adopted. I have adopted pets from shelters with a limited amount of success. The problem is you don't know what you are really getting from a breed perspective which determines physical and behavioral characteristics. BTW, over the past 7 years my dog purchased from the pet store has been much healthier and better behaved than the one purchased from a reputable breeder.

Thanks to this thread, I will be more diligent in the future to discover where any pet I acquire comes from. I think it would be helpful for those who are passionate about buying a pet from reputable breeder, rather than a retail store, provide the names of some reputable breeders or suggest methods to discover them. I'm sure those who wish to acquire a pet would appreciate it.

Not all rescue proponents are liberal politcially speaking, so that comment was strange to say the least. The Humane Society did not "make up anything". This is real and groups like The Puppy Mill Project would be happy to show anyone who asks tons of reports, pictures, data and other information necessary (you can even visit the site of a local puppy mill breeder who recently had animals rescued from its location). Any so-called rescue opertaing for profit is not a resuce, it is a business; resuces are non-profit. Just like with anything in life, there can be corruption so do your homework. An animal is a living being, where you obtain a pet from matters (be it a breeder or a rescue). Commerical farming does have issues with the treatment of animals and puppy mills are nothing more then a commercial farm for breeding dogs. FYI, there are sources for meat, like Organic farms, that focus on respectful ways to raise their animals. How we treat living beings is a reflection of our character.

Just because people care about animals and support rescues does not mean they don't support charities that help children and people in need. Animal lovers are typically very generous in nature for all living beings in need.

Everyone: I think dumb ass Mike is just pulling your chain - he must love antagonizing people for no reason at all and he's probably getting off on how he is riling everyone up. i would just drop it - he is just a phony spending his time on crap like this instead of doing something productive in life. Just igore him - he's just lying and making everying up for his little game.

Wasn't aware that there was a pet store at Fox Valley Mall. Now that I know, I will not be shopping at the mall until it is closed.

Logan's dad we are working on the whole mall issue, stay tuned.