Puppy Mill News

In Missouri...  Attorney General Chris Koster recently pledged to close down abusive puppy mills in Missouri.  Koster stated:

"I'm sick of hearing people refer to our state as the puppy mill capital of the nation.  These mills are notorious for viciously abusing their dogs.  And these breeders are known for putting their own profit above proper dog care."

Shortly after making this announcement his office shut down a Carter County, Missouri, dog breeder for violations of the MO Animal Care Facilities Act. We applaud Koster's aggressive efforts against abusive puppy mills and wish him well in the November elections.

First Quantitative Evidence:  Puppy Mills Injurious to Mental Health and Welfare of Dogs
According to the Missouri Alliance for Animal Welfare (MAAL):

Abbreviated Study Abstract:
Canine commercial breeding establishments (CBEs) are kennel facilities where puppies are produced in large numbers for commercial sale. In the popular media, CBEs are commonly referred to as "puppy mills" or "puppy farms." Conditions in CBEs vary widely in quality. Dogs in these facilities are routinely housed for their entire reproductive lives in cages or runs, and provided with minimal to no positive human interaction or other forms of environmental enrichment. Numerous anecdotal reports have suggested that after removal from CBEs many of the former breeding dogs display persistent behavioural and psychological abnormalities when compared with the general pet dog population. The purpose of this study was to determine if this anecdotal evidence could be confirmed empirically.

By demonstrating that dogs maintained in these environments develop extreme and persistent fears and phobias, possible learning deficits as evidenced by lower trainability, and often show difficulty in coping successfully with normal existence, this study provides the first quantitative evidence that the conditions prevailing in CBEs are injurious to the mental health and welfare of dogs.

Read the entire study by  Franklin D. McMillan, Deborah L. Duffy, and James A. Serpell.

Largest Dog Brokers in the US Goes Out of Business
Mahaska, Kansas based Lambriar Kennels blames the poor economy, increased rules and regulations, and animal welfare activists for their closure.  Many puppies brokered through this facility over the years were purchased from Missouri dog breeders.  In business for 44 years, Lambriar Kennels made their last shipment of puppies in June.