Ninety-eight percent of the more than 900 commercial puppy dealers in Virginia operate without U.S. Department of Agriculture licenses, according to an undercover investigation by The Humane Society of the United States (Washington).

The five-month investigation revealed what HSUS terms “deplorable factory-style ‘puppy mill’ breeding in massive-scale operations, large kennels, trailers and backyards, breeding as many dogs as possible with little or no oversight or concern for the health and well-being of the animals, and violating state and federal laws.”

To sell puppies to pet stores, breeders with more than three breeding females are required by federal law to have a license. According to HSUS, however, many breeders in Virginia are violating this law. Others are bypassing pet stores and selling directly to the public via the Internet, where they are not required to have a license and, therefore, operate totally without oversight.

“We uncovered a massive, unregulated puppy mill and pet trade industry in Virginia—on a scale no one had imagined,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive officer of HSUS. “Only 2 percent of the puppy breeders are even licensed by the federal government, yet they are churning out tens of thousands of puppies, often in deplorable and demonstrably inhumane conditions.”

“We know that this is the tip of the iceberg,” said Stephanie Shain, director of outreach for companion animals for HSUS. “This investigation suggests that the puppy mill industry is larger than any of us thought, and that operators within the industry are skirting federal oversight in huge numbers.”

The investigation also revealed:
• Puppies sold to pet stores—and directly to the public—at 6 weeks of age, despite an Animal Welfare Act mandate banning licensed breeders from selling dogs younger than 8 weeks.
• Puppies with severe health problems being sold at reduced prices to “unload them” to pet stores and ultimately to the public.
• Basic animal care laws such as providing adequate food, water and shelter were ignored in many facilities.

PetSmart Charities (Phoenix) dispatched one Emergency Relief Waggin’ stocked with enough pet supplies to support up to 700 companion animals to help dogs rescued from a Hillsville, Va., puppy mill. [January 2008 PET AGE]