Did you know that those cute, adorable, little puppies you find in most pet shops (except PetSmart) often come from puppy mills? These mass-dog-breeding facilities have deplorable living conditions where multiple dogs are crammed into small filthy cages with little to no affection being paid to any of them. The “breed stock” dogs, whose sole purpose it is to breed this mass quantity of animals, have it even worse. The legal restrictions dog breeders are to follow provide only basic care standards for these animals and enforcement of these laws are severely lacking.

In addition to this mass-breeding, there is a pet overpopulation problem in general. Various animal shelters and dog rescues have numerous dogs in need of caring homes. There’s no need for further mass-breeding.

If you’re a person who’s interested in getting a dog, please consider adopting one out of a shelter or rescue instead of supporting a puppy mill. Of course, owning a pet is a big responsibility. Be sure to take your living environment, the total cost and the amount of time you have to give to the pet into consideration before jumping into a commitment.

Still interested? For more information on how and where to adopt, visit the website of Greater Ozarks for the Dogs.