Puppy farms are the hidden business behind the pet shop window. They are breeding farms where thousands of dogs are kept imprisoned for life churning out puppies to supply the pet shop industry.

Most puppy farms have between 200-300 female dogs and approximately 50 male dogs. The farms employ minimal staff to keep wages down and only feed the dogs once every second day. Veterinary treatment is rarely provided, as this is another expense. Some of the puppies are put aside to replace the sick, injured or old breeding stock. Female dogs come into season at approximately 6 months of age so this is when they start breeding. They are not rested in between cycles and are kept in a continual cycle of pregnancy. The dogs are kept in small pens their entire lives and spend their days ceaselessly pacing back and forth, the only way of coping with their despair. These intelligent animals are never walked, socialised or given any love; they are simply breeding machines.

The puppies are weaned from their mothers between 4 and 5 weeks and then transported to pet shops to be displayed to the unsuspecting public. Pet shop owners depend on love at first sight because it prompts people to make an impulsive purchase. What the consumer can’t see is the puppy’s mother imprisoned miles away.

To learn more about ALV's puppy farm campaigns check out "Prisoners of Profit" and "How can they be so cruel?". You can also watch ALV's moving slideshow of images of dogs living lives of misery at Learmonth puppy farm (shut down by ALV) and at ACA Breeders, the targets of ALV's current campaign.

Prisoners For Profit ALV's blog about the puppy breeding industry www.prisonersforprofit.org

The Puppy Mill The Puppy Mill is a documentary that explores the domestication of dogs and how our demand for the ultimate family pet has led to increasingly inhumane treatment. Featuring ALV"s undercover footage of Victorian puppy farms. www.thepuppymill.com.au