WHERE DO PET STORE PUPPIES COME FROM? According to the latest statistics from the Human Society of the United States 98% of puppies sold at pet stores came from puppy mills. WHAT IS A PUPPY MILL? A puppy mill, sometimes known as a puppy farm, is a commercial dog breeding facility that is operated with an emphasis upon profits above animal welfare and is often in substandard conditions regarding the well-being of dogs in their care. It is a terrible place where puppies are bred in mass under severely inhumane conditions for sale to dealers & pet stores. WHO POLICE THE PUPPY MILLS? United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).There are only 100 inspectors to monitor 10,000 facilities across the United States ranging from consumer consumption to research labs to zoos. The USDA’s Office of Inspector General in Washington, D.C., conducted an audit of the USDA’s enforcement of puppy mills and the audit concluded that the USDA can not ensure the humane care and treatment of animals at dealer or breeder (puppy mills) facilities. Help from the local level by cities banning the sale of puppies through retail pet stores is necessary. PET STORE DOUBLE TALK: "Our puppies come from breeders, not puppy mills”. WRONG: Truly responsible breeders do not sell their puppies to pet stores, they want to meet their puppy buyers in person and do not sell their puppies to the first person who shows up with cash in hand. Most breed club's Code of Ethics state that their breeders refuse to sell their dogs to pet dealers or any other commercial sources of distribution. “All of our puppies come from USDA-inspected facilities, so we know they are not from puppy mills". WRONG: Being USDA or government inspected does not mean that the business is not a puppy mill, any more than having a driver's license guarantees that the holder is a good driver. "Our puppies come with a health guarantee.” WRONG: The health guarantees are designed to protect the store's interests more than yours. They can be full of exclusions and loopholes. The store will often use the puppy's health certificate as proof that the animal was healthy when he or she left the store, leaving the buyer helpless if the puppy becomes sick just a few hours or days after purchase. THE PUBLIC CAN STOP THE CRUEL CYCLE AND IMPORTING PUPPY MILL PUPPIES BY INSISTING OUR CITY BAN PET STORES FROM SELLING PUPPIES.