Posted by Isabel Cowles to findingDulcinea
A large-scale Wisconsin dog breeder was bought by the state’s Humane Society in late July. More than 1,200 dogs were put up for adoption.
The Humane Society acquired the facility because its owner and operator, Wallace Havens, planned to retire this year and hoped that the animals would go to a good home.
Many questioned the conditions at Pet Haven and are convinced that it is a puppy mill—a facility where animals are bred on large farms in substandard conditions.
Havens does not consider the breeding facility a mill: the dogs “can go outside anytime they want to. They don’t have to ask a person to open the door, and they can come in and eat and drink any time they want to,” he said.
The acquisition of the mill raises questions about the state legislature concerning puppy mills. According to the Humane Society of the United States, “Under current law in most states, and under current regulations of the federal Animal Welfare Act, individuals running breeding operations that only sell puppies directly to the public are not required to be licensed and inspected by an oversight agency.”
This lack of oversight can lead to inhumane conditions where dogs grow up afraid of interaction, and are sick or malnourished.
Many states, including Pennsylvania, have pushed for greater enforcement among large-scale dog breeders, which are sometimes categorized as puppy mills.
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