Before diving into the small details of animal care and welfare, it’s essential to understand why this topic is so crucial in the first place. Animals cannot speak or stand up for themselves, so it’s vital to reach an audience that can make a difference.

Over time, the pet population has continued to grow without enough people to care for these increasing numbers. The overwhelming amount of animals has led to overrun shelters, an abundance of strays, and an ever-increasing number of animals without a place to call home.

But what is causing these skyrocketing numbers? Let’s find out.

Backyard Breeding and Puppy Mills

One of the leading causes of the increasing pet population is irresponsible breeding. This can come from various sources, such as puppy mills or backyard breeders.

These terms may not be familiar to you, or you may have previously heard them and not fully understood their meaning. 

Backyard Breeders

This term can be a blanket statement, in a sense. There are different kinds of backyard breeders, though they all share one common trait — poorly breeding dogs for the sole purpose of profit.

A responsible, ethical breeder will do various things to ensure their animals will be going to loving homes. A backyard breeder will only care about making a sale. While it can difficult to pinpoint every characteristic that makes a breeder poor, some telltale signs are easy to spot.

The Puppies are Being Sold too Early 

Puppies sold before eight weeks of age should be a significant red flag. Though puppies can often be weaned before this time frame, they must stay with their mother and siblings until eight weeks. If a breeder is selling puppies too early, this is a sure sign they are not considering the animal’s welfare.

They Don’t Offer a Return Policy 

Though it seems strange to consider returning your dog, sometimes life finds you in unexpected circumstances. An ethical breeder will do everything in their power to ensure their dogs do not end up in shelters, allowing you to return your dog to them should the need arise. A backyard breeder will not offer you this, and it’s a big reason “purebred” dogs end up in shelters.

They Sell on Shady Websites 

A responsible breeder will have a website with a plethora of information on the dogs they are selling. You should be able to find genetic records, photos, and health screenings, all readily available from an ethical breeder. Backyard breeders will often opt to sell on shadier websites such as Craigslist and eBay with little to no information on their dogs.

They Have Multiple Litters at Once 

Since the goal of a backyard breeder is profit, they will commonly breed many dogs at once — and breed them often. No puppies mean no money, so they will always have puppies available for purchase. A responsible breeder will never overbreed their dogs and limit their females to perhaps two litters in their entire life. If your breeder seems to have an overabundance of puppies, this will likely mean they are not an ethical breeder.

They Breed Multiple Breeds or Unrecognized Breeds

An ethical dog breeder will only breed for the betterment of the breed, meaning they specialize in one specific, recognized breed. They will do extensive research and genetic testing to ensure the dogs are healthy and improve the breed’s overall wellbeing. A backyard breeder may have multiple breeds available or breeds not recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC). 

While some backyard breeders can make an effort to look more reputable, there will always be signs to look out for. When purchasing from a breeder, be sure to be thorough in your questions. Don’t hesitate to ask about health records or genetic testing.

Puppy Mills

Puppy mills tend to share many similarities with backyard breeders, except on a much larger scale. They are essentially a factory to pump out as many puppies as possible in a short amount of time.

The dogs in puppy mills are forced to breed repeatedly and must live in horrifying conditions. Mothers are locked in tiny cages until they can no longer produce puppies, at which point they are discarded and replaced with another dog in their place.

Dogs in puppy mills often have little to no socialization or human interaction. They are kept in their cages every day, with no downtime. 

Often, puppies sold in pet stores are the product of puppy mills. You can also frequently find puppy mill dogs on websites such as Craigslist.

Many of the same telltale signs of a backyard breeder also apply to puppy mills. Although, some other red flags may indicate you are dealing with a puppy mill.

The Breeder Will Ship Your Dog

If you located a dog in another state and the breeder offers to send you a dog, there is a high likelihood that you’re dealing with a puppy mill. A reputable breeder will always opt for an in-person meeting and would never be willing to ship a dog to you without any introduction.

You Aren’t Able to See Parents 

One of the most recognizable signs of a puppy mill is your inability to see your dog’s parents or their living conditions. Because of the horrible cages, these dogs are kept in, the breeder won’t welcome you to see where your puppy has been raised. 

There Will be no Breed Knowledge

A good, reputable breeder will know their breed well. They will explain temperament, intelligence, and potential genetic problems. Puppy mills have no fundamental interactions with their dogs, meaning they will not know this vital information. 

Dogs from puppy mills tend to have various health problems. Because breeders in puppy mills are only concerned with profit, they will make no effort to remove sick dogs from their breeding pools. These negative traits carry on into puppies, causing them to be prone to illness and disease. 

Lack of Spaying and Neutering  

Many people purchase animals before they are spayed or neutered. Though it can seem like a hassle to make vet appointments and take your animal in to be fixed, the lack of spaying and neutering is a huge cause of the increased pet population.

When animals are not fixed, their instincts take over. Those instincts are to breed, no matter the obstacles that stand in their way. Many pets will escape when they are not fixed, looking for a mate. A roaming animal can often become injured or killed during its journey to breed.

Lack of spaying and neutering can result in accidental litters. While some instances are unavoidable, such as animals being too young to be fixed or health conditions stopping the process, many are easily preventable. 

Options such as humane societies offer low-cost spay and neuter options to pet parents, making it easy for owners to prevent their animals from adding to the already massive pet population. 

Stopping accidental breeding isn’t the only benefit of spaying and neutering, either. There is plenty of evidence to support the health benefits of spaying and neutering. Some of these benefits include:

• Decreased risk of enlarged prostate in males
• Eliminate unwanted behaviors such as marking
• Extended lifespan in both males and females
• Reduced risk of uterine infections in females

Choosing to spay and neuter pets is the best way to ensure they keep the pet population down and provide them with a long and healthy life.

Helping Decrease the Pet Population

While the overabundance of animals we are currently facing can’t be fixed overnight, it’s important to make a difference now. Refusing to support backyard breeders and puppy mills and spaying or neutering pets are the first critical steps in this process.

By avoiding accidental litters and poorly bred animals, the pet population will have the chance to right itself over time. Eventually, we will hopefully see less crowded shelters and fewer homeless animals. 

About the Author:

Alexandra Hildebrand is the owner and founder of SpeakForThePaws.com. She is an avid pet lover who owns five fur babies of her own. She hopes to educate others on how to best care for and help animals in need.