Confined in Australian puppy factories, dogs are forced to give birth to litter after litter…
Across Australia, ‘breeding’ dogs are still being kept in miserable conditions in puppy factories, and can be denied everything that makes a dog’s life worth living — all to produce a constant supply of puppies for sale in pet shops or online.
At ‘best’, puppy mills use dogs as breeding machines – these sensitive, social animals never experience zoomies in the park, running on a beach, or cozying up beside a human family. At worst, they can be a living hell where they’re confined to filthy cells, deprived of basic necessities like frequent food and medical care.
It may sound like they should be illegal, but the cruelty inherent in puppy mills – intensive breeding, lack of exercise and medical care, minimal human interaction and zero social enrichment – can all be entirely legal.
The breeding of dogs for profit also contributes to our country’s companion animal overpopulation crisis, which sees countless animals ending up in shelters each year, and thousands killed, simply because there aren’t enough homes for them.
This is happening across Australia
Victoria and Western Australia have made significant legislative strides to address intensive puppy farms and the sale of commercially bred puppies in pet shops – instead, dogs in pet shops must be from registered shelters or rescue groups.
However, other states, including New South Wales despite the state’s recent legislative updates, still have considerable legislative gaps that leave dogs exposed to suffering.
Shockingly, in South Australia, it can be legal to keep a mother dog confined to a barren cell for 23 hours a day. In Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania, there are no caps on the number of dogs a breeder can own, or the number of litters a dog can be forced to produce.
Where legislation does exist, it still contains loopholes and doesn’t prevent dogs from puppy mills being sold online – which is unregulated – and shipped interstate. Puppy farmers often conveniently sell animals online to keep the suffering of parent dogs hidden.
You can help end cruel puppy farming
If and when you choose to welcome a furry family member into your home, adopting from a reputable rescue organisation is the most powerful way to help spare dogs from cruel puppy mills. Adoption not only helps break the cycle of commercial breeding, but also saves animals and supports shelters overwhelmed with rescues.
To help bring about legislative change for dogs, please urge your state Premier to follow Victoria and Western Australia’s lead in legislating measures that genuinely protect companion animals and align with your community’s expectations.
