Any dog lover has probably heard the term puppy mill, but what exactly does that mean? Cathy Erickson, the director of the Iowa Pet Expo walks us through the definition. A puppy mill is an establishment that breeds puppies for sale, typically on an intensive basis and in conditions regarded as inhumane. Cages stacked on top of each other, with no air conditioning or heat, just dogs made to sell. Iowa is the number one state in the country at prosecuting puppy mills but also sits pretty high up on the amount of puppy mills in the state. Why? Legislation. 

There is massive pushback from the agricultural community, a fear that livestock are going to be held to the same standard as companion animals. For any animal lover, it is well known livestock like hogs and cattle are comfortable in outdoor conditions not suitable for domesticated animals like dogs and cats. But big agriculture companies continue to push back against legislation they believe is written in such a way that could be later applied to livestock. Erickson says it’s unclear why such concern exists, but the result is a lack of clarity and enforcement that would crack down on puppy mills. That doesn’t mean puppy mills can get away with unethical practices however.

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