There is an article in today's Washington Post online about a puppy mill bust in Virginia that rescued about 1,000 dogs.
Puppy mills are disgusting, cruel, and inhumane dog breeding factories. There has never been a "good" puppy mill. Conditions at these facilities usually consist of animals in substandard "crates" (cement boxes or wire cages with no solid flooring) that are usually too small for the dog to do much in (imagine being confined to your bathtub for life). The dogs are inbred, and the resulting puppies have severe congenital health problems. Dogs that live their lives in these conditions suffer devastating physical problems, to say nothing of emotional/mental health problems: they have immense anxiety or physical problems so great that they may never be adoptable. They have no concept of play or of affection.
Please! Do not ever purchase an animal from a store. Most of these store-bought pets are from such mills. And while the pet may seem fine to you, chances are it has severe health problems or comes from a puppy mill (and all the other dogs there being bred are suffering). Essentially all of these new "designer" dogs are from puppy mills - your "labradoodles" and such. Might look cute, but it was bred without regard for genetics and disposition.
If you would like a purebred dog, go to your local shelter - there are many there. Or, find a local rescue groups - many rescue groups are breed specific (greyhounds, coon hounds, malamutes, etc.). Just, please, do not purchase your pet (dog or otherwise) from a store.
To read Dogs' Best Friends to the Rescue, click on this link at The Washington Post.
Same goes for birds. Don't get a bird at your local one-stop pet store - the folks who work in those places almost never know how to take care of birds, and you never know where the birds came from.
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