Alexys CoffeeMs. HooperSenior English13 March 2014Puppy MillsImagine having to live in your own filth and waste. Now imagine living in your home and the homes of many others. How about living in wire cages exposed to the elements like rain and heat from the sun. It certainly doesn't sound like a life anyone would want to live, but sadly, many dogs and puppies don't have a choice. These are just some of the terrible conditions they experience when they are born or raised in puppy mills. You would allow the torture of animals, because supporting and/or allowing puppy mills is basically the same thing. Now, some may not know exactly what a puppy mill is. People may want to romanticize the thought of a puppy mill as a welcoming, loving factory where puppies come off the factory line happy and ready to be adopted. This is not at all what happens in a mill. A puppy mill is a "large-scale commercial dog breeding operation in which profit is prioritized over the welfare of the dogs" (Puppy Mill FAQ 1). Dogs are bred at least twice a year or whenever they are in heat. These dogs live in the most unsanitary conditions, they are not treated as a living creature should be. The way puppies and dogs are treated in puppy mills is disturbing. To avoid having to clean up after puppies and their mothers, they are often kept in wire cages. These cages are stacked on top of and next to each other. Dogs below the top of the pile live in conditions where "uric acid soaks puppies lying on the cage floor, burns their skin and paw pads, and causes breathing difficulties" (Puppy Mills | Animal Rescue Corps. 1). These dogs often do not receive proper veterinary care or treatment. Their nails do not wear out. They grow long... middle of paper... help slowly close down puppy mills. Why would anyone be willing to support puppy mills and their torture? Alfonsi, Sharyn and Ted Gerstein. “Puppies are seen as 'cattle' in Amish community, says rescue advocate.” ABC News. ABC News Network. March 27, 2009. Web. February 26, 2014. “Buyer Beware: The Problem with Puppy Farms and Backyard Breeders.” LEGS. Np, nd Web. 28 February 2014. Dionne, Mary-Jo. “Puppy Hell: The Horrors of Puppy Mills.” Modern dog magazine. Np, Web. Feb. 26, 2014. “Laws That Protect Dogs in Puppy Breeding.” ASPCA. Np, nd Web. February 27, 2014. “Ohio Puppy Mill Laws Take Effect Jan. 1.” WCPO. Np, nd Web. March 10, 2014. “Puppy Mills | Animal Rescue Corps. Animal Rescue Corps. Np, Web. Feb. 25, 2014. “Puppy Mill FAQs.” ASPCA. Np, nd Web. February 23, 2014. “State Puppy Laws.” Paws protected. Np, nd Web. March 10. 2014.