A puppy mill is a “factory farm” for dogs where their conditions are often brutal and dirty.
The Indiana State Senate passed the controversial “Puppy Mill Bill,” also known as House Bill 1412, which prevents cities from banning the sale of dogs in pet stores. 21 Living News reported.
The bill now awaits the governor's final signature before taking effect.
According to Jonathan Lawler, director of the Indiana Animal Welfare Council, the measure would require pet companies to buy animals only from ethically responsible breeders and to provide buyers with all information about the animals they sell in advance.
Samantha Chapman, Indiana state director of The Humane Society of the United States, said that since the bill eliminates current rules on the sale of dogs in retail pet stores, it may lead to increased supply of controversial puppy mills. .
She said, “Really, what this legislation allows is for a pet store to open up for the sale of puppies in any Hoosier town.
“And now that the barriers are being removed in terms of local ordinances that limit the sale of dogs and cats from puppy mills, it allows pet stores to expand throughout the Hoosier state.”
A puppy mill is a “factory farm” for dogs, where the welfare, comfort and health of the dogs are subordinated to the needs of the business. The conditions in these factories are often dirty, brutal and appalling.
Almost all pet stores that sell puppies come from factories.
