puppy mill

American  

[puhp-ee mil] / ˈpʌp i ˌmɪl /

noun

puppy mills plural

1. an enterprise that breeds and raises large numbers of dogs, typically prioritizing profit at the expense of proper care and living conditions for the animals.

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Other Word Forms

• anti-puppy-mill
  adjective
• puppy-mill
  adjective

Example Sentences

California had previously sought to end the puppy mill pipeline when it became the first state in the nation to ban pet stores from selling commercially bred dogs beginning in 2019.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2025

She said Santos told her at the time that the dogs had been rescued from an Amish puppy mill.

From Washington Post • Feb. 10, 2023

There are these myths: “Oh, don’t adopt a puppy mill dog. They have problems, mental and breeding and physical.”

From New York Times • Oct. 18, 2022

A pet dog with a well-informed, motivated, and empathic human caregiver has more to lose than a dog caged at a research laboratory or in a puppy mill.

From Salon • Jan. 22, 2022

A massive Iowa puppy mill bust in 2018 stacked the BRC with nearly identical Samoyeds.

From Washington Times • Feb. 3, 2020