We have all seen those adorable faces and tiny whiffling noses pressed up against the glass and been tempted to get a puppy from the pet store. Have you ever considered though where those puppies are sourced from, if not a local breeder?

In a relatively small number of cases that might be true, but the fact remains that puppy mills supply huge numbers of puppies every year to pet stores, internet sales and even apparently reputable dog breeders' sites. What is a puppy mill? you may ask. The answer may shock you.

Puppy mills are canine intensive breeding plants, where literally thousands of puppies are bred to supply the pet industry. It's a sad life for a puppy mill puppy, from the very start.

Poor health, temperament issues and hereditary diseases are often the legacy of being bred at a Puppy Mill. Socialization rarely occurs as the puppies are taken away from their mother early, thus depriving them of these skills.

Poor health is contributed to by a lack of decent food and water, terrible cramped living conditions and overcrowding; and there is little chance for them to experience positive human interaction before being transported to the pet store

Usually when breeding dogs, breeders will study the blood line of each of the parents to check whether there is any risk of inherited diseases, so that they breed a healthy puppy. Medical and vaccination programs will also be adhered to, until the time they are released to a loving home.

You can check when buying a pedigree puppy if they come from a respectable breeder, by first visiting the premises, but also they should give you a certificate of bloodline. You should also get a guarantee, check with the breeder about the fine details; but you should not ever have to "exchange" the puppy.

It's a far cry from the puppy mill, where money is the main motivator. The goal is a conveyor belt of puppies to maximize profits. There is no interest in screening parents, checking for disease or making sure bloodlines remain clean, which can lead to a huge amount of problems.

The bitches have the worst deal, as they will be made to breed relentlessly in miserable health conditions. And once spent from this terrible life, they will be rewarded with abandonment or death.

Although there are laws Puppy mills still flourish. The only way to stop them is to remove the demand by refusing to buy a puppy unless you know its origins, or if it is from an animal shelter.

It is imperative that you don't buy a puppy from a mill to rescue him. It is creating a demand for another puppy to be bred into a life of suffering. Contact the appropriate bodies, and demand they take action.

Puppy mills only exist because of the end consumer, so buy puppies responsibly and ask some tough questions the next time you see puppies for sale.