Puppy Mills in Hong Kong

Simply put, they are large scale dog breeding operations that aim to produce the most number of puppies for the least cost.

The contrast between reputable breeders and puppy mill operators could not be more stark. Breeders will work with one or two breeds who they completely understand and can care for the mothers and their litters. No such care is given by puppy mill operators who can sometimes produce 70 different breeds at a time.

Dogs are kept in horrible conditions. To minimise waste clean-up, dogs are often kept in tiny cages with wire flooring that injures their paws and legs. These cages are stacked on top of each other to maximise use of space. Those at the bottom are faced with the indignity of being soiled upon by the dogs above.

Dogs in puppy mills do not receive adequate food or water and receive little or no veterinary care. Disease is rife and spreads rapidly throughout the facility.

Mother dogs are kept constantly pregnant until they cannot produce any more puppies. As soon as their puppies start to eat solid food, they are taken away to be sold and the mother is mated again. To save on costs, the mothers rarely receive proper, if any, veterinary care. Some die in labour; others are discarded on the street.

Mother dogs are unvaccinated and often in poor health and therefore do not pass any maternal antibodies onto their puppies.

Due to their continuous breeding, many mother dogs are very malnourished; the puppies take all of their nutrients, resulting in literal broken bodies.

In Hong Kong, inexpensive puppies smuggled in from China puppy mills are mixed with locally-reared litters. This often means healthy puppies are mixed in with sick puppies and illness spreads rapidly. Many die before they are even sold and some die shortly after purchase from the contagious, fatal diseases such as canine parvovirus and distemper.

Many are operated by fake “hobby breeders” who are simply large scale breeders exploiting a loophole in the current law: private pet owners who breed from their own animals do not require a license.

SPCA raids of puppy mills have resulted in pitiful fines because it cannot be proved that the operator was breeding dogs for sale. Hong Kong’s pet trade licensing laws and fines are currently under review; please support our petition in support of new tougher laws!