To the Editor:

I am writing to you to bring attention to the poor regulations of puppy mills across the country. Puppy mills, or large-scale breeding facilities, are made to maximize profit rather than prioritize the health and welfare of the animals.

The mothers are often the most mistreated and are forced to have litter after litter of puppies with little medical care or recovery. All of the dogs live in small, cramped spaces that are rarely cleaned, which can result in fleas and disease.

These dogs receive minimal food and the water they receive is oftentimes not clean. Many of the dogs are underweight or have major health concerns with little done to treat them.

While there are some regulations in place, they are rarely enforced with few, cursory inspections done each year. These poorly regulated puppy mills encourage the mistreatment of dogs around the country for the simple goal of profit.

I suggest that we add more regulations in place and strictly enforce them to prevent this animal cruelty from continuing. Not only that, but we should punish those who run these abusive puppy mills with major fines or, in worse cases, time served.

Kate Manning

East Greenbush