Mass dog-breeding operations called puppy mills have been around for decades. They continue to be a problem because unsuspecting consumers keep buying those adorable puppies in the pet store window or on some slick Internet site. Or even through an ad in the trusted local newspaper.

But behind the friendly facade of these pet shops, web sites, and newspaper ads, there often lies a puppy mill. These canine breeding facilities frequently house dogs in shockingly poor conditions, particularly for "breeding stock". These are animals who are caged and continually bred for years, without human companionship and with little hope of ever becoming part of a family. After their fertility wanes, breeding animals are commonly killed, abandoned or sold to another mill. The annual result of all this breeding is hundreds of thousands of puppies, many with behavior and/or health problems.

The puppies will be shipped cross country by truck to be sold in pet shops, but many are also sold via newspaper classifieds or Internet sites — and are often accompanied by false claims such as, "We'd never sell puppies from a puppy mill."

The HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) wants you to get the facts on puppy mills and asks us all to take action to help stop the cruel treatment of dogs in puppy mills.