10/18/2025
One of the largest puppy-selling websites claims to work only with "responsible, ethical breeders," using phrases like "star breeder" and "small operation" to describe where their pups come from. Here’s the truth❗
Take Royal (pictured), for example. He's advertised as coming from a "star breeder" running a "small operation" with her mother. The truth? Royal comes from a large commercial breeding facility in Oklahoma with over 180 dogs. Just weeks after Royal and his littermates were born and listed for thousands of dollars each, their mother was put up for sale at a Missouri dog auction where breeding dogs are bought and sold.
These websites are doing what pet stores do: marketing cruel, commercially bred puppies as top-quality dogs from the country's top breeders. But just like at a pet store, buyers can't see where the puppy came from, how many dogs lived there or what living conditions were like. Many don't even know the breeder's identity—let alone get to ask questions directly. The puppies sold on sites like these come from the same places pet store puppies do: large commercial breeding facilities (aka puppy mills) where hundreds of dogs live in cages, churning out puppies for profit.
Don't let them fool you.
If you are looking for a dog, consider adopting from your local shelter. If you're buying a puppy, work with a breeder who invites you to visit, see where the puppy was raised and meet the mom. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3WL41el