I AM writing in to let animal lovers know about puppy mills, of places where dogs are bred in an inhumane way to feed the supply for pet sales.

Puppy mills are breeding facilities that produce puppies in large numbers and sell them to unsuspecting customers.

They are designed to maximise profits, and commonly disregard the physical, social and emotional health of the dogs in their facilities. They are also poorly maintained, and the animals are locked in cages.

Puppy mills can lurk behind that beautiful website selling that cute puppy; that ad in the newspaper or magazine, and even behind the doors of your neighbourhood pet store.

Many people spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to buy a puppy, only to find out that it is actually seriously ill due to its inhumane treatment in its breeding ground, and needs costly veterinary care to save its life.

However, they are ways where people can prevent such things from happening.

The best way to stop puppy mills is for consumers to stop buying puppies from such places.

When you buy a puppy there, you are creating another space for another puppy to be caged and sold.

Never buy a dog unless you can see for yourself where it was born, how it was kept and in what condition the dogs were in.

If you really want to buy a pure breed, the best way is to buy from a reputable breeder, where you can make sure the dogs are kept in a good condition and you can see the temperament of the mother before you decide whether this puppy is suitable for your home.

Another good way of getting puppies is to go to an animal shelter, such as the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

People who love dogs need to help such puppies from being mistreated by making sure they are not supporting a puppy mill.

Sylvia Chee Xiao Wei