puppy mill

noun

: a commercial farming operation in which purebred dogs are raised in large numbers and often in substandard or poor conditions
Currently, hundreds of thousands of dogs languish in puppy mills, large commercial breeding operations that supply most pet stores across the United States and contribute heavily to the pet overpopulation problem.Dog Watch

Examples of puppy mill in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Breeders, puppy mills, commercial pet shops and the veterinary industry have the money to lobby against reasonable regulation of their industries. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2024 Before his adoption, Marcel lived in a small cage at a puppy mill for years. Kelli Bender, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024 Ohio follows Missouri's 23 puppy mill dealers with 20, then Iowa with 15 and Wisconsin with 10. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 California’s underground puppy trade ‘raises serious alarms’ and demands for state action Lawmakers and animal welfare advocates said California must stop purging health records that could help trace dogs back to puppy mills. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for puppy mill 

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of puppy mill was in 1953

Dictionary Entries Near puppy mill

Cite this Entry

“Puppy mill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puppy%20mill. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!