Unfortunately, Dr. Cathy, they are. The USDA currently requires that anyone with 4 or more intact bitches who sells to pet shops or brokers be licensed with them. And did you know that Missouri is one of the biggest, if not THE biggest, puppy mill state in this country?
A few Midwestern states are home to the largest concentration of puppy mills in the country, the majority of which are USDA licensed. Many of the operators of these puppy mills hold other jobs and utilize mass-production methods to produce what they and government regulators consider an agricultural commodity. In a typical puppy mill the dogs are fed in the morning and again in the evening. Cleaning, sanitation and general maintenance are addressed as time permits, usually during the weekend, if at all. Most of these facilities are in rural areas and are family operated to supplement a modest income. In previous years USDA inspectors conducted at least one unannounced inspection per year at these facilities, however, federal authorities have recently adopted a "risk based" inspection program. Operators are given the opportunity to correct non-compliant items (technically, violations of federal law) that are disclosed during the inspection. If upon reinspection the violation or "non-compliant item" is not corrected, enforcement action should be taken in an effort to improve conditions at the facility. Inspection policies have deteriorated to such an extent that operators of these facilities can operate indefinitely with repeated disclosure of "non-compliant items." The emphasis has dramatically shifted from the "welfare" of the animals to commerce. A factor that no doubt has contributed to this phenomenon is the decline in traditional small family farms.
Although some of the larger breeders house thousands of dogs in their facilities the average puppy mill will house between 65 and 75 animals, most housed in hutch-style cages with wire floors. Fecal matter drops to the ground below and waste accumulates beneath the cage, providing a haven for flies and other vermin. Even with fairly prompt removal of waste the ground becomes permeated with stench because the urine cannot be raked away. Dogs housed in indoor facilities endure an equally deplorable existence with ammonia vapors and odors permeating poorly ventilated buildings. Rodents, flies, and other pests plague the animals almost constantly. Solid surfaces are supposed to protect the legs of puppies; however, as they mature and scout out their surroundings feet and legs often fall through wire floors designed to allow fecal matter to fall through. The resulting injuries compound their misery. Their soft coats of fur become soiled with fecal matter that didn't drop through the
cage adding insult to injury.
I don't know where you got your dogs, but if you buy from a pet shop it's pretty easy to assume they are puppy mill pups. Some people, however, are really surprised when they go through a broker, to find out their puppy is puppy mill puppy. A gal on another forum thought she was getting a female puppy from a top breeder who was only being sold because since she was so small at 4 months, her breeder knew she couldn't be bred or shown. She traced her origin and found out she really came from a mill in Kansas.