What is "puppy mill"

n. A farm that breeds dogs for profit, often in squalid conditions.

A puppy mill, sometimes known as a puppy farm, is a commercial dog breeding facility.

There are an estimated 4,000 puppy mills in the U.S. that produce more than half a million puppies a year. Commercial kennels may be licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture and state and local jurisdictions which may inspect the kennels routinely.

No standardized legal definition for "puppy mill" exists. The term "mill" is also applied to operations involving other animals commercially bred for profit, including cats. For-profit breeding on a smaller scale may be referred to as backyard breeding, although this term has negative connotations and may also refer to unplanned or non-commercial breeding.