By Kathleen Summers

Pet stores are full of animals that seem to fit almost any lifestyle. Allergic to cats? Try a guinea pig instead! Small space? Get a hamster or a gerbil! Rodents give you the heebie jeebies? Try a parakeet.

The impulse purchase of a pet is usually a big mistake—small pets don't always have small needs, and the decision to provide a lifetime of care to any animal should never be taken lightly. But when choosing a pet there's something more to consider: your dollars might be supporting a pet mill.

Industrial Breeding More Than Puppies

Puppy mills are mass-breeding facilities that crowd hundreds of dogs into barren cages with little regard for their health or well-being. The breeding dogs at these farms are forced to live their entire lives in confinement, only to be destroyed or discarded when they can no longer churn out puppies. (Take action to stop puppy mills»)

But puppies aren't the only "products" of breeding mills. Kittens, ferrets, rabbits, birds and small pets like hamsters and guinea pigs are also often churned out in deplorable, factory-style conditions by dealers who in turn sell them to pet stores.

Don't Support the Industry

Commercial pet dealers who breed or sell most warmblooded animals to pet stores are required to be licensed and inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But USDA inspection reports reviewed by The Humane Society of the United States reveal that many of these breeders are guilty of repeated violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act, forcing thousands of small pets to live in crowded and dirty conditions.

So purchasing a pet from a pet store means supporting the cruel industry.

Shocking Conditions

Inspection reports from 2004-2006 revealed Animal Welfare Act violations that included:

• a cattery full of expired medications, which could leave the kittens exposed to deadly diseases
• a small animal breeder with "dead hamsters found in different enclosures housing other hamsters" and "green algae" growing in some of the animals' water bottles
• 11 guinea pigs who were housed in a small tub that was only large enough for four
• a ferret and chinchillas who did not have enough room to stand up in their cages
• rabbits in overcrowded enclosures less than 9 inches tall

Another small animal dealer housing more than 2,000 hamsters and other small pets had cages that had reportedly not been cleaned in weeks, sick hamsters being treated without a veterinary consult, holes in the walls and accumulations of dust, cobwebs and rodent droppings throughout the facility.

But as poor as conditions are for many of the animals in USDA-licensed facilities, conditions are even worse in many bird and reptile mills, which are not subject to USDA licensing or inspections at all. Birds and cold-blooded animals at these mills can suffer terrible overcrowding, have little or no vet care. They live their entire lives without ever being exposed to fresh air or sunlight. With no laws in place to protect these animals, the best way to stop the pet mills is for pet lovers to stop supporting the industry with pet store purchases.

Finding the Perfect Match

So how do you share your home with a bird, rabbit, hamster or other small pet without supporting a pet mill?

First, research the species' needs to see if you truly have the time, space and dedication to give the animal a lifetime of good care. Just because a pet is "cheap" does not mean his housing or vet care will be.

Next, visit your local animal shelter. Many shelters have a variety of small pets waiting for new homes, and some will keep a waiting list for people seeking a particular species. In addition, private rescue groups exist for almost every kind of pet, from rabbits to reptiles. Visit www.Pets911.com* or www.Petfinder.com to look up a shelter or rescue group in your area. With so many pets available from shelters and rescue groups, it is never necessary to support a pet mill.

*Pets911 is a sponsor of The HSUS's Spay Day USA.

Kathleen Summers is the Puppy Mills Program Assistant in the Companion Animals section of The HSUS.

Posted Feb. 29, 2008