When Darcy Dixon walked into the pet store, she expected to leave with a gift for her husband. She was greeted by puppies in glass containers and a large “No Puppy Mill Promise” on the wall. 

“I wanted to do something nice for him. You know, this is a dog he's wanted his whole life,” she said. She picked out Mabel, a basset hound puppy that cost the family $3,000. Since that purchase in June, Mabel has cost the family roughly $3,300 in medical bills. “We do love the puppy. She's a part of our family; she's a super cute dog,” Dixon said. “But had I known that I was going to be out almost $7,000, I never would have bought this dog.” Dixon is not alone in her concerns. Others have purchased dogs from the store that have similarly had health or behavioral issues, though some pet buyers have reported great experiences and happy pets. 

Activists fighting against puppy mills advise against purchasing from stores, or any place where customers cannot meet the animal’s parents. 

While there is no legal definition of a puppy mill, Officer Genesis Orellana of Weber County Animal Services says she defines a puppy mill as a facility that has “the max quantity of dogs you can have with minimal care.” She said this often borders on neglect. She offered warnings to prospective buyers to help them avoid supporting inhumane practices 

Problem puppies 

Dixon described the financial strain having such a sick puppy has put on their family, being a single income home with Dixon caring for her mother-in-law.

She said that in the few short months she has had Mabel, the puppy has had pneumonia, bronchitis, roundworm and giardia. 

While other patrons had positive experiences, activists still advise purchasing anywhere you can’t meet the puppy’s parents.

Giardia is spread through fecal contamination and is common in densely populated areas, such as pet stores, according to VCA Hospitals. While healthy adult dogs are typically safe, it can be deadly in puppies if left untreated. 

Roundworm can be transmitted through feces, but can also be passed through the placenta of an infected, pregnant dog. 

Dixon detailed her attempts to make good on the store's health guarantees, filing a claim and being told she had to file again, before being informed it would take up to 12 weeks for her claim to be processed. 

“I kind of want to sit outside with a poster board that says, ‘The Puppy Store sells sick animals,’” Dixon said. 

Samantha Magnum, who purchased her toy fox terrier Chip from The Puppy Store in West around 2019, has had a similarly poor experience. She explained that Chip came home with a respiratory infection, is reactive and anxious, and she believes is going blind. Magnum purchased Chip on a discount, which voided his health guarantee. 

“They are really good at tugging on the heart strings,” she said. “They are sales people; they do what they have to to get you to buy a puppy.” 

When she asked for his health records, the store refused to share them. She believes that Chip not only came from a puppy mill, but that he was severely inbred. 

While she was given a breeder's name, she was not given contact information. Attempts to contact the breeder have been unsuccessful. Magnum explained the breeder had changed their name, and searches for a breeder under either name did not yield results.

Andrea McNiven, who purchased a puppy from the Vineyard location in 2023, has also had health concerns for her dog. She explained that her golden retriever has a significant underbite that was not apparent when she was young. The underbite became a medical concern when it caused bleeding to the dog's mouth. McNiven contacted the store to request they pay for the dental surgery her dog required, but was denied on the basis that dental care wasn’t covered by the health warranty. They did, however, offer to replace her dog. 

“I don’t want to just give her up. I love her,” McNiven said. “She's a member of the family now.”  

Positive experiences 

Not every client of the store has had an unpleasant experience, however. Alex Ingleby, who purchased a yorkie from the West Jordan location in 2020, said besides some separation anxiety, his dog is happy and healthy. 

Makhail Petrie reported a similarly uneventful experience. She purchased a Shiba Inu Pomeranian mix in December 2020. She has not had any issues with her dog and felt that the store prepared her well for the breed.

Haylie Denkers had an excellent experience with the store, going so far as to say, “This is the best place we’ve ever gotten a dog from.” She is even considering buying another puppy from The Puppy Store. 

She purchased a beagle from the Vineyard location in 2024 and says that he is more well behaved than many other beagles she has seen. She felt the store prepared them well for the breed and went over everything to be aware of before purchase. She was also pleased with the store's contract. Denkers particularly mentioned the clause that stated the store would help owners rehome the dog if needed, rather than taking the animal back. 

What experts and activists have to say 

The Puppy Store advertises a “No Puppy Mill Promise,” as well as the fact that it uses USDA licensed or hobby breeders. A USDA or United States Department of Agriculture license is required for a breeder with four or more breeding females or a breeder who sells an animal before the client sees it. 

Samantha Mangum bought Chip in 2019 in West Jordan. (Photo courtesy Samantha Mangum)

According to Humane World for Animals there are as many as 10,000 puppy mills in the U.S., and fewer than 3,000 of these are USDA licensed. 

The Puppy Store owner and manager declined comment when contacted for an interview. As there is no legal definition of “puppy mill,” the definition varies by organization. Bailing Out Benji Utah Team Leader Amy Motta says the organization defines a puppy mill as a breeder who values profit over the dogs in their care. Bailing Out Benji is a national nonprofit seeking to end the suffering of dogs in puppy mills, Motta says. 

She explained that as puppy mills are not illegal, Bailing Out Benji seeks to find breeders who are operating outside of the law. They provide an online service that allows prospective buyers to look up a breeder and see what violations, if any, the breeder has on their record. She emphasized 

the importance of researching the breeder and meeting the parents of the puppy before purchasing. 

Andrea Kaz, the southern Utah representative for Bailing Out Benji, said the group is not against reputable and ethical breeding. “But those come with a responsibility, and responsible, ethical breeders have a contract. They gladly show you the parents. They have a home-type facility where the puppies are raised,” she said. 

Orellana underscored the importance of research in purchasing a puppy. She warned that cute pictures online may not tell the truth of the living conditions of these dogs and their parents. Kaz said it would take “a lot of forward thinking” to make Utah puppy-mill free. Activists and professionals urge buyers to meet the parents of the dogs they purchase and research both the breeder and the breed before taking home a puppy. 

“When people stop buying the puppies, then the demand shrinks and then the supply will shrink,” Motta said.