A Massachusetts couple chose a breeder recommended by a friend. They received photos and videos of the puppy they wanted and paid a substantial amount for her, believing they had found a breeder they could trust. Then the puppy arrived.

In Time magazine, veterinarian Dr. Karen Fine recalled examining the tiny dog just days after the family brought her home. She weighed only 2 pounds—less than half what she should have—and her abdomen was noticeably distended. Fine suspected she had come from a puppy mill. The couple was stunned.

Puppy Mill Awareness Day (September 19) is a reminder that puppy mills don’t exist because people approve of them. They exist because many of the people keeping them in business don’t know they are.

The puppy trade has adapted to consumers’ growing awareness of these dismal operations. Polished websites feature professionally staged photographs of bright-eyed puppies, glowing descriptions and reassuring claims about health and “responsible breeding.” Some sites even “warn” shoppers about puppy mills while claiming that they carefully screen their breeders. Pet stores present the same sort of picture: clean, appealing puppies displayed under bright lights, with no indication of where they were born or how they got there. What buyers see is carefully designed to conceal what they don’t.

Puppies sold in stores may pass from commercial breeders to brokers, spending days packed into cargo vans with scores of other puppies as urine and feces accumulate beneath their crates. Their immature immune systems leave them especially vulnerable to illness, and the stress and filthy conditions can make sick puppies even sicker. By the time puppies arrive at the store, they may have traveled hundreds of miles, while the puppy mills supplying the store stay safely out of the customer’s view.

Dogs in puppy mills may spend years confined to cramped, filthy enclosures, exposed to extreme temperatures and denied veterinary care. Infections go untreated, from respiratory illnesses that cause coughing and labored breathing to eye infections that leave eyes swollen and crusted with discharge. Fleas and other parasites cause dogs to scratch until their skin is raw and inflamed. Matted coats pull at the skin, while overgrown nails make standing and walking difficult. Rotten teeth make eating painful. With little or no exercise, stimulation or companionship, some dogs pace endlessly, spin in circles or cower in the corners of their cages.

Behind every puppy is their mother. You won’t see her—few do. She spends her life giving birth to litter after litter. She’ll never chase a ball, sniff her way through a walk, stretch out in the sun or sleep somewhere soft and safe. And when her body wears out and she’s no longer profitable, the breeder may auction her off or even kill her.

You may not always be able to tell whether a puppy comes from a puppy mill, but you can choose not to take the risk. Shelters and adoption agencies across the country are bursting at the seams with puppies and dogs of virtually every age, size, color and temperament. And if you have your heart set on a particular breed, chances are you can adopt one, too. At least 25% of dogs in animal shelters are purebred, and breed-specific organizations and sites such as Petfinder can help you find the dog you’re looking for.

The Massachusetts couple thought they knew where their puppy came from. Most people who buy puppies from pet stores or online breeders think the same thing. A convincing website, glowing assurances and even a personal recommendation don’t guarantee that cruelty isn’t hiding behind a sale. There’s a simple way to avoid being fooled: Adopt—don’t shop.

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Melissa Rae Sanger is a licensed veterinary technician and a senior writer for the PETA Foundation, 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510; www.PETA.org.

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