Dear Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack,

Puppy mill breeding is a dangerous business. Puppies from puppy mills are widely known to be raised in sub-par conditions with little freedom to exercise or play. The dogs are often sold in poor health because the breeder's main interest is to produce as many dogs as possible for financial gain.

This is the scenario of puppy mills in the United States; now imagine what they must be like in other countries that don't have as stringent of animal protection laws. Many times, puppies from other countries are raised in breeding mills and then shipped off to America in airline cargo holds. They almost always arrive sick and malnourished.

We must deal with the animal cruelty problem in the United States before we can begin to tackle that of other countries. We need to enforce the ban on puppy mill imports in order to discourage the industry elsewhere. As long as we accept the animals, the cruel puppy mill trade will continue.

Please enforce the ban on puppy mill imports.

Thank you.