Unregulated breeders abuse animals for profit

…Law enforcement and animal-welfare groups say “backyard breeders,” the Arizona equivalent of small-scale puppy mills, are a chronic problem. The breeders raise puppies in poor conditions, often without enough water, food, shelter or medical care. Because they sell directly to consumers, they are free from federal restrictions and inspections required of businesses that sell animals to pet stores.

No one knows how many backyard breeders operate because no agency tracks them and new breeders go in and out of business all the time. Animal-welfare groups estimate the Arizona numbers are at least in the thousands. Law-enforcement officials estimate that only a fraction are exposed when people call and complain of animal cruelty.

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