Dr. Nancy Kay is a vocal animal welfare advocate who speaks out against puppy mills, large-scale breeding facilities where profit is prioritized over the physical and psychological wellbeing of the animals. The breeding dogs spend their lives in cramped, filthy cages, producing litter after litter of puppies. Without proper nutrition or veterinary care, their health deteriorates and they are disposed of. Puppy millers sell most of their “livestock” online and via pet stores. Approximately 95% of pups sold in pet stores come from puppy mills.

Dr. Kay’s recent novel, A Dog Named 647, brings awareness about puppy mills to middle grade kids. She believes they can and will make a difference. To avoid a puppy mill purchase, never buy a puppy from a pet store and never by a pup online without paying a visit to the kennel and meeting the mama dog (most puppy mills do not allow visitors).