As we approach the time of year when some families may be considering adding a new pet, news out of Holmes County, Ohio reminds us there is a lot to consider in such a decision.

Should a family determine they have the time and resources to make the commitment to love and care for a pet for the rest of its life, the next question is where to find the right pet.

When looking to bring a dog into the family, it is essential to avoid rewarding those who make their living by abusing dogs in puppy mills. And there are still plenty of those in the Buckeye State.

Paws for Miles in Loveland, Ohio just rescued 70 dogs from what WKRC described as “deplorable conditions” under an Amish dog breeder. The operator had called the nonprofit after he was alerted to an upcoming state inspection. According to the report by WKRC, the operator wanted to offload as many animals as he could before inspectors arrived.

But the rescuers described conditions at his facility as “horrifying.”

“They can only move so much when there’s 20 of them inside of a 10-foot by 20-foot pen,” said Aaron Jones of Paws for Miles.

Too often in Ohio, that is the kind of situation a buyer is supporting by purchasing an animal billed as a pure breed dog.

Do your homework. If it is important to you to bring into your family a pure breed animal, research reputable breeders who work hard to avoid the kinds of conditions Paws for Miles found.