enlarge Gordon Chibroski/Staff Photographer

Beware: That wrinkly faced pug or silky haired Shih Tzu gazing at you from a Web site might be part of the cover for a puppy mill.

Animal welfare advocates say the Internet is leading to a proliferation of puppy mills -- breeding facilities that place production and profit over animal welfare.

These operations also may sell animals through print ads and pet stores, the advocates say, while enticing other customers with cute online photos and professional looking Web sites.

Conditions at puppy mills can include crowded cages, over- breeding, inadequate veterinary care, insufficient food and lack of socialization. The animals can suffer from health problems, genetic defects and behavioral issues.

"It's all about the money," said Carol Ann MacKinnon, program coordinator at the Animal Welfare Society of Kennebunk. "These puppy mills, they are a shameful industry."

The state is trying to keep better tabs on unlicensed breeders with a new law --effective Sept. 21 --that requires them to get a vendor's license if they advertise in any print media more than once a year.

Maine also requires anyone with five or more adult dogs capable of breeding to get a license, which subjects the operator to annual inspections.

The new law comes at a time of heightened awareness about questionable breeding operations.

On Aug. 22, police in Buxton raided what they called a large- scale puppy mill. The owners of J'Aime Kennel, John and Heidi Frasca, received 14 summonses charging them with operating an unlicensed kennel and three others charging animal cruelty and failure to provide necessary medical treatment to animals.

The Frascas have defended their operation against the accusations, saying that they took good care of their dogs.

Whatever the ultimate resolution of these criminal charges, the case and the upcoming licensing law bring attention to what animal welfare advocates say is a growing problem.

Amy Carlson of Cape Elizabeth believes her dog's health issues stem from the animal's origins in a Missouri puppy mill.

A few months after she adopted Colby through a miniature pinscher rescue organization, the puppy developed itchy, open sores on her belly, legs and vulva. Colby also had problems with a dislocating kneecap.

Both issues, Carlson said, could be the result of bad breeding practices.

The next several years were filled with frequent visits to veterinarians, special baths, benadryl and hydroxyzine and even acupuncture.

Strengthening work, loads of exercise, a wholesome diet and plenty of love and attention have made Colby the healthy, happy 8-year-old dog she is today.

"We bucked the odds," said Carlson, a dog walker and pet sitter and co-president of All Miniature Pinscher Service.

It's not clear how many puppy mills exist in the United States or how much money they make.

But the Humane Society of the United States estimates between 5,000 and 10,000 unlicensed facilities are operating in the country. Federal regulations require licensing for operations with more than three females, but only for wholesalers.

A patchwork of regulations exist at the state level, with many states having no requirements.

Dogs can sell for about $300 to more than $3,000, depending on the breed and its popularity, said Stephanie Shain, outreach director of the Humane Society of the United States.

"It makes it more difficult for the consumer because often we think 'You get what you pay for,'" she said. "It just doesn't hold here."

The state of Maine deals with about 10 puppy-mill cases a year, said Norma Worley, director of the Maine Agriculture Department's animal welfare program.

But that number does not reflect the extent of the problem, she said. People are wary of putting their names to a complaint because it's possible their names would become public information on search warrants, she said. And enforcement is limited because the state...