The protest in Thorp on Saturday is one of the latest efforts to put a stop to puppy mills in Wisconsin. Protesters want legislators to enact tougher laws to raise the standards for how these animals are treated.

Humane Society officials say the USDA has a licensing program where they go and inspect puppy mills, but the trick is that there are minimal standards.

For example, one standard for cages is that the animal has to have a minimum of just six inches of space around its body and can be caged all the time.

According to Eilene Ribbens-Rohde, the executive director of the No Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project, a wire cage and a piece of tin over the top is considered legal for shelter.

Because of the environment, these puppy mill dogs can acquire numerous problems from behavior to medical.

Chuck Wegner of the Clark County Humane Society says that many of the dogs that come to the shelter from puppy mill operations have tumors between their toes and open sores from standing on wire 24 hours a day, sometimes for years. One dog even had 38 teeth pulled because of rotten gums.

At Saturday's auction, we were able to see first hand how many of these dogs were so weak they could not even stand on the ground.

We weren't allowed to bring our camera into the building, but we were able to see first hand the dogs that were being sold.

The dogs were carried to the auction ring and were held by handlers. We witnessed large rottweilers, dogs that are typically known for their strength that could not even support their own body weight. They just laid down and put their heads on their paws.

What we saw was very consistent with the concerns expressed by organizations like the Humane Society and No Wisconsin Puppy Mills.

They say if you would like to see laws passed to regulate puppy mill operations, you should contact your local senator or state representative.