HSUS Pushes ‘Puppy Mill’ Bills
To bolster support for a flurry of “puppy mill” laws it has championed this year, the Humane Society of the United States (Washington) in May called on small-scale breeders to “join in supporting reasonable standards to improve the welfare of dogs at puppy mills and restore consumer confidence.”
A press release issued by HSUS said that “puppy mill legislation pending in various states has faced resistance from some rank-and-file dog breeders, apparently out of unfounded fears about the potential impact if these bills become law.”
“Upstanding members of the purebred dog fancy have a chance to support legislation that will protect the dogs they love, clear their name and regain the public’s trust,” said Stephanie Shain, senior director of the HSUS puppy mill campaign. “These dog lovers shouldn’t defend an industry that is so abusive, and I hope all responsible breeders will join us in protecting man’s best friend.”
Legislation concerning commercial breeding has been introduced in more than two dozen states this year. Many of the bills include a cap on the number of unsterilized dogs that a facility can keep at one time. At press time, bills including such restrictions had been enacted in only one state—Washington—and had failed in six others (see “Caps on Intact Dogs”). A cap of 30 dogs was removed from a bill that succeeded in Indiana, while a cap of 20 dogs was dropped from breeder legislation put on hold in Illinois.
Two states passed legislation in 2008 limiting the number of intact dogs a breeder may possess: Virginia (50) and Louisiana (75). [July 2009 PET AGE]
CAPS ON INTACT DOGS
STATUS |
STATE |
Enacted |
Washington |
Pending |
California, Delaware, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas |
Failed |
Colorado, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, West Virginia |
 |
