Federal government responds to "puppy mills", asking for your input.

Last year I signed a petition to reign in the sale of commercial dog breeding over the internet, to increase protections to dogs bred in "puppy mills". The White House response can be found here.  The fight against some of the inhumane practices of large scale breeding operations has been ongoing since the advent of the internet. One of the most prominent being launched by the ASPCA.

Whatever side of the argument you are on, the federal government has drafted a proposed amendment to current legislation and is asking for your feedback.

View the proposed legislation here.

The central change of this legislation is the redefining what a pet store is. Currently, anything defined as a pet store does not fall under the auspices of Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulation and does not require licensing. The change would narrow the scope of what is defined as a pet store, and would require an estimated 1,500 breeders to become subject to AWA rules of basic care for animals.

There are still a few exemptions to these requirements. They feel that with certain established breeders if a person can physically go to the location where the animal is being bred, view the conditions and health of the pet, that should negate the need for inspection. Further, if a person only maintains no more than four (a proposed increase to the current three) intact females, they are also exempt in order to concentrate on the operations posing the greatest risk.

The proposed rule makes a point of explaining how they came up with their decisions, options they had considered, and why they feel that this is not being sufficiently taken care of on a state level requiring federal intervention.  But this rule is not yet law. The government is asking that we the people weigh in.

So, here is your chance to be a part of the democratic process. Here is the link to make a comment. Agree, disagree, have a better idea? Let it be known!

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Maryland proposes a tax credit for adopting a shelter pet and strikes a blow to puppymills

Here is HB 882. The basic premise of this bill is if you adopt a pet from an approved shelter or rescue, you can get a one time tax credit of $100. There is wording in the bill limiting the use of the credit and it shouldn't allow for potential abuse. Approved shelters will probably be registered not for profits in the state, and the limits on the use of the credit will limit potential hoarding. I have to say that this put a smile on my face. (Especially after seeing a bill in Ohio that would criminalize fostering). 

I'm all about this. If we incentivise pet adoption over pet sales, we will find it would greatly reduce the burden on city shelters and would save money (and lives) in the long run.

Pair this with Maryland's other resolution, HB 131 (which would require pet stores provide records on their pets, health disclosures, and provide purchaser remedies of certain health ailments) and I am greatly approving of the direction our neighbor state is moving. Puppy mills are often supplying the dogs in pet stores. This bill gives people the right to know where the dog came from and possible protections against any future illness of the pet with financial reimbursement.

By making stores financially responsible for selling sick pets, they would  stop selling them. Imagine a "lemon law" for pet stores.

If either of these bills pass, it will be a rallying cry for other states to follow. 

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Putting it into perspective- 337

Dog overpopulation. 

Honestly, a year ago I knew nothing about it. Now I find myself preoccupied. The numbers are incredible. It is estimated that 4 to 5 million pets are put down each year in shelters due to overpopulation. That number is insane when you think of it. That's the population of South Carolina. 

The tragic thing is that this is also about the same number of dogs being produced by puppy mills and backyard breeders. So, if the entire country didn't buy a dog for a year, and opted to adopt from their local shelters, if everyone took advantage of low cost spay and neuter clinics, there would be no dog overpopulation.

But I'm not going to be able to reach the entire country with this post, nor will I be able to change everyone's mind even if they did read this. Besides, when you shoot out a number like 5 million, it tends to desensitize people. The number is too big, the problem is too large. That's how I felt, and still feel.

But what about the number 337?  

The Norfolk Animal Control Center is a great pound, but it is capacity controlled. Last year they put down 337 dogs (304 adults, 33 puppies) who were healthy and adoptable. They just ran out of room. 

I can't fix 5 million, but I can try and help out those 337. My Craigslist Project may seem small, but I'm trying to make a difference. Here are the faces of some of the dogs that got adopted in January. They found their happy endings, let's see if we can make some more.

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SB 610, why it matters, and why Virginian dogs need our help.

Let me introduce SB 610. This bill's patron is Senator Richard Black (R) of Virginia's District 13. This is what worries me. 

Under the new legislation, hunting dogs, working dogs, and show dogs would be reclassified as livestock. By doing so, these animals would fall under the Department of Agriculture, and "The Department occupies the entire field of regulation of the care, control, and handling of agricultural animals. No political subdivision, locality, or humane society shall regulate the care and handling of agricultural animals. "

As innocent as this may seem, this bill opens up the entire animal rights debate, and particular to dogs exposes the constant struggle between animal rights groups and puppy mills, certain hunt clubs, on occasion the American Kennel Club, and others.

Let me begin by stating that supporters of this bill are already eyeing the potential ramifications of this legislation. They are also very well organized.

Dog overpopulation and the euthanasia of pets in shelters has become a nation wide epidemic. One of the principle architects of these problems are puppy mills. This bill would help to provide protections to a mass production of animal abuses.

Further, the inclusion of "Traditional Farm Practices" would potentially allow for dog mutilation for aesthetics and convenience. 

Ultimately, this bill decidedly hampers the ability of any intervention, and puts dogs in danger. From the groundwork of this bill will come a break down of the current limited protection of pets. 

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When a rescue is not really a rescue

People who buy dogs from breeders or stores can have a hard time sorting out which are puppy mills. Adoption should be a simple decision to ensure that you aren't supporting any bad practices. Turns out there are good rescues and not so good rescues.

The Profiteers:
One of the first rescues I looked into was All American Dachshund Rescue. Any potential surrender had to pay to get their dog vetted prior to turn bringing the dog up to date on shots, get them fixed, etc. Dogs would only be accepted when a foster home was available. As for the potential foster, they required an annual fee for the privilege and the foster covered many medical and associated costs. Finally, they could charge an application fee, a "Health Certificate Fee", and adoption fee often hundreds of dollars from would be adoptive parents.  This 501 "charity" is a very lucrative business. Not only do they have no overhead, they rarely incurred medical bills, and they receive money from the surrender, foster, adopter, donations, and the government. (Sometimes even re-selling a dog) This was no longer about rescue, but about finding out how much people were willing to pay.

Wholesale / Resale:
Certain rescues have been getting into trouble here in the tidewater area. Unfortunately, our neighbor North Carolina has a dog overpopulation problem they can't get under control. Kill shelters are found readily. They are desperate and just give dogs away to anyone who says rescue, whether or not they are legitimate. Some groups drive across the state border pick up the dogs for free or cheap, and then just drop them off with a marked up price. Here in lies the problem. These animals are often not vetted, are not spayed/neutered, and have had no behavior assessments. Adopters or fosters are left to deal with problems, and the rescue readily takes the adoption fee. There is a growing list of complaints against these groups and the business model of get dogs cheap, and get them gone fast.

The Puppymill lite
There are people refereed to as backyard breeders, trying to sell puppies advertising themselves as a rescue. I see them on Craigslist angling for the sympathy vote as well as the lucrative puppy "adoption" fees (often priced two to three times that of an adult dog.) There are also certain rescues who only pull pregnant females from pounds so that they can sell off the pups at 8 weeks. It tends to take the nobility from rescuing when the goal is to save a dog so that it can make you money. But make money they do, and in a very big way. So much so, that "rescues" are bringing in dogs from Mexico just to sell more puppies. Seriously. I recently signed a petition to reign in online pet sales and the White House Response included a note about the importation of sick puppies. I looked into that more and was simply amazed.

Please, please, please, understand that I still completely support my local pound, SPCA, and legitimate rescue groups. "Adopt, Don't Shop" all the way. I just wanted to express this minority of rescues are making the whole process of trying to help just a little harder on me, and I imagine on others as well.

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