Breeder or Puppy Mill

[Chris & Boys]

With the info on Almost Heaven posted the other day I wondered........how many kennels does a state allow a breeder to have? Where is the line drawn between breeder and mill operator? Do they just consider it a mill if the dogs are mistreated? What is the limit of dogs a responsible breeder should be breeding?

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Some states have no laws regarding puppy mills or breeding at all. Dogs are considered livestock or products. Not the pets we consider them to be. Some states have begun to "discuss" laws but many laws are stalled or never get passed. I don't know of any state that requires breeders to have a license, there may be. Puppy Mills is a term coined, I think by the HSUS and fought by animal rescue and welfare groups but in many instances, like Almost Heaven (or Almost Hell as we call it) have been being fought for a couple of years now. He grins and continues his torture.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Some important updates on efforts taking place across our country to raise awareness of puppy mills, dog auctions, pet stores and the entities that support and keep them in business:

1. COLORADO. On January 21, The puppy mill bill was officially introduced into the Colorado state legislature. The bill limits the number of adult, unaltered dogs a breeder can maintain, mandates annual veterinary exams, and prohibits individuals convicted of animal cruelty of obtaining a breeder license.


2. ILLINOIS. On January 19, announcement of a Puppy Mill bill, sponsored by Fritchey and state Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-Mt. Prospect), was introduced into the Illinois state legislature. The Bill, called Chloe's Bill, was named after a young female dog that was rescued from a filthy, unlicensed puppy mill in Downstate Macon County. The legislation, if passed in its proposed form, would:


Create a Dog Breeder License Act, which would prevent breeders from having more than 20 unaltered (not neutered or not spayed) dogs.
Prohibit people from obtaining a dog-breeding license if they have been convicted of a felony animal-cruelty crime, including dog fighting.
Require dog breeders to keep dogs in buildings without wire flooring and with sufficient heating, cooling and ventilation.
Require pet stores and breeders to provide potential pet buyers with the dog's full medical history, information of spaying and neutering and information about any prior medical care.
Establish penalties starting with fines and escalating to having animals seized and breeding operations shut down.


3. INDIANA. The puppy mill bill amendment passed the House committee vote yesterday and will be voted on in the full House next week. For more details on this bill, click here - > http://www.in. gov/apps/ lsa/session/ billwatch/ billinfo? year=2009&session=1&request=getBill&docno=1468&doctype=HB

The Summary of the Puppy Mill Amendment includes:

A.) Anyone who during a 12 month period maintains at least 10 adult female dogs that have not been spayed and are over four months of age (exempts shelters, rescues and animal control organizations) .

B.) Standards of care (ventilation, sanitary conditions, illumination, temperature, exercise and cage size requirements; no wire flooring).

C.) Vet Care - Every animal must receive a physical exam from a licensed veterinarian every year and the breeder must maintain veterinary records on each animal. Surgical procedures or euthanasia of
any animal may not be performed by anyone other than a licensed veterinarian.

D.) Pet Store Disclosure - Requires any pet store to post name, city and state of each pup's breeder as well as name, city and state of any broker. Pet stores must maintain veterinary records on each animal and make them available to purchasers or prospective purchasers.

E.) Lemon Language - Requires breeder to provide another dog or full refund if dog is found to be sick within 21 days of purchase. Or, if dog is found to have congenital problems within a year, the breeder must also reimburse the buyer for vet bills (not to exceed the purchase price of the dog).

F.) Cap Language - Maximum of 20 dogs that are (older than) one year and have not been altered at any address or location.

G.) Breeding limitation - dogs cannot be bred without annual certificate from vet, must be at least 18 months of age and less than eight years of age. Female dogs shall only be allowed to whelp one litter per year.

H.) Animal Cruelty Convictions - Individuals convicted of animal cruelty under Indiana code may not operate a commercial breeding facility. Additionally, commercial breeders may not hire staff who have been convicted of animal cruelty.

I.) Registration with the State Board of Animal Health - yearly registration of anyone who fits the above definition of a puppy mill. $50 yearly registration fee. Class C infraction for not registering as a commercial breeder.


4. OHIO. The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) is preparing for a face-to-face meeting with HSUS President Wayne Pacelle, a meeting initiated by HSUS. Ohio's constitution does allow for ballot initiatives and as many of you are aware, Ohio voters and taxpayers aren't bashful about putting initiatives on the ballot. Since the passage of Proposition 2 in California, there has been a lot of speculation as to what state might be next, Ohio has been one of the states mentioned. MARY'S NOTE: It is our hope that a ballot initiative to ban dog auctions may be a very real possibility for 2009.

For more information, we invite you to view the article, "Ohio Farm Bureau to meet with HSUS" - > http://www.brownfie ldnetwork. com/gestalt/ go.cfm?objectid= 5CFF61D1- 5056-B82A- D06E8C420A3FAD83.


5. OKLAHOMA. The Oklahoma Pet Quality Assurance and Protection Act, H.B. 1332, passed the House committee vote (11-2) yesterday and will be voted on in the full House in the very near future.

This proposed legislation would set regulations for dog and cat breeders, and authorize a state agency to inspect kennels and facilities that sell more than 25 animals a year. The Pet Quality Assurance Enforcement Fund will be funded from fees, fines, etc. and will provide the necessary means to support enforcement.

For more details concerning this legislation, we invite you to read the article, "OK House to Vote on Puppy Mill Bill" - > http://newsok. com/house- to-vote-on- puppy-mill- bill/article/ 3344976


6. PENNSYLVANIA. With a vote of 192 for and 0 agains t, House Bill 39, amending Pennsylvania' s Crimes Code for animal cruelty and introduced by Representative Tom Caltagirone (D-Berks), passed in today's session. The proposed legislation will impose criminal penalties for specific medical procedures if not performed by a licensed veterinarian including debarking, c-section births and tail docking. The act of ear cropping by anyone other than a vet is already prohibited in Pennsylvania.

The legislation now heads for the Senate.


7. TENNESSEE. State lawmakers are trying diligently to curb bad breeding operations by regulating breeders and creating an inspection process. State Sen. Doug Jackson is proposing legislation that he hopes will put an end to what many call puppy mills. The bill would require any breeder with more than 20 animals to pay a $500 licensing fee to the state. If you have more than 40, it goes up to $1,000. Commercial breeders would also be inspected yearly.

For more information, we invite you to view the article, "Senator Hopes Legislation Ends Puppy Mills" - > http://www.wsmv. com/video/ 18661052/ index.html.

Also, a suspected puppy mill in Sparta, TN was raided yesterday morning. The bust involved the rescue of over 275 dogs. Click here to read more - > http://www.wsmv. com/news/ 18692339/ detail.html.


8. WASHINGTON. In the wake of the recent seizures of hundreds of sick or neglected dogs from alleged puppy mill operations in Skagit and Snohomish counties, state lawmakers are considering a bill that would regulate breeders who own a large number of dogs. A Senate committee on Monday discussed the bill, which would provide "humanitarian requirements for certain dog breeding practices" by limiting breeders to keeping a maximum of 25 dogs at any one location and also by setting strict guidelines for the housing and care of the animals.

For more details concerning this legislation, we invite you to read the article, "Lawmakers Consider Bill Targeting Puppy Mills - > http://www.komonews .com/news/ 39342082. html.


Also, don't forget that the next scheduled Buckeye Dog Auction is expected to take place on Saturday, March 21, 2009. Additional details regarding this event (as they become available) will be posted to the Home page of http://www.banohiod ogauctions. com/.

Let's hope these small but important steps will help set the tone as a model for other cities, causing a ripple effect of positive change benefiting the animals.

Entire article Feb 12, 2009

Different states also have titles for mills, usually not calling them a mill, but a farm or ranch so it is difficult to search them out.

[Leslie and Halas]

I live in Illinois, and the Illinois law mentioned above is a law that the AKC wanted our local obedience club to OPPOSE!

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Of course they would!...The AKC are always "Whoring for Dollars"...Mills mean many puppies and many puppies mean more AKC registration fees.......If the mill owners/large scale commercial breeders are forced to comply with the new laws many of them would be forced to shut down just because of the expense involved with upgrading their kennels to the new standards.....That would mean less bucks for the AKC.....

[Leslie and Halas]

I know, but still...I can't believe they are so obvious about it. Of course, they don't admit that money is the reason, but it's tough to try to justify any other reason.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

"What is the limit of dogs a responsible breeder should be breeding?"

Your definition of responsible and mine might be different. This is very subjective, especially if dogs are livestock and a state considers it a farm.

There is a HUGE difference between RESPONSIBLE breeders and IRRESPONSIBLE breeders. As the other discussion pointed out.

[Jeannine]

I will do some research to see were we are in this Country with laws protecting animals.
I honestly do not have a lot of hope finding good laws on this side of the border too.

[Jeannine]

Ontario's Animal Protection Law Strongest In Canada

March 2, 2009 3:02 PM
McGuinty Government Includes Specific Coverage For Law Enforcement Animals

Ontario now has the strongest animal protection law in Canada.

The Provincial Animal Welfare Act, which took effect on March 1, 2009:

* Establishes standards of care for all animals.
* Introduces penalties for causing harm to any animal including jail terms of up to two years, fines of up to $60,000 and a potential lifetime ownership ban.
* Creates a specific offence for causing harm to a law enforcement animal, such as a police horse or dog.

Other key elements include:

* New provincial offences for causing or permitting distress to an animal.
* Authorizing the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) to inspect places where animals are kept for entertainment, exhibition, boarding, sale or hire, including zoos, pet shops and circuses.
* Requiring veterinarians to report suspected abuse and neglect, and protecting them from personal liability for doing so.

The act amends the OSPCA Act and marks the most significant changes to animal legislation in the province since 1919.
QUICK FACTS


* The OSPCA investigates roughly 17,000 allegations of animal cruelty each year.
* Over 300 dogs and horses are used in law enforcement in the province.
* There are over 60 zoos in Ontario, which is more than all other provinces combined.

Here is the link:
http://www.news.ontario.ca/mcscs/en/2009/03/ontarios-animal-protect...

[Jeannine]

This is the case between ADLF and Woodley, one of the worst case of puppy mill / hoared in Unites States.
Posted by April Nockleby, ALDF's Online Content Manager on May 21st, 2009

When ALDF learned that our case, ALDF v. Woodley, was being featured in the June issue of Oprah's Magazine, O, we were thrilled that this triumphant story of 300+ rescued dogs saved from a life of suffering would reach thousands, if not millions, of people and inform them about the horrors of animal hoarding. As our own special tribute to these very special clients, we put together the two videos below. Also be sure to check out our photo slideshows of the dogs before and after the rescue. To help stop animal hoarding, support ALDF's First Strike and You're Out law—a law for those who are convicted of animal neglect or cruelty.



ALDF received tremendous community support in our efforts to rehabilitate and rehome the hundreds of neglected dogs rescued in ALDF v. Woodley. The owner of an abandoned furniture factory in Sanford, N.C. offered the building as a temporary shelter, which became known as the Halls of Hope. In the midst of caring for these very special clients, ALDF staff and volunteers were able to shoot some video of the dogs during the time they spent in the shelter.



Attorney Joyce Tischler founded the Animal Legal Defense Fund in 1979. She never had a client move in with her, though, until a Boston terrier named Edgar won her heart during his stay at the Halls of Hope, scoring a one-way ticket with Joyce back to her home in California. From the ALDF headquarters, Joyce, with her now-constant companion Edgar, shares a little bit about how both of their lives has changed since the historic ruling in ALDF v. Woodley.

again, here is the link:
http://aldf.org/article.php?list=classt&class=20&type=7&...

[Jeannine]

...And that is what I'm so shame of, Québec is my native province...

Inaction over Quebec puppy mills has created a mecca of abuse: lawsuit
Ontario animal advocate wants to end 'canine hell' in Quebec
Last Updated: Friday, February 29, 2008 | 8:16 AM ET
The Canadian Press

Quebec is ignoring hundreds of puppy mills where dogs live in filth and eat their young while locked in cages for days on end, charges a lawsuit filed by the founder of an Ontario animal shelter.

A Quebec Superior Court judge recently granted Nicole Joncas permission to sue the province's attorney general, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and Anima-Quebec, the government-funded group responsible for enforcing animal-rights laws.

Joncas, who runs Teja's Animal Refuge in Ontario, said she decided to take legal action after government inaction over a suspected puppy mill just west of Montreal.

"You cannot see something like that and just walk away," said Joncas, who toured the operation along with a former employee in 2005.

Along with the former employee, Joncas took pictures and video to document what she called a "canine hell."

The former employee, Gilles Potvin, swore in a statement filed in court that some 400 dogs were housed in an old factory in Ste-Justine-de-Newton, Que.

He said there was no central heating, dogs were living in excrement and many had taken to eating their young.

Joncas said the animals devoured their pups out of mercy.

"The building reeked of dog feces and urine at all times," Potvin said in the affidavit. "They [the dogs] are left in these cages from birth to death."

None of the allegations contained in the lawsuit has been proven in court.
Quebec is Canada's puppy-mill capital, lawsuit alleges

The breeding centre, which is run by Montreal-based Lamarche and Pinard, isn't being sued, but its operation is cited as the reason for the suit.

A representative of the company said no one was available to comment on Thursday.

Joncas's bone of contention lies more with Quebec government officials, who she said repeatedly ignored evidence of abuse at Ste-Justine-de-Newton.

"They were obliged, by their own laws, to close down this place," Joncas said in an interview.

"Quebec has the notorious reputation of being the puppy-mill capital of Canada."

Joncas estimates Quebec has some 2,000 abusive underground breeding operations.

Animal rights activists with the Global Action Network said it is difficult to pinpoint the number of puppy mills in the province, but agreed with Joncas's description of Quebec.

"The laws are very lax to non-existent and that's why it's a mecca for puppy-mill operators," said the group's director, Andrew Plumbly, who also visited the Lamarche and Pinard operation.

Plumbly partly blamed a lack of resources at Anima-Quebec, which has only four inspectors compared with Ontario's 300.

"It's a far from perfect entity when it comes to dealing with such an extensive problem as we are dealing with here in Quebec," Plumbly said.

There is no dollar amount attached to Joncas' lawsuit. She said she just wants government officials to step up and do their job.
Animal treatment has come a long way, Quebec agency says

Anima-Quebec refused to comment on the lawsuit but stressed Quebec's 2005 animal-rights law has brought noticeable improvement.

But the agency's chief inspector acknowledged that Quebec faced a serious problem in the past.

"In 2005, it was said that Quebec welcomed puppy mills," Suzanne Lecomte said. "Quebec was the only province in Canada without laws protecting the well-being of animals.... But I think now the situation is changing."

Anima-Quebec's shoestring budget makes it clear to Plumbly that animal protection simply doesn't register on the government's radar.

"The reason why Anima-Quebec has so little capacity is because government doesn't give them enough money to do their job," Plumbly said. "This just isn't a priority for the government."

In the meantime, Joncas will struggle to forget the gruesome scenes she witnessed inside Lamarche and Pinard's breeding centre.

"My life will never be the same," she said. "I've seen suffering at its worst."
© The Canadian Press, 2008
The Canadian Press

[Jeannine]

At least, like us, some people try to make a difference there too.
This website is in both language, French and English.

http://www.miliceanimalemilitia.com/

[Chris & Boys]

Wow Jeannine, it is amazing that things like that have gone on for so long.....so sad it took so long for someone to speak up for those who cannot.