The Morning Call: Dog owners, officials laud bills targeting puppy mills
From themorningcall.com:
|Of The Morning Call
Toni Collins of Ephrata, Lancaster County, and Gabby, a Maltese-poodle
mix, joined about 100 other Pennsylvanians and dozens of dogs on the
steps of the Capitol on Wednesday to hail the introduction of bills
that could reverse the state's reputation as a puppy mill haven.
Collins brought Gabby as living witness to the grim conditions that
thousands of dogs endure in some kennels. In fact, she said, Gabby
would have been killed if an animal rescue network hadn't picked her up
about five weeks ago from a kennel in the northern part of the county.
Dogs like Gabby that are hard to sell and too young to breed are ''generally destroyed,'' she said.
Such practices should end, said state Rep. James Casorio, the prime sponsor of the dog law reforms.
''We're putting the commercial breeder on notice,'' said the
Westmoreland County Democrat. To those breeders who operate puppy
mills, he said, ''We're coming after you.''
The legislation introduced this week addresses many of the conditions
that supporters say are the hallmarks of puppy mills -- wire dog
crates, stacked on top of each other, often in filthy conditions and
filled with sick animals used solely for breeding.
The main reform bill would ban wire floors and stacking the crates,
while doubling crate sizes. It mandates protection from extreme cold
and heat, spells out cleaning requirements and requires some form of
daily exercise.
In addition, the legislative package would prohibit anyone but a
veterinarian from performing a Caesarean section on a dog or
''debarking'' it. Under current law, anyone can jam a pipe down a dog's
throat and sever its vocal cords, said Jessie Smith, the special deputy
of the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. ''It's sad,'' she said. ''This is
not a myth.''
The bills are designed to toughen regulation on commercial kennels,
which are defined as kennels that sell or transfer dogs to pet shops or
brokers, or sell more than 60 dogs a year.
All kennels would be required to have fire extinguishers and
veterinarian-approved exercise plans. In addition, the legislation
prohibits the sale of dogs younger than 8 weeks old. Current law allows
sales at 7 weeks.
Another bill would require dog owners whose animals have been
confiscated to pay for their care while the dogs are in the shelter.
The tougher enforcement and penalties didn't sit well with some at a
meeting of Gov. Ed Rendell's Dog Law Advisory Board later in the day.
Some of the cash penalties are ''too extreme,'' said Bob Yarnall Jr.,
president of the American Canine Association.
And Larry Breech, an advisory board member and president of the
Pennsylvania Farmers Union, said he couldn't support most of the
legislative package. ''I think there's a hidden agenda and they want to
run this agenda far beyond puppy mills,'' he said.
Breech said he feared that limitations on cropping dogs' ears will be imposed on farmers, who may crop sheep and cattle ears.
But even they said the bills were an improvement, especially on the
Rendell administration's first shot at reform last year, when it
offered a widely-panned, detailed regulatory rewrite.
Board member Thomas G. Hickey said despite the broad support for the
measures, he expects opposition from dog breeders who would see a cut
in their profits. ''Opponents will say and do just about anything in
order to maintain the status quo of abuse and neglect,'' he said.
Casorio said the bills have the support of Rendell, who has rescued
three golden retrievers in recent years. Casorio said he thinks the
bills could get to Rendell's desk before the end of the legislative
session June 30.
Officials said the bureau has made strides beyond guiding the proposed legislation.
Director Sue West reported that citations issued by dog wardens were up
600 percent in 2007 compared with 2006, and they did about 1,000 more
inspections. Additionally, 54 unlicensed kennels were cited last year,
compared with six in 2006.
Supporters also noted that the state Agriculture Department this week unveiled a Web site, http://www.doglawaction.com , that explains the legislation in more detail.
Legislation introduced this week seeks to improve living conditions, care.
Lisa Conklin, right, director of development of the Adams County SPCA,
pets Baillie, rescued from a "puppy mill," during a rally Wednesday at
the Capitol in Harrisburg. The rally was held to promote legislation
aimed at improving conditions in Pennsylvania's commercial breeding kennels.
(AP photo / May 14, 2008)
|Of The Morning Call
Toni Collins of Ephrata, Lancaster County, and Gabby, a Maltese-poodle
mix, joined about 100 other Pennsylvanians and dozens of dogs on the
steps of the Capitol on Wednesday to hail the introduction of bills
that could reverse the state's reputation as a puppy mill haven.
Collins brought Gabby as living witness to the grim conditions that
thousands of dogs endure in some kennels. In fact, she said, Gabby
would have been killed if an animal rescue network hadn't picked her up
about five weeks ago from a kennel in the northern part of the county.
Dogs like Gabby that are hard to sell and too young to breed are ''generally destroyed,'' she said.
Such practices should end, said state Rep. James Casorio, the prime sponsor of the dog law reforms.
''We're putting the commercial breeder on notice,'' said the
Westmoreland County Democrat. To those breeders who operate puppy
mills, he said, ''We're coming after you.''
The legislation introduced this week addresses many of the conditions
that supporters say are the hallmarks of puppy mills -- wire dog
crates, stacked on top of each other, often in filthy conditions and
filled with sick animals used solely for breeding.
The main reform bill would ban wire floors and stacking the crates,
while doubling crate sizes. It mandates protection from extreme cold
and heat, spells out cleaning requirements and requires some form of
daily exercise.
In addition, the legislative package would prohibit anyone but a
veterinarian from performing a Caesarean section on a dog or
''debarking'' it. Under current law, anyone can jam a pipe down a dog's
throat and sever its vocal cords, said Jessie Smith, the special deputy
of the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement. ''It's sad,'' she said. ''This is
not a myth.''
The bills are designed to toughen regulation on commercial kennels,
which are defined as kennels that sell or transfer dogs to pet shops or
brokers, or sell more than 60 dogs a year.
All kennels would be required to have fire extinguishers and
veterinarian-approved exercise plans. In addition, the legislation
prohibits the sale of dogs younger than 8 weeks old. Current law allows
sales at 7 weeks.
Another bill would require dog owners whose animals have been
confiscated to pay for their care while the dogs are in the shelter.
The tougher enforcement and penalties didn't sit well with some at a
meeting of Gov. Ed Rendell's Dog Law Advisory Board later in the day.
Some of the cash penalties are ''too extreme,'' said Bob Yarnall Jr.,
president of the American Canine Association.
And Larry Breech, an advisory board member and president of the
Pennsylvania Farmers Union, said he couldn't support most of the
legislative package. ''I think there's a hidden agenda and they want to
run this agenda far beyond puppy mills,'' he said.
Breech said he feared that limitations on cropping dogs' ears will be imposed on farmers, who may crop sheep and cattle ears.
But even they said the bills were an improvement, especially on the
Rendell administration's first shot at reform last year, when it
offered a widely-panned, detailed regulatory rewrite.
Board member Thomas G. Hickey said despite the broad support for the
measures, he expects opposition from dog breeders who would see a cut
in their profits. ''Opponents will say and do just about anything in
order to maintain the status quo of abuse and neglect,'' he said.
Casorio said the bills have the support of Rendell, who has rescued
three golden retrievers in recent years. Casorio said he thinks the
bills could get to Rendell's desk before the end of the legislative
session June 30.
Officials said the bureau has made strides beyond guiding the proposed legislation.
Director Sue West reported that citations issued by dog wardens were up
600 percent in 2007 compared with 2006, and they did about 1,000 more
inspections. Additionally, 54 unlicensed kennels were cited last year,
compared with six in 2006.
Supporters also noted that the state Agriculture Department this week unveiled a Web site, http://www.doglawaction.com , that explains the legislation in more detail.
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