Nava's Legislation to Combat Puppy Mills Meets Approval in (CA) State Assembly

[The Straight Story]

Nava's Legislation to Combat Puppy Mills Meets Approval in State Assembly

SACRAMENTO –Assemblymember Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) today announced that his measure to crack down on puppy mills was approved by the State Assembly on a bipartisan 51 to 11 vote.

"I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for supporting this important measure. It is imperative that we take action to prevent further suffering of what many of us consider our family pet," said Nava. "Recent events around the country have brought to our consciousness the brutality of puppy mills. California must take the lead in setting an example for the humane treatment of animals."

Assembly Bill 241, the Responsible Breeder Act of 2009, will limit to 50 the number of dogs or cats that an individual or business which buys or sells wholesale or to the public may possess or control.

Puppy mills were brought to the public´s attention recently due to a number of investigations and recent busts by law enforcement in California and around the country. Puppy mills are large scale commercial breeding facilities that mass-produce puppies for sale. Puppy mills commonly house animals in overcrowded, filthy, and inhumane conditions with inadequate shelter and care. The puppies that survive these conditions are taken from their mothers for sale as young as eight weeks of age, when they are susceptible to contagious diseases and very sensitive to behavioral stress. Puppy mills contribute to pet overpopulation by churning out thousands of puppies a year that are often sold to "impulse buyers" and ultimately end up in shelters. Left behind are the hidden victims of puppy mills—the mothers and fathers—referred to by the operators as "breeding stock" who churn out litter after litter for their entire lives.

http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/view/103400

[The Straight Story]

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