Puppy mills spur call for new legislation in Texas

[w8liftinglady]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/yahoolatestnews/stories/071910dnmetpuppymills.22ed81e.html


AUSTIN – Animal rescue officials are scrambling to combat commercial dog-breeding farms, saying that as surrounding states clamp down on puppy mills, Texas risks becoming a haven for a largely unregulated industry.

Police and animal officials have entered barns and sheds around the state to find hundreds of dogs stacked in cages, many malnourished and diseased.

In Central Texas, the Gulf Coast and the southwestern part of the state, inquiries into animal brokers, dealers and dog breeders have nearly doubled in the past two years, said Marissa Gabrysch of the Better Business Bureau.

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Animal-welfare advocates are looking to the Legislature to help, saying Texas' size and lack of strong laws regulating breeders have allowed cruel operations to flourish.

"We have the perfect element: geography, land demographics for buyers, little regulation," said James Bias, executive director of the Dallas chapter of the SPCA.

But some breeders will seek to defeat those efforts, saying a legislative crackdown is not needed.

Dallas SPCA officials said they have seen an increase in complaints about breeding practices. In the past three years, Bias said, his group has removed animals from at least a dozen puppy mills just in the Dallas area.


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[ZombieHorde]

1. Sounds like strong regulation is needed, recommended. nt

[Xenotime]

6. This ban should be done nation-wide.

[femmocrat]

2. Hope they succeed. I don't think it goes far enough, though.

"Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, wants to stiffen regulations for commercial breeding operations. A similar bill failed in the last Legislature after opposition from pet breeders and veterinarians. "

Wonder why veterinarians would oppose such a bill, unless it wasn't strong enough or lacked enforcement capabilities?

The fines seem disgracefully inadequate for one thing.

[w8liftinglady]

3. we have a HUGE problem with people sitting on the side of the road

with puppies in laundry baskets..in 100 degree weather-wanting 300.00 for poor said puppies.It is so sad.I hope they can improve some of this..

[femmocrat]

4. That is just awful.

It would be heartbreaking to see those adorable puppies and want to rescue them -- knowing that doing so would just give these lowlifes validation for their inhumane practices. One of the comments after the article said that puppy mill breeders deserved to be locked in a cage. That is even too good for them, IMO.

[hamsterjill]

5. American Kennel Club

The American Kennel Club and others are strong lobbies for NOT legislating any type of breeding. Their local affiliate here in San Antonio has resisted any and all change to responsible pet ownership. The local group sends out an email alert, and members from all over the nation flood our local city hall with emails, phone call, letters, etc. to oppose anything that regulates pet ownership.

The local group has opposed such common sense measures as (l) restrictions on the chaining of dogs even in inclement weather, (2) spay/neuter laws, (3) permits to limit the numbers of litters that a dog can have in a year. Their approach is that any type of law regarding what a pet owner can or cannot do with their dogs is a bad thing. In a perfect world, their approach might work, but in the REAL world, there need to be laws in place that protect these helpless animals.

If anyone that reads this post is ever in the market for a new pet, I urge you strongly to go to your local pound, local rescue groups, even local breed specific rescue groups BEFORE you buy from a breeder.

[w8liftinglady]

7. that's where we have gotten all our dogs...

my oldest son just got a Jack Russel terrier last week...precious,healthy...and spayed.

[KittyWampus]

8. American Kennel Club is pure evil. Hideous money making scum with no regard for breeds.

[w8liftinglady]

9. that's what I've seen here,too.so sad for the animals