WASHINGTON - The
Humane Society of the United States today praised the U.S. Senate
for approving an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act that seeks to
protect dogs from exploitation on commercial dog breeding
operations, generally known as "puppy mills." The Senate approved
the amendment, offered by Senators Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Richard
Durbin (D-IL), during consideration of S. 1731, the Farm Bill, and
was modeled after S. 1478, which the two senators introduced in
October 2001.
"The U.S. Senate today recognized that female dogs are more than
production units and puppies are more than marketable commodities in
requiring new standards for the protection of dogs on commercial dog
breeding operations," said Wayne Pacelle, a senior vice president
with The Humane Society of the United States. "We are grateful to
Senators Santorum and Durbin for leading this fight and working to
establish meaningful protections for companion animals."
Specifically, the Puppy Protection Act:
· Creates a "three strikes and you're out" system that allows the
U.S. Department of Agriculture to revoke the license of chronic
violators of the Animal Welfare Act.
· Limits the number of litters for breeding females to give these
dogs time to recover between litters.
· Mandates that female dogs be at least one year old before they
are bred.
· Requires that dogs be adequately socialized with other dogs and
with people, which enhances the dogs' well-being and helps to
prevent behavior problems in the future.
Puppy mills are breeding facilities that produce purebred puppies
in large numbers. The puppies are sold either directly to the public
or are sold to brokers and pet shops across the country. Puppy mills
have long concerned The HSUS, which has conducted undercover
investigations documenting inhumane conditions at puppy mills. Over
3,000 puppy mills current operate in the United States, many of them
despite repeated violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
Puppy mill dogs typically suffer from overbreeding, inbreeding,
minimal veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter, lack of
socialization with humans and overcrowded cages. Consumers
unwittingly purchase these dogs, who may have immediate veterinary
problems or could be harboring genetically borne diseases that do
not appear until years later.
"This legislation is by no means a total fix for animals or
consumers, but it will impose new humane standards that breeders
must observe," concluded Pacelle. "In a larger sense, people
interested in having a pet should obtain the animal from a shelter
or from a responsible breeder."
Representatives Ed Whitfield (R-KY) and Sam Farr (D-CA) have
introduced a companion bill, H.R. 3058, which has 136 cosponsors.
The House-passed version of the Farm bill, H.R. 2646, contains no
language dealing with this issue. The final outcome will be resolved
by a conference committee.
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