|
|
|
|
|||
 |
|||
|
|||
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|||
Puppy mills are large-scale 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 to pet stores and over the internet 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. |
|||
Why are current laws insufficient? Do puppy mills create a financial drain for government and non-profit agencies? How does AB 241 The Responsible Breeder Act of 2009 address the problem of puppy mills? |
|||
|
|||
|
|||
|
|||
AB 241 in the News
|
|||
|
|||
What
is a puppy mill? 
The
U.S. Department of Agriculture licenses and inspects large-scale commercial
breeding operations to a certain extent and California law requires basic
humane standards. However, there are loopholes and a lack of enforcement
at both the federal and state level. There are no federal or state laws
that address the negative impact of large-scale breeding operations on
pet overpopulation. The Responsible Breeder Act of 2009 helps curb pet
overpopulation, prevents the inherent cruelty and poor welfare associated
with high-volume breeding, and will save the state money by limiting the
number of intact dogs and cats a seller can maintain. 
Yes.
A criminal bust of a single puppy mill (for failing to comply with animal
welfare regulations) can result in significant taxpayer expense, as the
costs of shelter, food and vet care for animals can add up to tens of
thousands of dollars within weeks. For example, a puppy mill bust last
year where 249 animals were rescued in Buxton, Maine cost the state $440,000
in addition to approximately $70,000 raised by humane organizations. It’s
clear that puppy mills are a humane crisis as well as a financial one.
In 2007, nearly one million dogs and cats landed in California animal
shelters, of whom approximately half were euthanized (killed). At a cost
of nearly $250 million annually (or nearly $7.40 per capita), the economic
impact of pet overpopulation is significant. 
Assemblyman
Nava’s bill addresses the problems puppy mills create by limiting
the number of intact cats or dogs a seller can maintain to 50. This bill
does not impact animal shelters, research facilities, pet stores, veterinarians,
groomers or boarding facilities. By limiting the number of animals who
can reproduce, this legislation will make enforcement of existing state
law possible and enable animal control to more effectively and efficiently
deal with complaints about dogs and cats living in squalid conditions
and receiving inadequate care. This legislation also addresses pet overpopulation
and the stress that large-scale breeders place on animal shelters and
our communities. Legislation limiting the number of dogs in puppy mills
was passed in 2008 in Louisiana and Virginia. Public concern about the
inhumane conditions in puppy mills is at an all-time high, due to recent
national news coverage and several large-scale cruelty investigations
and rescues. Outraged citizens are demanding an end to puppy mills. 
To
join our email list,