Cathy Moon
Well-known member
I know that I'm only one of a small number of CavTalk members from Ohio. But I think this topic is important to many of us because it has to do with animal welfare and wanting to protect innocent dogs from lives of suffering.
Ohio ranks among the worst states for having puppy mills and dog auctions. There are over 10,000 kennels in Ohio, and only approximately 218 of these kennels are licensed wholesalers, which means only 218 are regulated by the USDA. Of the remaining kennels, there are both ethical breeders and puppy mills of varying sizes. Since Ohio doesn't have proper laws in place to protect the many, many dogs who are currently suffering in these puppy mills, my husband and I have joined with others to protest their plight. We had a cavalier hobby breeder and a shih tzu hobby breeder protesting right alongside us.
Now the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate are working on passing Puppy Mill legislation. Some of the people at our protest helped design these bills. Both bills are intended to regulate the puppy mills, where dogs are crowded into filthy outbuildings and living in deplorable conditions with no veterinary care. The bills are not intended to regulate hobby breeders and ethical breeders who take good care of their dogs.
Here is the new law: People who have been convicted of a specific list of offences relating to domestic animals are not allowed to be breeders or intermediaries (brokers) of dogs. People who have 9 or more adult dogs kept for the purpose of breeding will need a kennel license. Retired dogs or dogs not for breeding are not included in the total. The new law describes the size of the dogs enclosure, there must be light during daylight hours, the dogs must have a warm, dry shelter, urine and feces must be cleaned up every 12 hours. Clean, unfrozen water in an open container must be available at all times (not a drip bottle), dogs must have daily access to adequate and wholesome food to ensure a proper and healthy weight, the dogs flooring must be capable of being cleaned and must not injure their feet. There must be a clean, sufficient sized resting board for the dog and it can have soft bedding on it. Dogs must be kept in sanitary conditions with adequate ventilation, sheltered from the elements and not in the vicinity of contagious sick animals. Dogs must be kept in the shade during the months of May-Sept. Dogs must be provided with veterinary care for any disease, illness, or injury. Nails must be trimmed so they don't curl and impair the dogs' gait, a clean whelping box must be provided when needed. Dogs must be groomed regularly to prevent matting from fecal matter or bodily fluids. Dogs must be appropriately protected from fleas, ticks, biting and stinging insects, and must be provided treatment for worms if they are inflicted. Dogs and puppies must be provided with appropriate boosters and vaccinations as determined by the dogs' vet, and heartworm preventative. Dogs requiring euthanasia must be euthanized by a vet, and must not be left unattended between the beginning of the process and death. Dogs must not be beaten or brutalized. All licensed kennels must be inspected. Also fines are established for violations, and the kennel owner must be covered by insurance or bonds to cover the cost for care of the dogs if the dogs need to be removed from the kennel. Dogs sold in pet stores must have a vet health certificate and they must have the breeder's information. There will be a 21 day money back guarantee on pet store dogs.
Ethical breeders are already doing all of these things; this legislation is for puppy mills.
What I'm writing here are only words on a computer display. But I want to make this point: the suffering of these dogs is REAL. Their feet hurt because the wires of their cages are cutting into the pads of their feet, their feet are infected because they're soaked in urine and feces, their toes are splayed because no one cuts their toe nails. Their hair is matted and it hurts because it pulls their skin. They are overcrowded and they have to eat feces because the aggressive dog sharing their cage will not let them eat food. Their eyes are infected, their ears are infected, their gums are infected and their teeth are rotting and they HURT. I will not go on and on about the suffering of these dogs. I just want to make the point that this is real and it's tragic beyond words.
The only way we can help these dogs is to pass legislation that regulates puppy mill breeders; how can anyone be against it. I know this type of legislation scares ethical breeders, but the plight of these countless thousands of dogs is too important. This bill will not affect people who care for their dogs.
Here are some links to information about this bill:
http://www.banohiodogauctions.com/Legislation.html
Here is a link to a video showing footage from the dog auction we protested in April:
http://www.stoppuppymills.org/
Ohio ranks among the worst states for having puppy mills and dog auctions. There are over 10,000 kennels in Ohio, and only approximately 218 of these kennels are licensed wholesalers, which means only 218 are regulated by the USDA. Of the remaining kennels, there are both ethical breeders and puppy mills of varying sizes. Since Ohio doesn't have proper laws in place to protect the many, many dogs who are currently suffering in these puppy mills, my husband and I have joined with others to protest their plight. We had a cavalier hobby breeder and a shih tzu hobby breeder protesting right alongside us.
Now the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate are working on passing Puppy Mill legislation. Some of the people at our protest helped design these bills. Both bills are intended to regulate the puppy mills, where dogs are crowded into filthy outbuildings and living in deplorable conditions with no veterinary care. The bills are not intended to regulate hobby breeders and ethical breeders who take good care of their dogs.
Here is the new law: People who have been convicted of a specific list of offences relating to domestic animals are not allowed to be breeders or intermediaries (brokers) of dogs. People who have 9 or more adult dogs kept for the purpose of breeding will need a kennel license. Retired dogs or dogs not for breeding are not included in the total. The new law describes the size of the dogs enclosure, there must be light during daylight hours, the dogs must have a warm, dry shelter, urine and feces must be cleaned up every 12 hours. Clean, unfrozen water in an open container must be available at all times (not a drip bottle), dogs must have daily access to adequate and wholesome food to ensure a proper and healthy weight, the dogs flooring must be capable of being cleaned and must not injure their feet. There must be a clean, sufficient sized resting board for the dog and it can have soft bedding on it. Dogs must be kept in sanitary conditions with adequate ventilation, sheltered from the elements and not in the vicinity of contagious sick animals. Dogs must be kept in the shade during the months of May-Sept. Dogs must be provided with veterinary care for any disease, illness, or injury. Nails must be trimmed so they don't curl and impair the dogs' gait, a clean whelping box must be provided when needed. Dogs must be groomed regularly to prevent matting from fecal matter or bodily fluids. Dogs must be appropriately protected from fleas, ticks, biting and stinging insects, and must be provided treatment for worms if they are inflicted. Dogs and puppies must be provided with appropriate boosters and vaccinations as determined by the dogs' vet, and heartworm preventative. Dogs requiring euthanasia must be euthanized by a vet, and must not be left unattended between the beginning of the process and death. Dogs must not be beaten or brutalized. All licensed kennels must be inspected. Also fines are established for violations, and the kennel owner must be covered by insurance or bonds to cover the cost for care of the dogs if the dogs need to be removed from the kennel. Dogs sold in pet stores must have a vet health certificate and they must have the breeder's information. There will be a 21 day money back guarantee on pet store dogs.
Ethical breeders are already doing all of these things; this legislation is for puppy mills.
What I'm writing here are only words on a computer display. But I want to make this point: the suffering of these dogs is REAL. Their feet hurt because the wires of their cages are cutting into the pads of their feet, their feet are infected because they're soaked in urine and feces, their toes are splayed because no one cuts their toe nails. Their hair is matted and it hurts because it pulls their skin. They are overcrowded and they have to eat feces because the aggressive dog sharing their cage will not let them eat food. Their eyes are infected, their ears are infected, their gums are infected and their teeth are rotting and they HURT. I will not go on and on about the suffering of these dogs. I just want to make the point that this is real and it's tragic beyond words.
The only way we can help these dogs is to pass legislation that regulates puppy mill breeders; how can anyone be against it. I know this type of legislation scares ethical breeders, but the plight of these countless thousands of dogs is too important. This bill will not affect people who care for their dogs.
Here are some links to information about this bill:
http://www.banohiodogauctions.com/Legislation.html
Here is a link to a video showing footage from the dog auction we protested in April:
http://www.stoppuppymills.org/
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