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.
