The Humane Society of the United States urges Virginia legislature to pass H.B. 1232
In response to the recent discovery of massive and inhumane dog breeding operations in the commonwealth of Virginia, State Delegate Margi Vanderhye (D-34) this week introduced a bill to place restrictions on puppy mills. Puppy mills are commercial mass dog-breeding facilities that put profit above the welfare of dogs. The Humane Society of the United States thanked the delegate for striving to address these facilities and urged the Virginia General Assembly to pass H.B. 1232.
H.B. 1232 would limit the number of dogs that a breeding operation can sell in a 12 month period. Currently, Virginia places no limits, and has no state kennel inspection program to ensure that large-scale dog breeders provide basic humane standards like clean water and veterinary care.
A five-month, undercover investigation by The HSUS revealed a substantial Virginia puppy mill industry that is virtually unregulated and often in violation of state and federal laws for humane care. Investigators found breeding dogs and puppies living in cramped, filthy cages, in urine-soaked trailers and in ramshackle kennels without basic sanitation, clean water, veterinary care or even the most primitive protection from the elements.
"We were shocked to find such a significant problem with giant-scale breeding operations in Virginia," said Stephanie Shain, director of The HSUS' Stop Puppy Mills campaign, "and horrified at the conditions of the dogs when we assisted with removing nearly 1,000 of them from a puppy mill following our investigation."*
Many consumers who buy dogs at pet stores, through newspaper ads, or over the Internet aren't aware of their pets' origins. For the unwitting consumer, this situation can mean buying a puppy facing an array of immediate veterinary problems or harboring genetic diseases that surface years later as well as learning that their money went to support cruel treatment of dogs kept for breeding.
"The outrage that accompanied the images of hundreds of dogs living in such terrible conditions has led me and a number of my colleagues to introduce bills designed to eliminate these inhumane practices in Virginia. I will work across party lines to pass a bill that will end the inhumane treatment of breeding animals and insure Virginia families that the pets they buy are healthy and humanely bred," said Delegate Vanderhye.
This legislation has been endorsed by a large coalition of organizations concerned about puppy mills in Virginia, including The HSUS, Richmond SPCA, Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force, Richmond Animal Care & Control and Virginia Anti-Dogfighting Coalition.
* November 7, 2007, Hillsville: Carroll County officials removed nearly 1,000 dogs from Horton's Pups following an investigation by The HSUS. Local rescue groups and many volunteers assisted in the removal of the dogs, who were placed with over a dozen animal shelters, treated for illness and eventually adopted into permanent homes.
Facts:
- The HSUS estimates 2 to 4 million puppy mill dogs are sold each year in the U.S.
- Dogs kept for breeding in puppy mills suffer for years. They are bred as often as possible, and then are abandoned, killed or sold through auction like a used car.
- Puppy mill puppies are more likely to have severe health problems, genetic defects and behavioral issues than puppies produced by good breeders.
- Puppy mill conditions can include over-breeding, inbreeding, lack of veterinary care, poor food and shelter, crowded cages, and lack of socialization.
- Reputable breeders never sell puppies online or at a pet store and will insist on meeting the family who will be purchasing the dog.
- Never buy a dog from a pet store or the Internet. Visit a shelter where nationwide one out of every four dogs is a purebred.
- Puppy mills that sell dogs directly to the public through newspaper ads and the Internet escape federal regulation through a loophole in the Animal Welfare Act.
- The HSUS is working in state legislatures to improve regulations of puppy mills, and in the U.S. Congress to ban the imports of puppies from foreign puppy mills.
- While a USDA license is no guarantee that a breeder is "responsible," it at least allows these operations to be tracked. Without the license the operations are ignored, operating without even a hope of the dogs receiving good care.
- Puppy mills contribute to the millions of homeless dogs euthanized each year.
- U.S. animal shelters euthanize 3-4 million cats and dogs every year .
- In Virginia, 43,000 dogs in need of adoption are euthanized every year.
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the Web at humanesociety.org.
