Post
HSUS targets Missouri
Commentary
Proposed Statutory Initiative Petitions – “Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act” Versions 1 and 2 have been filed with the Missouri Secretary of State. What does that mean? The Missouri State Director of the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) has filed two proposed initiative petitions cracking down on so-called “puppy mills” in the state. The petition proposes limiting to 50 the number of covered dogs a breeder can own and the offspring of which they could sell as pets. Provisions for each individual dog spelled out in the petition include specific area and air temperature requirements for indoor housing and constant unfettered access to an outdoor exercise area that meets certain specs.
I heard a collective sigh of relief when we learned that the paperwork filed late the day before Thanksgiving targets dog breeders. Whew, you dodged a bullet! HSUS is not going after dairy or beef cows, hogs or poultry!
Hold your horses. Those of you who believe animal agriculture doesn’t have a dog in this fight (pardon the pun – I just couldn’t help myself) are dead wrong.
By circulating the aforementioned petition among Missouri’s citizens, HSUS is just getting started.
We’ve all seen the horrible videos of dogs being rescued from “puppy mills.” Memories of these pictures evoke strong emotions in those of us who have pets. How is this different from what the consumer, far removed from animal agriculture, feels when he or she sees videos of the mistreatment of cows or pigs or chickens in a so-called “factory farm?”
I personally believe that segregating the commercial dog breeders as something “bad” or unacceptable to those of us involved in animal agriculture is a very poor judgment call. Just as there are a few sub-standard dog breeding kennels out there, there are also some sub-standard dairy, hog and poultry operations. The vast majority of kennel owners care deeply about the welfare of their dogs, much the same as those raising livestock care deeply about the welfare of their animals. Not only is implementing animal welfare practices the right thing to do, it is the economical thing to do! We couldn’t stay in business with poor management practices.
Friends, if HSUS can persuade the public to limit the number of dogs a person can own, what will stop them from trying to persuade the public to limit the number of chickens, sheep, cattle, hogs, goats, or horses you can own? If HSUS gets enough signatures on these petitions and a ballot initiative is presented to the population and actually passes, the animal rights activists will come after you.
HSUS doesn’t care if you raise hogs for a large corporation or you have a small, purebred operation. HSUS is an animal rights organization.
Let’s catch our collective breath and dig our heels in. . .together. Build alliances across state lines and include all species. It’s Missouri today. It could be Indiana, Illinois or Iowa tomorrow. It’s dog kennels today. It could be any species of livestock tomorrow.
Reach out to your agronomist, your seed sales rep, and your banker. Talk to the clerk at the grocery store, the waiter at the restaurant and the cousin who left your rural community half a century ago for a life in the city.
If, for one second, HSUS sees you nod in agreement with the actions it has taken against kennel owners in Missouri or any other state, you put yourself and our entire industry in a precarious position.
Tags: Farm Legislation, Missouri
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Sorry for the accidental ‘doub le comment’. I did find the full text here – http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills091/biltxt/intro/HB1004I.htm
So, this is a very interesting proposed change. While I agree that access to fresh water and food and exercise is necessary, why limit the number of dogs and why spell out space requirements? All breeds of dogs are different. For example – We have to keep our baies in ambient temperatures above 85 degrees because they can’t regulate their own body temperature for the first few days of life…What about a breeder who has large litters of puppies and keeps them to evaluate for show? A breeder with 10 females and 3 males could potentially have over 50 dogs, including puppies 4 or 5 months old at some point – especially in large breed dogs with litters of 12 or 15 puppies.
I could ramble on and on about this proposed act. The point is, no one in this state wants to see animals treated with cruelty. I assume that many citizens with no real understanding of breeding would easily want this to pass, but this law is not the answer.More laws are not the answer.Enforcing the current law is the answer. Most of these ‘puppy mills’ that get so much national attention are not licensed or inspected facilities. If the point is to prevent cruelty, this law will not do that. The people who ‘operate’ outside the law will continue to do so, and the only people this will effect is those who are already licensed and inspected. This law will do nothing to stop puppy mills.
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I completely agree with Sarah on the negative impact this legislation would inflict on conscientious breeders. We have registered cattle and raise a few pups to sell directly to the public. We do not sell to pet stores or brokers. We want to know that our pups are taken care of by their new families…so the potential “adoptive family” is closely screened prior to allowing them to purchase one of our pups. Our dogs are not just about the money. They are loved and appreciated beyond measure. The HSUS has stereotyped our industry to be evil and uncaring. Nothing could be farther from the truth. There are puppy mills out there that are a disgrace and should be shut down….but this law will do nothing to impact those breeders. We run a licensed kennel and we are proud of the way we care for our animals. Anyone who is inspected by the USDA and the State of Missouri have to meet strict guidelines and undergo “unannounced inspections” by these authorities. This industry is already “over regulated” when compared to the cattle industry. As livestock producers, we all need to be alarmed at the degree of regulation already in place with the pet industry. You are absolutely right…every other livestock producing farm will be attacked by HSUS if this foolishness is not stopped now. The people in the “backwoods” that don’t care about their dogs are never inspected because they are illegally producing pups without a license….they break the existing laws of the State of Missouri by not registering to become licensed breeders. Another law will have no impact on these breeders. They will continue to illegally produce pups…..but the newly proposed law will negatively impact the families who have dedicated themselves to the proper care of these companion animals. We all need to band together as an agricultural community before it is too late. If we think it is all going to eventually die down and just go away, we are wrong! These radicals are never too busy to try to destroy the family farmer!
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The good news is that a coalition of ag groups in the state has been formed. It is crucial that ALL of us work together!
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Interesting in that this potential legislation exempts animal rescue and any other “humane” type organizations from their own proposed law regarding the care,feeding,watering,facilities design and maintenance.
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Is there somewhere that we can read the full text of the petition or proposed law?