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Missouri vet on revised dog bill passage

Missouri Farmers Care group applauds the legislature for passing Senate Bill 113 that revises the HSUS-backed PropB passed by Missouri voters last fall – in the group’s view – into what it should have been.

Veterinarian Alan Wessler, vice president of the feed and animal health division with MFA, is a member of Missouri Farmers Care. He says the revision increases the number of inspections, goes after unlicensed breeders as Prop B did not, and removes the 50-breeding dog limit…

“That says to me – if I’m good at what I do, if I have the management skills and I have the business skills and I have the integrity and the care and compassion to run by clinic well, then, there is no limit on how many dogs that I can raise. And, if I can raise 50 or I can raise 75, then this bill helps me do that.”

And, the bill allows Missouri Animal Agriculture to breathe a little easier…

“It now classifies ‘pet’ as truly meaning ‘dog.’ Whereas before, it meant ‘domesticated animal living in or near the house.’ Well, that could’ve been your dog, your horse, your pig, your goat, anything. It was just too vague and too broad. This specifically says ‘dogs.’”

Governor Jay Nixon is not saying whether he’ll sign or veto the bill but he does say that extra funding that he proposed last week would be needed to fully fund the increased inspections…

“I do think, you know, we moved forward last week in trying to make sure there are additional resources so that it would actually be – whether it was (Bill) 113 or Prop B, some enforcement dollars will hopefully keep those moving. But, we’ll put the bill through our regular bill process.”

Missouri Farmers Care says the increased fees in the bill would generate about $87-thousand dollars – and with the extra funding the governor is talking about – would greatly help carry out those extra inspections.

The Humane Society of the U.S. and other groups that backed Proposition B reportedly have formed the so-called “Voter Protection Alliance” that submitted a proposed constitutional amendment to the Missouri Secretary of State’s office that would make it more difficult for the legislature to repeal or amend a citizen initiative.