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Cattlemen react to HSUS “puppy mill” proposal

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 petitions, filed by Barbara Schmitz of St. Louis, are under review by the Missouri Secretary of State’s office. The proposed “Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act” proposes limiting to 50 the number of covered dogs a breeder can own and the offspring of which they could sell as pets.

Missouri Cattlemen’s Association executive director Jeff Windett tells Brownfield it’s an attempt by HSUS to eventually try and restrict animal agriculture in the state…

“As most people know, once they initiate something like this and get it into law, it’s very easy to go back and change the wording to include livestock.”

Windett says Missouri isn’t going to let that happen, “I think we have demonstrated over the past couple of years at least that we’ve beat back HSUS and several of their initiatives within the legislative session.”

Windett says all the ag commodity groups and major farm organizations in the state have formed the Missouri Animal Ag Coalition – which will fight any efforts by HSUS to limit animal agriculture production, “We recognize the fact that we have to stick together. It’s going to take all of our talents and resources to be able to mount a public relations campaign with the public.”

Windett wouldn’t say whether Missouri would pursue a measure similar to Ohio’s successful Issue Two, but he did say the coalition has meetings planned right away to work on their strategy.

HSUS tells Brownfield the organization has “no comments to offer on the ballot initiative” at this time.

091130_JeffWindett

Brownfield story – Was Issue 2 successful?

Missouri Cattlmen’s Association

  • Hopefully farmers will study H$U$ tactics and use more common sense in making allies of ALL domestic animal owners than did blindsided dog folk. They assumed so long as they were doing “nothing wrong” H$U$ wouldn’t be out to crucify them. The tide to turn lies is educating the public these radicals are out to commit genocide wiping out all species of domestic animals. If we don’t get it done it will be “puppies today, calves tomorrrow”. Forging alliances with other species of animal owners could help greatly in the process of public ed to out and eradicate H$U$. No group but politicians have caused more unwaranted grief or utelized more nefarious, distorted propaganda.

  • This is great news! I am so relieved that the Cattlemen are supporting the domestic pet breeders in their state. We are all in this together. I was raised in the city and only breed as a hobby. I have not had the benefit of being raised around farm animals. However, I have become worried about our food supply since HSUS successfully passed Prop 2 in CA.

    As a result I spent some time researching the issues as well as hunger in our country. Needless to say every person that buys a puppy or even calls my house to inquire about a puppy gets an education about HSUS. I try to focus specifically on how their lobbying may effect our food supply, safety, and cost. It really gets people to think about the issues.

    I never realized how much Farmers have done and still do to feed the hungry masses. I read somewhere that cows produce 18 times more milk than 40 yrs ago because of farmers breeding efforts. I also learned that farmers are so good at what they do that they are able to produce enough food to feed everyone. The reason people go hungry is not because there isn’t enough food but merely they can’t afford to purchase the food. HSUS is constantly stating that the regulations they propose will only raise food prices nominally, but how does that help the struggling single mother who already can’t afford the current prices?

    Where would we be without farmers, cattleman, pork, and poultry producers? We all need to stand together because we all have our place and purpose but those that provide food to feed us and researchers who develop medicines to ease suffering should never be vilified by irresponsible groups such as HSUS.

  • If we all came together we could beat back this cult that is right now deceiving more Americans into giving to them these Christmas Holidays. Especially at this time of year, it’s too bad Fox News Channel has opted to air advertising for a “charity” that is not who they say they are, and who continues to collect millions in donations that are not used in the way their kind-hearted donators believe.

    NOTE: For years the public has been subjected to images of animal
    abuse that have been manipulated and even staged. Such images have
    been used to damage the reputations of legitimate businesses such as
    the one below (see http://www.furcommission.com/news/newsC7.htm). The
    following is a translation (kindly provided by the International Fur
    Trade Federation (www.iftf.com) of a press release issued by SQ
    Qualitaet und Sicherheit GMBH, Bonn:
    http://www.q-s.info/fileadmin/QS_Fileadmin/tt_news/09_07_24_PM_LG_Unterlassungs-_und_Feststellungsklage_Haferbeck.pdf

    http://tinyurl.com/nmp59p

    TRANSLATION: Peta Germany’s scientific advisor, Dr. Edmund Haferbeck,
    convicted and PeTA to issue proof of origin of photos

    On 24.7. 2009, QS (a German quality standard company) successfully
    sued the scientific advisor of People for the Ethical Treatment of
    Animals (PeTA) Germany for issuing incorrect factual statements at the
    regional court of Hamburg.

    Legal action was taken against Dr. Edmund Haferbeck of PeTA Germany
    and a Board member, after shocking photos and film footage of animal
    rearing enterprises and statements that the enterprises shown therein
    participated in the QS system. This material had the effect of
    discrediting the quality security system and its legitimate partners.

    “We are pleased about this very clear outcome of the lawsuit against
    Dr. Haferbeck”,commentates Dr. Walter Scheuerl, the QS’ attorney on
    their success.
    In a parallel procedure against PeTA Germany and a PeTA Board member,
    the chamber ruled that PeTA must provide proof regarding the origin of
    the photos and the film footage which PeTA has been using.

    Notes:
    The standards defined by QS specify strict, verifiable production
    criteria for all stages of the value added chain – from the animal
    feed economy to the food retail trade- (meat, fruit, vegetables, etc).

    PeTA’s Dr. Haferbeck had stated that “QS operates deliberate
    deceptions” and “QS lies systematically”.

  • I’m shocked… I absolutely don’t believe it will be puppies today cattle tommorow at all. Have any of you actually been to a puppy mill in it’s truest sense? A substandard large scale breeding facility with dozens or hundreds of dogs in various stages of neglect and ill health churning out litter after litter of unhealthy geneticly messed up dogs till they die or are put to death in inhumane ways such as starvation? I’d think that cattlemen who probably care quite a lot about the health and husbandry of their animals would be shocked at the lack of thought or care given to this brand of ‘livestock’ – legisilation is definetly needed here!

  • To Miss Tiffany! If you do not believe it will be puppies today and cattle tomorrow you need to research for around 30 minutes and you will be singing a different tune. I am not talking about watching a commercial or going to the hsus website. Try reading articles written from meetings and interviews with the hsus. Corner post Is HSUS a threat to Mo agriculture? YOung producers counsil HSUS- A squeaky wheel or a doomsday prophecy. A quote from the above “Our goal is the abolition of all animal agriculture.” “Nothing is more important than promoting veganism.” Plus go to the back of the petition. Not the front which would have most believing that licensed breeders are not required to provide water/feed/cleaning on a daily basis. What ever! Lets talk about that non-stop hard surface they want them on. This would have to be concrete, the only thing that would pass code. Are you aware that this would cause crippling arthritis?? YOu can bring it up on kennel spot light. Look “in the back” at the defenition of pet. Just in case you do not know cows, chickens, hogs and such are domesticated animals. If that does not convince you know I called a lawyer when this was brought to my attention and this can cause problems for all domesticated animals if passed. I also asked one of our state senators about his opinion on the matter of the description of pet. Here is the response. We have been led to believe that the hsus will not be taking that position at this time. That leads me to believe that like the lawyer said they can if they want to. Plus lets get right to the point of there are good kennels and bad. Just like there are good dairy farms and bad. To let them push out the whole industry due to some unlicnesed/substandard facilities is rediculous. There are all ready laws in place for licensed breeders/kennels. The Mo goverment has been doing a great job of cracking down on the unlicensed/substandard facilities through operation bark alert. This has been in the news alot as of late. This has brought much press. If some one does not pay attention and just gets bits of information from commercials and such they are part of the problem.

  • I’m aware of operation bark alert – I’ve used it to report two h#llholes in my county in the last year. I’m not a hard core rescuer and I hate peta, I’m only 21 and I didn’t know people treated dogs like nothing, just used them to make money until my mother and I unsuspectingly answered an ad for a pup in the paper and walked into a very substandard kennel with over 200 dogs when I was 15. The poor pup we got that day died at age 4 because she was so riddled with congenital defects, finally a combination of diabetes and heart problems got her. In 4 years she cost us well over $12,000 in vet bills. We loved her, she was a wonderful dog but it’s not fair what these people are doing, it’s not fair my dog and so many others are born only to suffer and have short lives, and it’s not right. I eat meat, I love bacon, and I’ll fight tooth and nail to keep my bacon but I bet pig farmers don’t intentionally breed animals with serious genetic defects or contagious disease and just to make a buck and if they did and people started getting sick physically there’d be laws passed so quick it’d make your head spin, but somehow making people sick at heart is ok and acceptable? Tougher laws mean more of this non-sense, the people who want to really cut corners are going to go out of business! And passing this law sends a message the people in missouri aren’t proud this stuff is going on. Ideally every dog born would be born in a responsible breeders home in a safe warm clean whelping box to parents in good health and condition free of serious genetic defects – I WANT to live in that world.

  • I grew up on a farm in MO and live on the same farm now. I read the proposal and IF it included livestock that would be fine with me!!! How horrible are some farmers treating their animals if they do not meet this proposal? Do they not have water, food, vet care? Room to move around? I hate corporate farming and the disgrace they bring on all farmers, all the farmers i know treat their cattle properly and goats or whatnot. READ the proposal and see just how basic it is.

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