Puppy Mill Bill Moves to the Senate
This is a copy of some info the SPCA posted on their website regarding the House Bill 538. Read it over... let me know if you think this is good or not. I'd like to hear from breeders too. Thanks, Y'all.
House Bill 538 Moves On To Senate!
As the General Assembly is moving to its conclusion we are still fighting on behalf of the puppy mill bill, House Bill 538. After a wonderful effort in the House of Delegates, the bill now resides in the Senate for approval.
That means the bill will be voted on next Monday, February 25, and if it passes the Senate Agriculture Committee vote it will immediately go to Senate Finance, hopefully for approval on the financial impact. The bill will then to a conference committee to receive approval on the amendments. What an exercise!
The bill was amended yesterday to allow a locality, if it chooses, to expand the total number of animals that a commercial breeding operation may have so long as the locality adopts an ordinance that requires a public hearing and it grants the locality the right to add requirements on the operation as a consequence of the expansion. While we may not be thrilled about this or other amendments, we have to keep pushing to get these large breeding activities to operate in the sunlight so we can try to prevent a crisis.
A spokesperson for the Virginia Federation of Dog Breeders testified yesterday that she saw no reason why they needed a veterinarian to euthanize their animals. She said pounds don't have a vet. Our question and the one we hope you pose to the committee, is "How are they euthanizing without a vet, since they can't get controlled drugs?!?"
The other issue that arose is why not leave it to the USDA? Please remember that you do not need a USDA license unless you sell to pet stores, so if you sell in the newspaper or over the internet you are unaffected. Furthermore, USDA minimum standards are not as strong as Virginia's. The USDA almost never seizes an animal, when they do they need the resources of local government to house them. Finally, there are very few inspections and inspectors and very few registered breeders, so it does not get to the problem.
If you haven't contacted your Senator, then now is absolutely the time. If you have, we need you to do it again. We need you to encourage your colleagues, your friends, and your family, everyone you know throughout Virginia, not just locally.
