Dog breeder restrictions coming up in Missouri?

Missouri is the latest state to seek restrictions on dog breeders.

Read this story from USA Today.

Under the proposed dog-breeding measure, people could only have 50 breeding dogs and would be required to feed animals daily, provide annual veterinary care and not breed animals more than twice every 18 months. Breeders also would have to follow rules for the dogs' living space and house animals indoors with unfettered access to an outdoor exercise yard.

Supporters say they have collected an estimated 190,000 signatures on petitions. A decision as to whether there are enough to put the measure on the ballot will be made by Aug 3.

Say 'no' to puppy mills

Even though nothing could be cuter than a new puppy bounding around a Christmas tree, the holidays are probably not the best time to introduce a new pet into a household.

Another concern, from the Humane Society of the United States, is that people who do get a puppy make sure they are not unwittingly supporting the "puppy mill" industry.

Read this article in the North Country Gazette from Chestertown, N.Y.

Simple advice: Don’t purchase puppies from a pet store, from a Web site, from a classified ad — or from any source where you cannot be absolutely certain that you are dealing with a reputable breeder. The HSUS urges families to first consider adoption from local shelters or rescue groups, where healthy, loving animals need nothing so much as a happy family this holiday.

Some puppy mill facts from the article:

• Dogs receive little to no medical care.
• Dogs live in squalid conditions.
• Dogs are confined in cramped wire cages.
• Dogs receive no exercise, socialization or human interaction.

There are so many dogs in shelters across the country that it doesn't make sense to risk getting a dog from a puppy mill.

New law for Pa. puppy mills

Looks like Pennsylvania will join Virginia, Louisiana and Arizona in cracking down on puppy mills.

A recently enacted law ups the standards on commercial kennels, including twice-yearly veterinary exams (at minimum), larger cages and exercise requirements.

Virginia and Louisiana limit the number of dogs that can be housed in kennels, and Arizona law enforcement officials can now fine against anyone caught selling animals along public roads or in public parks in urban counties.

From the article, which you can read in its entirety here:

The new law in Pennsylvania targets about 650 large-scale commercial breeders, or roughly one-quarter of the state's 2,600 licensed kennels, that sell any dogs to dealers and pet shops or traffic in at least 60 dogs per year. Violators would be subject to both criminal and civil penalties.

The law also gives dog wardens the authority to act on alleged violations, a power previously given only to police and humane officers. Also, only veterinarians will be allowed to euthanize dogs in commercial breeding kennels.

The law took on new urgency in August, when 80 dogs in two eastern Pennsylvania kennels were shot 80 dogs by their owners after being ordered to let veterinarians examine some of them.