Bill Introduced to Crack Down on Abusive Puppy Mills

By: Chelsea Midgette | June 23, 2010 | Politics

There’s no doubt that puppy mills are a problem; filthy, cramped conditions and improper upbringing only scratch the surface of why the dog breeding powerhouses are inhumane.  Puppies born and raised in puppy mills are often sick and taken from their littermates too early, resulting in both health and temperamental issues down the road.  In addition, the dogs used for breeding in puppy mills are often bred every time they come into season, putting inordinate amounts of stress on their bodies, while their living conditions usually offer very limited space to move around.  This means that the dogs are essentially used as breeding machines, living in their own filth just to produce litter upon litter of pups for a profit that they never see.

However, the dogs aren’t the only victims here; the prospective owners of puppy mill offspring are usually unknowingly left with sickly, emotionally stunted pups that need expensive health care and extensive socialization to thrive in their new lives.  Many dogs in rescue shelters are there because they are the products of puppy mills, and their new owners couldn’t afford – financially, emotionally, or both – to keep them.

Lawmakers have finally begun to realize the gravity of the issues surrounding puppy mills and have introduced legislation to close a loophole in the current Animal Welfare Act, or AWA.  While the AWA currently requires facilities that breed dogs for commercial resale through pet stores to be licensed and inspected, puppy mills that sell directly to the public are exempt from any federal oversight whatsoever.  This means that puppy mills that sell pups online or elsewhere for direct purchase can legally operate their facilities without answering to any federal regulations, resulting in abusive conditions for the dogs.

The Puppy Uniform Protection Statute, or the PUPS Act, was recently introduced in the Senate and is expected to be introduced in the House of Representatives soon.  The bill will require that breeders who sell more than 50 puppies per year directly to the public will be federally licensed and inspected and that dogs at commercial breeding facilities must be given the opportunity to exercise for 60 minutes every day.  In addition, USDA has announced that the administration is going to crack down on puppy mills, conducting more frequent inspections and imposing higher fines for infractions.

While this bill is a great head start for increased puppy mill regulation, we have a long way to go before the mills are outlawed for good. 

To urge your Senators and House Representative to support passage of the bill you click below:

ASPCA Advocacy

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