Pennsylvania Puppy Mill Bill: Take Action
Thanks to the Dogster member who sent in this plea for support. If you live in Pennsylvania, please act now. If you don’t but know people who do, please alert them.
House Bill 2525 is now out of Committee and is on its way to the House floor for vote. This is the puppy mill law, and it is CRITICAL that you call your PA state Representative (not federal). Calling carries more weight than email.
If you don’t know your representative, go to this site and (top right corner) enter your 5-digit zip code plus the 4-digit extension. Ask them to support HB 2525.
This is the bill we’ve been waiting for to help reduce the number of dogs in puppy mills and end suffering.
Additionally, ask your Representative to support HB 2532 (the de-barking and birthing bill). The puppy millers stick steel pipes down dogs’ throats to destroy their vocal cords so they don’t have to hear the dogs barking, and it keeps them quiet so the public isn’t aware of where these mills are located. This bill “should” end this action. I say “should” only because we should expect that some will continue this horrible practice. Currently puppy millers are also cutting open the stomachs of dogs during birthing without anesthesia.
From The Humane Society:
The HSUS Commends the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee for Passing Important Anti-Cruelty Legislation
HARRISBURG, Pa. (June 24, 2008)The Humane Society of the United States commends the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee for approving a bill addressing some of the cruelest practices employed by puppy mills today.
The legislation now advances to the full House of Representatives. Introduced by Rep. Thomas Caltagirone (D-Berks), HB 2532 seeks to outlaw abusive practices employed by breeders in Pennsylvania’s puppy mills, including debarking, performing surgery on pregnant dogs to remove the puppies, and tail docking.
Under current law, it is completely legal for commercial breeders in Pennsylvania to perform surgical births by slicing open the stomachs of pregnant dogs, removing the puppies, and sewing the dogs back up. There is not any requirement that the breeders have any veterinary training, use anesthesia, or conduct the operations in sterile conditions. Breeders may also perform painful debarking by ramming a metal pipe or other object down a dog’s throat to rupture the vocal cords and render the dog mute, again without anesthesia and while the dog is fully conscious.
The provisions of HB 2532 are common sense to anyone. Only licensed veterinarians should be authorized to perform surgery on these dogs, says Sarah Speed, The HSUS’ Pennsylvania state director. “For too long, commercial breeders have abused the laxity in the law to maximize profit at the expense of the well-being of the dogs and the unwitting consumer.”
HB 2532 will also close a loophole in the law that allows commercial breeders to escape prosecution for animal cruelty. Under the current law, only a Humane Society Police Officer has the ability to cite a breeder for animal cruelty. In counties where there is no such officer, a breeder may escape citation. Currently there are three counties in Pennsylvania that do not have a Humane Society Police Officer. HB 2532 will close this loophole by allowing Dog Law Wardens in the counties without officers to issue citations for animal cruelty within the limited scope of performance of their inspection duties.
The Humane Society of the United States is working in conjunction with The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Pennsylvania Legislative Animal Network to pursue this important legislative effort in Pennsylvania.
What is the status of the bills? I read an ASPCA alert that they would be voted on July 1 by the full House but can’t find any information on whether the vote was taken
Max…it looks like it hasn’t been voted on yet. Here are the links to the specific bills you can monitor to see how the vote turns out.
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2007&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=2525
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/BillInfo.cfm?syear=2007&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=2532
Oh wow, I sure hope this works :’(
If I was the judge I don’t see how I couldn’t pass it! That is absolutley horrifying! I will definetly contact my relatives in PA.
I can’t believe what I’m reading. THIS is good news?? I hardly call this BS good for the dogs. Here’s a suggestion:
Instead of imprisoning these sensitive beings in “nicer” prisons and torture chambers, why don’t we close the damn prisons down completely? I can’t believe no one on here sees what BS this is. So let me get this straight, the very people who literally maim and torture dogs right now will have to follow some regulations, get a slap on the wrist, and walk away paying no consequences whatsoever for the lives they ruin on a daily basis. Oh, yes, and not one dog will be able to live his or her life free from this hell. Oh no, that’s too “radical” apparently.
And this is good, how exactly??
And I’m not just talking about the dogs who are forced to spend their miserable painful lives in cages either. What about the supposed “overpopulation” of dogs that we have in every city in this country? Dogs abandoned, neglected, given over to city pounds — and thousands upon thousands are euthanized — that means KILLED in case you didn’t know — every f*ing DAY in this country because there are supposedly too many of them.
and we want to KEEP THE PUPPY MILLS OPEN — only make them NICER???
What is wrong with you people??
And don’t even start on “well this will at least make the conditions better..” NO, I have news for you, it won’t. Anyone who believes that is in denial, or jsut doesn’t realize how economics works. The heartless sob’s who run these places don’t give a flying you-know-what about the dog’s welfare — if they did, we wouldn’t be in this mess would we?
If your child was kept in a cage her entire life, sliced open and sewn back together on a regular basis, forced to bear children until she could no longer hold herself up — oh yes and not allowed to walk on grass, can you say you’d want her to STAY with the people who’ve done this to her IF ONLY they were nicer to her??? So why is it any different for dogs?
Un-f’ing-believable.
And a closing thought…
If the above description of what happens to these poor dogs (cutting them open with no anesthesia, gruesome debarking, etc) was used to describe what a private owner did to his or her pets, the outcry of “animal cruetly” would be enormous. Someone who did this to their pets would be branded an animal abuser, at least fined heavily and possibly even sent to jail. They’d likely become a parriah in their community and their heinous deeds would become a well-known part of their reputation.
WHY ARE “PUPPY MILL” OWNERS — WHO INFLICT THIS ABUSE ON DOGS DAILY — ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH IT??
Of course, that needs no answer but here’s a hint, it’s not called “the root of all evil” for nothing.
time for our legislators to step up to the plate and stop this madness
one day these people will meet there maker and be punished.and when they are on there death bead i hope they think about what touture they inflicted on these poor animals.
they are very sick evil and uneducated people who will one day answer to god for these crimes. i believe they are the same as a serial killer!
I don’t think they should use dogs to help police, the military or any organization like those until they pass strict felony laws! Don’t expect a dog to save your life if you’re not willing to step up to the plate!!
Pam, you’re right. I have changed my mission from” pass the puppy mill law” to “get rid of puppy mills altogether.” If the owners are farmers, let them farm and grow fruits and veggies so costumers can buy produce that is fresh instead of buying dried up produce that is shipped over long distances. Dog breeding should not be part of agriculture.