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The animals pictured are from actual puppy and kitten mills in Minnesota; photographs courtesy of the Companion Animal Protection Society.

SPEAK UP for Minnesota Dogs and Cats - SUPPORT Dog and Cat Breeder Regulation

UPDATE ON S.F. 462 / H.F. 702:

Unfortunately, no hearings were held on the Dog and Cat Breeder Regulation bill this year in either the Senate Agriculture or House Agriculture Committees, so they will not be able to advance before the regular session of the Legislature adjourns on May 23rd.

In order for the bills to have moved along, either S.F. 462 or H.F. 702 needed to pass out of all policy committees (in the Senate or the House) by April 29th; if that happened, the companion bill then needed to pass out of all policy committees in its body of origin by May 6th. The Chairs of the Agriculture committees (Senator Magnus and Representative Hamilton) make the decision on which bills are heard in theor committees. Neither the Senate or House Agriculture Committee heard the bill.

Since this is the first half of the biennium, S.F. 462/H.F. 702 will still be alive in 2012 and will still have the same bill numbers. A lot of work has been done since introduction in February, and we have met with many legislators educating them on the problem and the bill. We will continue working over the summer and fall in the hopes that hearings will be held in 2012 on these very important bills.

THE SITUATION:

Minnesota is among the top producers of puppies in the nation - with some breeding kennels housing 300, 600, or over 1,000 dogs. Kittens are also mass-produced in Minnesota.
Minnesota has no state laws to license, inspect or regulate the dog and cat breeding industry.
While reputable breeders invest in the health, safety and well-being of the animals, unscrupulous and negligent breeders cut corners in their operations to maximize sales and profits - creating substandard and deplorable breeding conditions.
Unhealthy dogs and cats are sold to unsuspecting consumers who end up paying thousands of dollars in veterinarian costs.

REGULATION IS NEEDED:

A law is needed to protect dogs, cats, puppies and kittens from inhumane breeding practices and conditions. S.F. 462 / H.F. 702 (authored by Senator Barb Goodwin and Representative John Lesch) will regulate the dog and cat breeding industry in Minnesota through:

Licensing - Require commercial dog and cat breeders in Minnesota to be licensed.
Inspections and Enforcement - Give the Minnesota Board of Animal Health the authority to inspect commercial dog and cat breeding facilities and enforce existing State laws to ensure animal care standards are met.
Penalties - Impose civil, administrative and criminal penalties for those who violate the law.

HOW TO HELP:

Sign up for alerts - Get timely updates and alerts by emailing info@mnhumane.org and asking to be added to our email contact list.
Contact your legislators - Contact your State Senator and State Representative and ask them to support S.F. 462 / H.F. 702 (authored by Senator Goodwin and Representative Lesch) to regulate commercial cat and dog breeders in Minnesota. To access contact information for your senator and representative, click on » CONTACT YOUR SENATORS & REPRESENTATIVES «. Find out who represents you at www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/.

THE GOAL OF BREEDER REGULATION - HEALTHY AND SAFE DOGS AND CATS

S.F. 462 / H.F. 702 COALITION: A Rotta Love Plus, Animal Folks MN, Animal Humane Society, Minnesota Animal Control Association, Minnesota Humane Society, Minnesota Voters for Animal Protection, Minnkota Persian Rescue, Pet Haven of Minnesota, Prairie's Edge Humane Society, Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota, Second Chance Animal Rescue, Tri-County Humane Society. And numerous other supporters, including humane societies, rescue groups, veterinarians and community members.

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