murraysmom

http://www.unitedagainstpuppymills.org/doglawchg.html

For those interested, here is a link which explains what is happening in Pennsylvania regarding the new dog laws. Hopefully, we will no longer be considered "The Puppy Mill Capital of the East Coast".

Mary Gottfried

Betsy Iole

Thanks for the update. It sounds like some of the high-volume breeders are playing something of a shell game with their stock.

__________________
Betsy, Mom to
CH Bugle Bay's Sin City Caper UD RE TD BHCA-VC
CH Bugle Bay's Sin City Cuppa Joe TD
CH Bugle Bay's AllUCanEat Buffet CDX RN TDX NA CGC BHCA-VCX, 1996-2008
"Bugsie" UDX NA NAJ CGC, 1991-2006

murraysmom

http://www.unitedagainstpuppymills.org/facts.html

The sad history of puppy mills in Lancaster County is a history of 'shell games' and 'smart lawyers' hired by kennel owners to find every possible way of keeping them in operation.

The above link to "The Facts" will take you to a UAPM page which explains, among other things, that there are 216 kennels licensed for 251 or more dogs in Pennsylvania, one having 1144 dogs.

I leave the condition of these dogs to your imagination.

Our hope lies in Governor Rendell's sincere desire for change-

Mary Gottfried

Betsy Iole

Unfortunately, legislation without enforcement has no teeth. What's the enforcement situation like in PA?

__________________
Betsy, Mom to
CH Bugle Bay's Sin City Caper UD RE TD BHCA-VC
CH Bugle Bay's Sin City Cuppa Joe TD
CH Bugle Bay's AllUCanEat Buffet CDX RN TDX NA CGC BHCA-VCX, 1996-2008
"Bugsie" UDX NA NAJ CGC, 1991-2006

murraysmom

Enforcement has not been good in the past.

With the Bureau of Dog Law removed from the Dept. of Agriculture and reporting directly to the Governor, along with new legislation regarding requirements for the large puppy mill kennels, it's hoped that enforcement will be facilitated.

Mary Gottfried

Barbara Winters

There are two sides to every story:


Pennsylvania Governor Aims to Regulate Breeders

Pennsylvania Federation of Dog Clubs

murraysmom

From Barbara's link:

"New overly restricted rules and regulations for kennels were formulated without input from any kennel owners. These would not allow any licensed breeders to have their dogs and puppies in their homes or in their yards to exercise! These are absurd requirements! Most of us have our dogs in our homes. Ninety percent of these proposed rules could not be abided by by our hobby breeders. The secret group wrote these and the Governor did not want us to have a copy.
The Governor constantly accuses the past Dog Law Advisory Board of "not being proactive." It is his administration that has not been proactive in that it has only held 3 working meetings of the Board during the 4 years he has been in office. The Board cannot convene itself. Still he places the blame on the innocent volunteers of the Board.
The Governor's newly appointed Board no longer represents the statewide interest groups as it has since it was established in 1982. They are his personal favorites who in many cases cannot speak for the representative groups called for in the Dog Law. In our case, the law states "a representative of the dog clubs". He ignored our President, who reapplied for the position, and appointed a person who is only a member of a national breed club. She can not and will not speak on our behalf. Therefore, we have NO representation. The Dog Law does not allow for any additional members, but the Governor, who was the District Attorney in Philadelphia, plans to disregard the law and appoint 5 new "at large" members of his own choosing. Some of these are from his secret "animal rights" group."


Yes, I know there are those who are opposed to what is happening.The proposals may not be perfect as they stand, but I support it over-all. And I personally don't believe Rendell has a 'secret animal rights group'.


Mary Gottfried