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In further response to Mike and Tim:
http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us/doglawa...=3&q=149327
Quote:
MYTH: There would be no problems if the Department of Agriculture just increased enforcement of existing law.
REALITY: Over the past year the Department has stepped up its enforcement of existing law, but no amount of enforcement can make up for what the law lacks. The problem with existing law is that it is LEGAL to keep kenneled dogs in small, stacked cages for their entire life with no heat, no opportunity for exercise and no routine veterinary care. House Bill 2525 would, for the first time, improve the minimum standards for commercial breeding kennels.
MYTH: The real goal of HB 2525 is to discourage people from breeding or hunting with dogs by saddling them with additional requirements.
REALITY: Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Department of Agriculture is proud of Pennsylvania’s many award-winning sporting dog and show dog kennels. The law defines commercial breeding kennels as kennels that either sell dogs to dealers or pet stores, or sell more than 60 dogs a year, which these types of breeders have told the Department they would never do. By not meeting the definition of a commercial breeding kennel, sporting and hobby dog kennels are not affected by the new size and exercise requirements.
MYTH: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements for kennels are good enough â€â€œ Pennsylvania should just adopt them.
REALITY: USDA has some good standards, and in fact, House Bill 2525 includes many of them for commercial kennels, such as a temperature range of 50-85 degrees and requiring veterinary care. But USDA does not go far enough to provide dogs with humane living conditions, for example:
USDA requires that dogs get twice the current Pennsylvania cage size or get exercise. But the exercise requirement can be satisfied by placing a dog in a cage with a second dog (without either dog getting more space than if alone) - in practice no different than current Pennsylvania law.
USDA allows wire flooring, stacking of cages for adult dogs regardless of size, and up to 12 adult dogs to be housed together. Dog professionals the Department consulted said that many dogs would encourage fights.
MYTH: House Bill 2525 will impose many new requirements for kennels of all sizes and types.
REALITY: House Bill 2525 will only require three new improvements for any kennel other than commercial breeding kennels: Get fire extinguishers, have an exercise plan approved by their own veterinarian, and display their kennel licenses in their kennel.
MYTH: Field trials and dog shows will have to get kennel licenses under House Bill 2525.
REALITY: House Bill 2525 now specifically states that gatherings of dogs in the care of their owners do not require kennel licenses.
And to quote from my last post in response to Mike on the previous thread:
"The change in culture was not some sort of spontaneous occurance- it came about because of the hard work to educate the public by supporters of the new dog law and the anti-puppymill movement.
As far as what passed for "OK" and legal in the housing of dogs prior to Oct. 2008:
Would you stick Macey in a tiny wire floored cage for the rest of her life-feet never to touch the ground again, balancing on the wires cutting into her pads, never excercised,no vet exams - stacked in a cage so that urine and feces rained down on her daily? Would it be OK with you if she sweltered in a 100 degree shed for days on end and froze in the winter when it got below zero? I don't think so.
So why do you think all of the above is OK for the thousands of dogs in the puppymills in Pennsylvania?"
http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us/doglawa...=3&q=149327
Quote:
MYTH: There would be no problems if the Department of Agriculture just increased enforcement of existing law.
REALITY: Over the past year the Department has stepped up its enforcement of existing law, but no amount of enforcement can make up for what the law lacks. The problem with existing law is that it is LEGAL to keep kenneled dogs in small, stacked cages for their entire life with no heat, no opportunity for exercise and no routine veterinary care. House Bill 2525 would, for the first time, improve the minimum standards for commercial breeding kennels.
MYTH: The real goal of HB 2525 is to discourage people from breeding or hunting with dogs by saddling them with additional requirements.
REALITY: Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Department of Agriculture is proud of Pennsylvania’s many award-winning sporting dog and show dog kennels. The law defines commercial breeding kennels as kennels that either sell dogs to dealers or pet stores, or sell more than 60 dogs a year, which these types of breeders have told the Department they would never do. By not meeting the definition of a commercial breeding kennel, sporting and hobby dog kennels are not affected by the new size and exercise requirements.
MYTH: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements for kennels are good enough â€â€œ Pennsylvania should just adopt them.
REALITY: USDA has some good standards, and in fact, House Bill 2525 includes many of them for commercial kennels, such as a temperature range of 50-85 degrees and requiring veterinary care. But USDA does not go far enough to provide dogs with humane living conditions, for example:
USDA requires that dogs get twice the current Pennsylvania cage size or get exercise. But the exercise requirement can be satisfied by placing a dog in a cage with a second dog (without either dog getting more space than if alone) - in practice no different than current Pennsylvania law.
USDA allows wire flooring, stacking of cages for adult dogs regardless of size, and up to 12 adult dogs to be housed together. Dog professionals the Department consulted said that many dogs would encourage fights.
MYTH: House Bill 2525 will impose many new requirements for kennels of all sizes and types.
REALITY: House Bill 2525 will only require three new improvements for any kennel other than commercial breeding kennels: Get fire extinguishers, have an exercise plan approved by their own veterinarian, and display their kennel licenses in their kennel.
MYTH: Field trials and dog shows will have to get kennel licenses under House Bill 2525.
REALITY: House Bill 2525 now specifically states that gatherings of dogs in the care of their owners do not require kennel licenses.
And to quote from my last post in response to Mike on the previous thread:
"The change in culture was not some sort of spontaneous occurance- it came about because of the hard work to educate the public by supporters of the new dog law and the anti-puppymill movement.
As far as what passed for "OK" and legal in the housing of dogs prior to Oct. 2008:
Would you stick Macey in a tiny wire floored cage for the rest of her life-feet never to touch the ground again, balancing on the wires cutting into her pads, never excercised,no vet exams - stacked in a cage so that urine and feces rained down on her daily? Would it be OK with you if she sweltered in a 100 degree shed for days on end and froze in the winter when it got below zero? I don't think so.
So why do you think all of the above is OK for the thousands of dogs in the puppymills in Pennsylvania?"