Puppy Mills need further regulation of pending legislation

By Kenna Fowler     2/3/11 6:00pm

This year, the Texas legislature will decide whether to regulate a lucrative business: the breeding and selling of cats and dogs. A group of legislators, activists and pet owners is actively pushing the state to get rid of "puppy mills."Puppy mills are large-scale breeding facilities that produce and sell puppies. As opposed to reputable breeders, puppy mills have low standards of living for their breeding stock. It is not uncommon for animals to remain in their cages for extended periods of time - weeks, months and sometimes years. Animals being bred are often sick, malnourished and over-bred. Put simply, the conditions these animals live in are deplorable and sickening.

Puppy mills continue to cause harm to animals even after they have left. Many enter their new homes with an onslaught of illnesses, including damage to their respiratory systems. While good breeders pair dogs for breeding to avoid genetic diseases, puppy mill breeders breed their animals indiscriminately, often leading to inbreeding and a variety of diseases, which, in turn, lead to a host of potential, costly problems for the puppy's new owners.

Texas currently has an estimated 800 to 1,000 puppy mills, though law enforcement officials believe that number is continuing to increase. Unfortunately, they can do little to regulate the puppy mills because, as the Better Business Bureau reports, "Without legislation requiring more inspection, the responsibility for maintaining humane conditions lies with breeders." Along with the inhumane conditions, the large number of puppies produced in the mills poses a problem because, in Texas, there are more animals than owners willing to take them.

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The proposed legislation would regulate operations with 11 or more breeding females. Such businesses would be subject to inspection by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The standards used by inspectors are already contained in the Federal Animal Welfare Act, a law with guidelines on the treatment and living conditions of animals used for commercial purposes. While the act currently applies to puppy mills because of their commercial nature, few are ever inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture because of cost. The bill before the Texas legislature would eliminate this problem by forcing breeders to pay a fee that would cover the cost of inspection. Breeding facilities that pass inspection would receive a license from the TDLR and would be inspected annually to keep their license. Breeding facilities that do not meet the standards would be shut down.

There are steps that you can take as an individual to improve the situation. First, do not buy kittens or puppies from pet stores - roughly 98 percent of pets sold from such stores are from puppy mills. Mills are able to stay in business because people continue to buy dogs and cats from them, usually unsuspectingly. The best option when buying animals is to visit organizations like the Houston Humane Society and the SPCA, which treat their animals with great care and respect. Their many healthy, friendly pets are desperately in need of homes.

If you are only interested in a purebred cat or dog, the best option is still to visit your local animal shelter. It is estimated that approximately one-quarter of animals in shelters are purebreds, and adopting an animal from the shelter gives a homeless pet a loving family. Additionally, there are breed-specific rescue groups that often rehabilitate animals from mills and adopt them out. A third option, buying from a breeder, is less preferable because they contribute to overpopulation. Approximately 3-4 million animals, or half of the population within shelters, are euthanized every year because there are not enough homes. However, if this is the route you want to take, there are a large number of breeders registered with the American Kennel Club in this area. With breeders, always ask to see the animals' living conditions and meet the parents and your potential new family member well in advance of any purchase to ensure that the animals are treated well. Lastly, if you are registered to vote in Texas, please contact your representative in the Texas legislature. It is crucial that legislators know that their constituents care about this issue.

Kenna Fowler ('12), ?Annie Kuntz ('11), ?Rachel Gilbert ('11).

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