Puppy Mill Situation in Missouri

[Tommy Coyote]

Remember last year when the voters in Missouri voted in new, stricter regulations for commercial dog breeders.

 

And then the state government overturned the election. They contended that current regulations were adeguate and just needed to be enforced. The new regulations were just too stringent and would put most breeders out of business. Including the AKC breeders.

 

So I am trying to get an update on the enforcement. I think I saw two incidents written up in the Star but one was for a breeder that had multiple complaints over the years. The other was for a rabbit breeder who had been out of business for 3 years.

 

I have a feeling that the puppy mills have not been affected at all. There is just so much money in these designer dogs now that they are being produced like crazy. One of my customers went to an upscale pet store here in KC and purchased a dog. I'll bet she paid $1200 for it. She was so proud of herself for biting the bullet and paying big bucks at an expensive store - that meant she was getting a really good dog.

 

I am beginning to feel like going after the breeders is impossible. Probably should be going after the outlets that sell the dogs.

 

I just hate puppy mills.

 

Mary

[Debbie Meier]

What is a puppy mill? This is the question that everyone really needs to ask themselves when they see a designer dog and immediately attribute that dog as originating from a puppy mill. If you have visions of stacked cages and deplorable conditions you may find that your wrong and that puppy may have come from a facility that looked totally different then what your vision is, but then again it may come from the exact type of facility that concurs up ugly visions.

 

 

We keep saying that passing more regulation and laws when there are already unenforced regulations and laws is not going to help. Also, operating a commercial breeding operation and breeding designer dogs is not illegal, neglecting and not caring for the dogs by withholding proper food, water, medical attention and not providing proper housing, etc. is.

 

The only way that you will see breeders that you don't agree with banned from breeding is if all breeding is banned or regulated to the point where few will be able to continue to breed, it is as simple as that.

 

Basically what one person deems acceptable another does not, so it's all or nothing in the end unless we end up with all pet breeding banned with an exemption for those that are selling dogs for a working using purpose which will mean no more sport dogs or companion pet dogs unless you get them through rescue because a breeder would not be able to sell to you legally unless you had a working purpose for the dog.

 

Please remember that there are many people out there that see absolutely no reason to have purpose bred dogs, they feel that adopting is the only way to go and that anyone that breeds is wrong. In many cases those people are average run of the mill people that have not thought it through, they just are following along like sheep chanting adopt don't shop, basically to hell with all the people that need and have a use for a dog that is bred for a specific purpose, let them use what ever is available at the shelter.

 

There are two things in the works at a national level that are being promoted as a way to stop puppy mills but I don't see how either will work, instead the proposed regs are going to put smaller breeders out of business by placing regulation on them.

 

One is the USDA pet store definition change, it will require most breeders that sell dogs and ship them to become usda licensed exemption would be for a breeder with fewer then 4 bitches. Well, in the case of MO, many of those breeders are already under MO regulation unless they have fewer then 10 bitches I believe and breeders with 3-10 must secure a hobby breeders permit.

 

And the other is PUPs, where anyone with even 1 bitch that sells over 50 dogs a year, even if they pups resulting from co-owned bitches/stud dogs may be required to secure a USDA license. PUPS will also place new housing restrictions and exercise restrictions on the dogs.

 

Another concept that I'm hearing is taking hold is banning all retail pet sales and allow rescues and shelters to have an exemption. While yes that would take care of some of the problem, it also means that it's going to be pretty tough to find a purpose bred dog that you can purchase from a breeder that you do agree with, seeing that, for example, if you go to Jack Knox and buy a puppy for your personal enjoyment it could be considered a retail transaction.

 

With that said, MO, the state you reside in, already requires dog breeders to either be licensed or have a permit unless they have fewer then 3 bitches, I believe. So, all those so call bad breeders (puppy mills) are either operating illegally by not following the licensing laws or are licensed and are being overseen and monitored by the state and basically having the states blessing to continue to operate and are not illegal.

 

Now, as for the pet store where your friend purchased her pup, that pet store could have secured the pup from a state that has not oversite, but it is likely that the pup came from a USDA licensed breeder. So once again, totally legal. If they are not providing sufficient care for their dogs then it's because the regulations that are imposed on them are not being enforced or the way they care for their dogs is sufficient based on USDA standards.

[Tommy Coyote]

I think Missouri has about 1200 unlicensed dog breeding operations.The whole idea when the puppy mill law was thrown out was that the state would really crack down on the unlicensed people and enforce the existing regulations.

 

I don't think that has happened. Under the existing law there were only two inspectors for the whole state. I haven't read where that has ever changed.

 

I think people here in Missouri understand that there is a difference between a commercial breeder and what they see as a puppy mill. Producing puppies for sale is not illegal. Raising animals in awful conditions is illegal and we want it stopped.

[Debbie Meier]

This is from speaking to both state inspectors and reading the statement from the USDA, licensing is complaint driven or voluntary, no one is going door to door checking licenses and counting breeding dogs, imagine the outrage. Seem to recall you yourself being upset that Kansas City AC was coming door to door a while back, if you don't like it why would it be ok to want it on someone else? Basically, if you want the authorities to go door to door then you have to be willing to have them knock on your door, not just for dog breeding but also to check on simple pet limits.

 

MO has the call in program called "Bark Alert", any resident can call in to turn in a unlicensed breeder. The laws and the tools to get breeders under state oversight are there in your state, the residents just need to use the tools. The problem is, most people are not willing to turn in their neighbor or friend, no different then how many people would turn in a friend for driving with a suspended license or for driving a truck without plates. Most will turn their eye, shrug their shoulders and say more power to them, it's their neck if the law catches them. Same is true with unlicensed dog breeders.

 

If you want to do your part just be certain that any dog you buy or any breeder you refer is either legally exempt or has their license/permit. Then you are not perpetuating the problem of unlicensed breeders. But then also ask yourself how many people you personally know of in your state that are operationing without a license. If it is like it is up here there are many, but they continue because in our mind they are not the problem, they arn't a puppy mill, based on our own personal definition, when in fact someone else would say they were a puppy mill because they are avoiding licensing and oversight and must have something to hide.

 

BTW, there are alot of unlicensed breeders that are in that figure you quoted that care for their dogs in a very good manner, I would actually venture a guess that most do. The large breeders that sell to pet stores and brokers are required to be licensed, the pet shops and brokers have to document where the dogs came from so buying from a illigally operating breeder is apt to get them in hot water, though some are willing to risk it, but that's human nature. Where the unlicensed breeders are able to survive in MO is selling buyer direct, either on line, in newspapers or swap meets. In many other states those same breeders are not required to be licensed at all.

[Debbie Meier]

Also, why do you feel that there has not been a crackdown on enforcement? It is something that unless you knew a breeder that was going through a inspection or knew a inspector you have no knowledge of. Simular to if there was a crack down on restaurant inspections, the restaurant operators would now it as they deal with more violations that they were not written up for in the past, but most will have a certain number of days to cure the problem or the problem needs to be fixed before the next inspection, when ever that is. The public would only know about it they could view the inspection reports. Now if the violations were so bad that it was a big time public health hazard then maybe the local news would pick up on it or you would find out when you went to eat there and the doors were close.

 

BTW, have you asked to see the inspection report from your favorite restaurant?

 

I grew up in the restaurant industry, a restaurant can have a cockroach infestation that the state knows about and the restaurant will still do business, they just get a exterminator in and fix the problem. Same with food temps being to low, or things not cleaned properly, the violation get's noted and the owner resolves the problem. A violation does not equate to automatic closure, no different then dog breeder inspections.

[Pearse]

What is a puppy mill?

 

A puppy mill is any breeding operation that keeps female dogs for the sole purpose of producing puppies.

 

I don't really care how clean they are, whether they are licensed or not. If they are keeping dozens of bitches for no other reason than to breed them and produce puppies, they are a Puppy Mill.

 

If they keep fewer than "dozens" of bitches for the sole purpose of breeding them and producing more puppies, they're a Backyard Breeder.

 

Dogs need a purpose, socialization, and companionship. Dogs in Puppy Mills and Backyard Breeder operations get none of those.

 

Pearse

[rudy s]

A puppy mill is any breeding operation that keeps female dogs for the sole purpose of producing puppies.

 

I don't really care how clean they are, whether they are licensed or not. If they are keeping dozens of bitches for no other reason than to breed them and produce puppies, they are a Puppy Mill.

 

If they keep fewer than "dozens" of bitches for the sole purpose of breeding them and producing more puppies, they're a Backyard Breeder.

 

Dogs need a purpose, socialization, and companionship. Dogs in Puppy Mills and Backyard Breeder operations get none of those.

 

Pearse

[rudy s]

i agree with pearse that every breeding dog shuld be a proven working dog iam talking border collies. one thing i see is every newe handeler gets a average bordeercollie & thinks its a mirical dog & starts breeding. i no i was but lucked out & produced several top cattel dogs.i havent bread enything for 3 yr.becuse i can find dogs that suit me & in the cattel trials i go to hold thear owen. i whish abca culd regulate breeding so only proven dogs culd be bread

[juliepoudrier]

A puppy mill is any breeding operation that keeps female dogs for the sole purpose of producing puppies.

 

I don't really care how clean they are, whether they are licensed or not. If they are keeping dozens of bitches for no other reason than to breed them and produce puppies, they are a Puppy Mill.

 

If they keep fewer than "dozens" of bitches for the sole purpose of breeding them and producing more puppies, they're a Backyard Breeder.

 

Dogs need a purpose, socialization, and companionship. Dogs in Puppy Mills and Backyard Breeder operations get none of those.

 

Pearse

Amen. Where Pearse and I might disagree is that I would consider someone with fewer breeding bitches (maybe even as low as 5 or 6) who produces a lot of puppies each year a mill. To me, "mill" implies a high production rate and says nothing about how the dogs are kept. I would go further and say that even if the smaller producer actually interacts with their dogs in some way, they are still a mill if they are producing many litters a year. Breeders who take excellent care of their dogs but are pumping out dozens of puppies a year are as much mills as the folks who keep their breeding dogs stacked in cages, IMO.

 

J.

[terrecar]

We keep saying that passing more regulation and laws when there are already unenforced regulations and laws is not going to help.

 

 

This is so true, and a recent report from the Dog Law Advisory Board in Pennsylvania found enforcement of PA's 2008 law sorely lacking. So there is one case of an overhaul of existing legislation to crack down on puppy mills, yet the law is not being enforced.