CRITTER-ASHEVILLE-NOV18-WEB

PA Could Be Next to Ban Selling
Puppy Mill Dogs in Pet Stores
By Alicia Graef
While animal advocates continue to work to find homes
for adoptable animals and raise awareness about puppy
mills, breeders across the country continue to churn out
puppies and perpetuate the cycle of cruelty.
Now, however, Pennsylvania is poised to become the
next state to step up for mill dogs by ending that cycle.
A bill making its way through the legislature would
require pet stores to get dogs, cats and rabbits from
shelters and rescues, and would require breeders to post
their license number on all advertisements, which would
allow consumers to do their homework and enforcement
officials to identify unlicensed breeders. Additionally, it
would close a loophole in the state’s current law that
allows people to sell animals in public places.
Supporters hope this legislation will help crack down on
the notoriously cruel puppy mills operating in the U.S. by
closing a market for the dogs they produce who are sold in
pet stores. Not only will this help save the lives of dogs in
need of homes by increasing adoptions and reducing
the demand for more from breeders, it will help protect
consumers, and relieve taxpayers who are ultimately
paying for shelters to house and kill animals.
“It is well-documented that ‘puppy mills,’ inhumane
commercial dog breeding facilities, frequently supply pet
stores with puppies. Consumers often spend thousands of
dollars caring for sick puppies from pet stores, in some
cases, only to suffer the heartbreak of their new pet dying.
With this legislation, pet stores will partner with shelters
and rescues to promote adoption and decrease the
demand for the puppies raised in puppy mills. Shelters
and rescues are burdened with finding families for
homeless pets, thousands of whom are euthanized
each year in Pennsylvania alone,” wrote Senator Guy
Reschenthaler, who introduced the Senate version of this
bill.
While many continue to defend pet store sales of dogs
and cats, claiming that they only come from breeders who
are licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA), the standards that have to be met for licensing
are the bare minimum, and they’re not in line with the level
of humane care that breeders should be providing, or
that consumers believe is being provided – as multiple
inspections and investigations have continued to prove.
It’s also hoped this will have a big impact because
Pennsylvania is also home to many problem breeders,
some of which have been featured on the Humane
Society of the United States’ Horrible Hundred list of the
worst puppy mills in the U.S., and sadly most of them are
repeat offenders when it comes to violating laws intended
to protect dogs.
Thankfully, growing awareness about the problem is
bringing positive changes across the country. In the U.S.,
dozens of major cities across the nation have taken a
stand against puppy mills by passing laws shutting down
pet store sales. If Pennsylvania passes this legislation, it
would be the third state in the country, following Maryland
and California, which have also taken a stand against
puppy mills by banning pet store sales of dogs from
commercial breeders.
And while many pet stores have opposed this type of
legislation, claiming it will hurt their businesses, according
to Reschenthaler, business is thriving at one pet store in
the state, Pets Plus Natural, that switched to this model,
and because of that the store has helped home more than
8000 animals to date.
Hopefully lawmakers will hear enough from supporters
to persuade them to pass this bill, which is unfortunately
getting some opposition.
TAKE ACTION!
You can help show your support by signing and
sharing the online petition at bit.ly/2PkmTQF, which calls
on lawmakers in Pennsylvania to protect animals and
consumers by passing this bill.
MADISON COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
389 Long Branch Road Marshall, NC • 828-649-3190 • www.petango.com/madisoncountync
HOURS: Tues. - Fri. 10 am-5 pm • Saturday 10 am-3 pm • Closed Sunday and Monday
ARE YOU READY TO BE A PART OF THE NEXT STEP? NOW'S YOUR CHANCE!
We are working hard to FURTHER reduce euthanasia rates in Madison County.
To that effort, we're developing a foster team to help us continue our mission of reducing
the number of animals euthanized each year due to over-crowding. We need:
• Short-term foster homes for animals that are awaiting transfer to a rescue group or animals too young to be adopted
• Longer term foster care for harder to adopt animals or pregnant animals, neonatal foster parents
for bottle feeding puppies and kittens, etc.
We will provide food, necessary vaccinations, de-worming treatments, facilitate fundraising for
emergency care, and anything else we can do to help support you while you're helping us.
Applications for fostering can be picked up or emailed. You will be able to choose what type of foster
will work best for you and your home. To pick up an application and for additional information,
please call 828-649-3190 or email SGUICE@MADISONCOUNTYNC.GOV.
ADOPT YOUR NEXT BEST FRIEND FROM THE SHELTER … PLEASE GIVE THEM A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE!
TO ADOPT, call 828-649-3190 / TO FOSTER, call 828-768-3050.
TO RESCUE, email sguice@madisoncountync.gov. Our shelter is very small, so time is critical.
PAGE 20 • CRITTER MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2018