PUPPY MILL BILL PROPOSED
Thursday, April 9th, 2009 -- 12:10 PM
Previous attempts at regulating mass dog breeding haven?t gathered the needed support in the legislature, but a bipartisan group of lawmakers hopes they've finally reached a workable compromise.Animal rights activists have long decried the conditions at so-called ?puppy mills,? where, they say, dogs are starved, kept in squalid conditions and not allowed to exercise.
The Commercial Dog Breeders Licensure Bill, spearheaded by Rep. Jeff Smith of Eau Claire, and Sen. Pat Kreitlow of Chippewa Falls, would require breeders selling over 25 dogs in a year to be licensed and maintain standards of care for their breeding facilities.
They say the bill would also have stipulations concerning pet stores, animal rescues and auctions.
As we?ve reported, Clark County has become known as the "Puppy Mill Capital of Wisconsin." It?s home to more than 20, mostly Amish or Mennonite, large-scale breeders.
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