i have to kinda agree with Woogie here, i'm from MO, the puppy mill capitol of the US. there are tons and tons of farmers where i grew up, practically every single family i know farms and i cannot think of one single farming family that runs any form of dog breeding whatsoever. the breeders i know of are just single family operations that have small kennels out back of their homes with a few dogs that they breed and have little boxes with heat lamps over their puppies and it looks like a chicken coop out there or something. i know i live up north so i don't see all the crap nearer the ozarks, but it's not really the farmers up here breeding at all. and the ozarks where all the troubles are is too hilly and rocky to farm and that's where our majority of BYB and puppy mills are. that doesn't mean it's the same for all states, but at least for the largest state of puppy mills in the country, from my perspective of living here, it's NOT the farmers at all.
having said that, it does not excuse the farming community of Mississippi from lobbying against a bill that doesn't really affect them at all but rather put away phyco paths who abuse and torture animals.
just my two cents from a MO gal who lives with and loves her farming family and community |