Thank you for contacting me to discuss the treatment of dogs in commercial "puppy mills." I appreciate hearing from you and share your interest in this issue.
Puppy mills are commercial dog breeding facilities that place profits above the animals' welfare. Dogs that are bred or raised in these operations are often subjected to substandard conditions. The animals are given little or no human contact and may be warehoused in unsanitary wire cages stacked one on top of another. Proper veterinary care may be infrequent or nonexistent. Unfortunately, puppy mills supply hundreds of thousands of puppies to pet stores every year.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Inspector General audited the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's handling of puppy mill investigations. USDA's Inspector General found several major flaws with these investigations, including an ineffective enforcement process for repeat violators of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the improper documentation of AWA violations.
The Inspector General's report also found that, due to a loophole in the AWA, many large puppy mills are able to escape licensing and inspection requirements by selling dogs over the internet. On May 25, 2010, I introduced the Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety (PUPS) Act to close this loophole and prevent puppy mill operators from bypassing the laws governing the safe and humane treatment of animals by selling dogs directly to the public.
Under the PUPS Act, breeders who sell dogs directly to the public, and sell more than 50 dogs per year, will need to obtain a federal license and could be subject to inspection. The bill also requires that dogs at commercial breeding facilities be given adequate space and opportunity for regular exercise. The PUPS Act has been referred to the Senate Agriculture Committee.
I will keep your thoughts in mind as I continue to work to prevent the mistreatment of dogs and to ensure that USDA adequately addresses the issues that have been identified in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's handling of puppy mill investigations.
Thank you again for your support. Please feel free to keep in touch.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator |