EDUCATION!
It seems that every week there are more & more people deciding to breed.
My heart breaks every time I read a thread here on YT from one of them.
There seems to be no end. :-(
My friend & I had a conversation yesterday about terms used to describe different types of breeders. You know, she told me that the term back yard breeder is not an acceptable term to describe a breeder who doesn't use due diligence in their program? She said that with several current court cases it was made clear that a breeder is a breeder. I think it has to do with the fact that no current state statute uses the terms back yard breeder or puppymill. I know I'll still think of certain types as BYB no matter what!
Today, I came across a few interesting articles from Michigan State, here's the one that really hit home for me:
Overview of Commercial Breeders
Fact- only twenty-six states have laws implementing regulations on commercial kennels. This doesn't even take into account the thousands of Mom & Pop type operations that are scattered around the country!
"The only uniform animal welfare law is the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), which includes regulations for living conditions of certain animals and penalties for violations. The law provides criminal penalties, civil penalties, and revocation of permits for violations of the AWA. Congress passed the AWA as a means of regulating animals in science and research, not animal cruelty. However, on the surface, parts of the law are applicable to certain companion animal breeders. For example, dogs and cats are listed as animals covered by the Act. However, this law is much more limited than the general public realizes. The Act exempts all retail pet stores, and someone who does not profit more than $500 from the sale of a dog, cat, or any wild animal.Thus, savvy breeders can maneuver around the license requirement if the breeders sell directly to the public or do not gross more than $500 per year."