To stop puppy mill dog sales in Florida, don't preempt local laws
While puppy-selling stores often tell consumers that they get their puppies from USDA-licensed facilities where they are “well cared for” [Jan. 11], the truth is that dogs in these puppy mills live in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions without adequate veterinary care, food, water or exercise.
USDA regulations are paltry and federal enforcement is practically non-existent, which is why hundreds of local governments – including 80 in Florida – have enacted ordinances to keep cruelly bred puppies out of their communities. In response, pet store lobbyists are pressuring state lawmakers to pass “preemption” bills (H.B. 849/S.B. 994) to block cities and counties from adopting ordinances that prohibit the sale of puppies in stores.
An ASPCA report found that puppies imported into Florida for resale in stores come from puppy mills, mostly from mills in Midwestern states with the highest concentration of commercial dog breeding facilities in the country. One particularly disturbing source of Florida’s puppies was an Iowa-based USDA licensed facility, where more than 500 dogs were rescued in November after federal inspectors documented hundreds of violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
For months, USDA inspectors witnessed many animals suffering, including a severely emaciated Golden Retriever who later died. Despite this horrifying cruelty, this breeder continued breeding and selling dogs for months, during which time he supplied puppies to nearly 40 percent of Florida’s puppy-selling pet stores, according to documents filed with the state.
The proposed pet store regulations in H.B. 849/S.B. 994 may be well-intended, but they will not protect dogs, consumers, or public health. Instead, the bill will allow an outdated business model built on animal suffering to continue to operate in Florida while removing local authority to do anything to meaningfully address problems associated with the sale of puppies in stores.
Puppy mills and the stores that enable them to exist do not deserve special state protection. Until Florida is prepared to end the sale of puppies in stores statewide, it should not interfere with local governments that choose to shut down this bad business in their communities.
We urge the Florida Legislature to reject H.B. 849/S.B. 994 and instead advance legislation that will actually protect animals and consumers in our state by shutting down the puppy mill pipeline for good.
Jennifer Hobgood is senior director of state legislation for the ASPCA in Tallahassee.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: ASPCA: State law would preempt local rules that protect puppies
