Your Opinion: Humane Society leader reacts

Dear Editor:

Kristie Scheulen of Loose Creek is remarkably wrong in her characterization of The Humane Society of the United States (Feb. 20). She even offered the wildly absurd accusation that we are against pets.

The truth is that HSUS celebrates the human-animal bond. Indeed, about 10 percent of our headquarters work force happen to be, yes, dogs - because we not only promote the human-dog bond, but we wrote the book that encourages employers to open up their offices to dogs. It's called, "Dogs at Work."

Proposition B was a modest measure that simply provides stronger standards of care for dogs at large-scale commercial breeding facilities. The measure requires that breeding dogs receive sufficient food and clean water, adequate space to turn around and stretch their limbs, adequate housing, protection from the elements, regular exercise, and necessary veterinary care. It prohibits the harmful practices of using stacked cages - which encourages overcrowding - and using wire flooring - which causes discomfort and often injures the dogs' feet.

Responsible dog breeders already raise dogs in a humane manner, and they know that bringing others up to their standards will help to turn around Missouri's reputation as the "puppy mill capital of America" - improving the long-term business outlook for the state's dog breeding industry which has been the subject of scathing Better Business Bureau reports and state auditor reports.

A majority of voters statewide - and in a majority of state Senate and House districts - decided that Prop. B was the right solution to this problem, and politicians should stop thumbing their noses at the will of the people.

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