Dear Editor:
Throughout 2010, proponents of Prop. B denied trying to force large dog breeders out of business.
Their focus was on bringing about better living conditions for dogs used to provide puppies to pet shops across the country.
Since the state legislature has "tweaked" Prop. B's provisions, the HSUS has stepped up their attacks on large breeders, by petitioning the White House to make it illegal to sell these puppies online because they claim that by selling online these breeders "escape basic oversight and minimal animal care standards."
Hogwash!
Here in Missouri dog breeders with a certain number of females (numbers are irrelevant) have to be licensed and are subject to inspection by the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the USDA.
Yes, there are illegal breeders and they need to be weeded out - online monitoring would be a good place to start. But that is not what is being done.
Since Prop. B has been enacted breeders have had some tough decisions to make. Should they stay in business and work to comply with the expansion requirements or get out and how to do that.
Inspections by MDA and the USDA have increased but there is a difference in their methodology. State inspectors have been working with breeders to improve their facilities. USDA inspectors have not.
They can and have written infractions for something as inconsequential as dog food in a water bowl. These infractions are posted online for public view making it impossible to sell puppies through proper channels - even for good breeders.
Breeders looking to exit the business still have dogs and puppies that they need to sell, but infractions posted online prevent them from doing so properly. Without the option of selling puppies online, what do you think will happen to these animals?
There is still a great demand for puppies all over the U.S. not just New York. The general public does not always have access to the "small private" breeders that USUS promotes. Pet shops or online are their only options.
As for the dogs dumped in Osage Beach. First of all a "puppy-mill" would not have taken the time or the chance to dump four emaciated dogs on the door step of a shelter for fear of being exposed. A licensed breeder who is inspected would have already been caught.
Maybe it was some Yahoo with too many dogs. There are a lot of them.
Movie title
Grade: grade here
Cast: cast here
Director: director here
Rating: rating here
Running time: minutes
Showtimes and Ticket Info