Dear Editor:
In her recent letter Kristie Scheulen paints a misleading picture of both The Humane Society of the United States and Proposition B.
Scheulen's letter includes several misconstrued, decade-old quotes (one from an individual who has not worked for The HSUS in 12 years) that in no way represent The HSUS' views today or our goals for policy reform.
Prop. B would simply require large-scale commercial dog breeders to ensure that their dogs have daily access to nutritious food, continuous access to drinkable water, veterinary care for illness or injury and adequate space and exercise.
What responsible breeder would deny their animals these basic tenets of care? If Prop. B is allowed to stand as is these simple measures would help ease the suffering of thousands of dogs and relieve Missouri of the dubious reputation as the puppy mill capital of the country.
Prop. B does not apply to small hobby breeders with fewer than ten intact female dogs, nor to sportsmen or retail pet stores - only to large-scale commercial puppy producers. The HSUS has a 50-year proven record of coming to the aid of animals in need, and provided direct care to more than 100,000 animals last year alone.
Now, as legislators try to dismantle Prop. B, we continue to fight for the welfare of commercial breeding dogs throughout the state. Taken as a whole, the gutting of Prop. B is an incredible assault on voters and animal protection. We will continue to ask our Missouri supporters - and anyone who cares about democratic decision-making - to urge lawmakers to protect the welfare of Missouri dogs.