Indiana finally has a puppy mill bill before the legislation. Wednesday, the House Courts and Criminal Code passed HB 1468. It will go to the House next week.
As many of you know, our area has a high percentage of puppy mills. They house between 30 and 700-plus dogs. In Indiana, this mass production of puppies is a totally unregulated industry. Many states have adopted puppy mill legislation; 34 states currently have puppy mill bills drafted. These laws are way overdue. If you are unfamiliar with the industry, please see the links at the end of this letter. People who learn the truth about puppy mills are outraged at the cruel and inhumane treatment of the adult dogs.
Why should you contact your Representative to support HB 1468?
1. We have a huge pet overpopulation problem in the United States. According to the HSUS, 5 million pets are euthanized each year in the U.S. There are so many dogs and cats in our country, that if each one had a home, each person would have 45 pets. There are tens of thousands of puppy mills across the U.S. It is a multi-billion dollar industry, at the expense of suffering animals. Four million puppies are produced by puppy mills every year. Yet we spend $2 billion a year to round up, shelter and euthanize 5 million homeless animals.
2. Puppy mills are operated in total secrecy. Puppy mill operators will not allow anyone to see the insides of their barns or kennels, or they will have certain areas that are cleaned up for the public to see. They do no want anyone in the community to know what they are really doing.
3. Puppy mills are inhumane. Dogs have been bred over the centuries to be companion animals. They are very social and need to be with people. Instead, puppy mill dogs are living in stacked cases their entire lives, breed each time they come into heat and receive no human companionship. It is basic practice to neglect medical care, even with broken bones and deteriorating jawbones, as long as they can still produce puppies. The list goes on and on.
HB1468 will ensure better living standards, including the areas of ventilation, clean conditions, lighting (some dogs are kept totally in the dark), temperature issues (many are kept in extreme temperatures), exercise (most get none), cage size requirements (most are in cramped cages), including no wire flooring (this has cause broken bones, splayed feet, other injuries; also allows for excrement to flow down to the cased below.) It also provides for every breeding dog to receive a veterinary exam every year and ensure that surgical procedures must be performed only by a veterinarian. The cap for unaltered dogs would be 30.
Reputable breeders will not be affected by this bill. Responsible breeders are not in favor of the puppy mill industry. It is critical for Indiana residents to contact your legislators now. The suffering needs to stop. Your letters and phone calls do make a difference. If you believe in what is right and good and honest, ask your Representative to vote "yes" on HB1468.
If you don't know who your Representative is or need contact information, go to www.in.gov/apps/sos/legislator/search/index.jsp?currentPage=gotoIndex You can also get his or her e-mail address from there. You can call the offices of all Representative at 800-382-9841 or 317-232-9600 or send letters to Indiana House of Representatives, 200 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204.
Kim Evans
Syracuse
Editor's Note: This letter was edited to conform more closely to the 500-word limit stated in our "Letters Policy."
