Urgent Calls Needed As Texas "Puppy Mill" Bill Vote Looms

Urgent Calls Needed As Texas “Puppy Mill” Bill Vote Looms

Urgent Calls Needed As Texas “Puppy Mill” Bill Vote Looms


It is critical that sportsmen and sporting dog owners contact their state senators and ask them to vote no on House Bill 1451.

House Bill 1451 treats sporting dog and hobby breeders like large scale commercial breeding operations being referred to as “puppy mills”. The bill has already passed the Texas House of Representatives.

Calls from sportsmen are making a difference as Senate leaders are discussing changes that could potentially fix the bill. However, no agreement is in place yet that will make sure that a bill protecting sportsmen is sent to Governor Rick Perry. That’s why your calls are essential.

Call your state senator today and let them know that House Bill 1451, if passed, could force many sporting dog and hobby breeders out of existence. It would:

Classify sporting dog kennels or hobby breeders who have 11 female dogs that have not been spayed the same as a huge commercial breeders if they might sell offspring from those females.

Charge kennel license fees projected to be at least $1,300 per kennel, even for hobby breeders who hardly ever sell dogs.

Create an unelected commission to create kennel construction requirements, record keeping requirements and other expensive red tape items that hobby breeders cannot afford because their primary purpose is not to sell dogs.

Allow for unannounced inspections of kennels and the homes of their owners if they keep their kennel records on a computer inside their house.

Allow for the inspection of records within a home without any suspicion of wrong doing or even a search warrant.

Threaten to drive sporting dog kennels and hobby breeders out of business because they do not have the commercial revenue to offset high fees, and expensive regulations.

Disclose personal information about dog breeders to the public by creating a public directory containing information on all registered breeders.

“It’s important for the truth about this bill to be told,” said Rob Sexton, USSA vice president of government affairs . “Under this bill, a breeder that only has one or two litters a year will be treated with the same iron fist as a “puppy mill” that produces hundreds or thousands of dogs a year. Instead, simply owning 11 unspayed females and selling just two dogs would trigger that classification. Simply owning intact dogs should not classify someone as a “puppy mill.” The bottom line is that this bill would devastate many responsible sporting dog kennels and hobby breeders. That’s why it’s critical that this bill be fixed or not be passed at all.”

Take Action! Texas sportsmen should call their state senators today and ask them to oppose House Bill 1451. Tell them the bill unjustly treats sporting dog and hobby breeders as large commercial breeders, allows for warrantless searches of homes, and creates unnecessary, costly new regulations that could put many of these breeders out of existence.

To find your state senator’s contact information, visit the USSA Legislative Action Center at www.ussportsmen.org/LAC.



Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe