Missouri Law Passed - now will it make a difference?

[Tommy Coyote]

I didn't realize how upset the AKC people were over this law. They are arguing that it will put most of the legitimate AKC breeders out of business.

 

Has to do with the number of dogs - you have to have over 10 breeder dogs before you qualfy and you can't have over 50 adult dogs all total. I think I'm reading it right. I thought it meant 10 female breeders but I guess the AKC is not reading it that way.

 

There is a lot of confusion going on here.

 

What has them really going is having unfettered access to the outside. A lot of these breeders with the really little dogs don't let them outside much. They just stay in the house.

 

Its hard for me to feel much sympathy for the AKC people but they may have a point.

 

Now let's see if the law is even enforced. I kind of doubt that it will be unless someone actually calls in to complain about a breeder.

[Eileen Stein]

I didn't realize how upset the AKC people were over this law. They are arguing that it will put most of the legitimate AKC breeders out of business.

 

Has to do with the number of dogs - you have to have over 10 breeder dogs before you qualfy and you can't have over 50 adult dogs all total. I think I'm reading it right. I thought it meant 10 female breeders but I guess the AKC is not reading it that way.

 

What the bill says is that you cannot have more than 50 intact adult dogs of either sex "for the purpose of breeding those animals and selling any offspring for use as a pet." If you have more than 10 female intact adult dogs "for the purpose of breeding those animals and selling any offspring for use as a pet," you must provide all of your intact adult dogs food, water, vet care, shelter, space, exercise and adequate rest between breeding cycles, as described in the Act. "Exercise" is defined as unfettered access to an outdoor exercise area; the minimum specified size for that area is quite small. Judging by the AKC breeders I know, not many have more than 10 adult intact female dogs that they use for breeding and selling pups. Some do, but typically they don't. And if they do, I wouldn't really classify them as hobby breeders any more.

 

There is a lot of confusion going on here.

 

Well, it's not the best written bill that was ever drafted, but I think most of the confusion is created by opponents of the bill who want to exaggerate its requirements and proponents of the bill who want to understate its coverage. If anybody is taking bets on whether the law will put most legitimate AKC breeders out of business, I'd like to get in on a little of that action.

 

Now let's see if the law is even enforced. I kind of doubt that it will be unless someone actually calls in to complain about a breeder.

 

That's what I would expect too.

[Ceredwyn]

Unfortunately, I don't believe there's going to be any more meaningful enforcement of this law than there has been of existing laws. A news cast just before the election mentioned the two... TWO... officers assigned to enforcement. For the entire state. The worst breeders operate outside the law and will continue to do so.

 

My Belle was rescued from a puppy mill that "downsized", so it's a particularly sore spot for me, but I hold out little hope that this particular law will make anything better.

 

As long as puppies are profitable products, there will be abuse.