New Puppy Mill Law Introduced In Albany Would Improve Standards At Breeding Facilities

The Humane Society press conference in midtown Manhattan for the Stop Puppy Mills Campaign to announce the introduction of a new puppy mill legislation in NYC. Activist Amanda Hearst. (Photo by Pearl Gabel for The Humane Society)

The people at the Humane Society of the United States are still fighting the good fight against puppy mills, and today they—along with Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, D-Manhattan, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Friends of Finn members Amanda Hearst and Georgina Bloomberg—announced the introduction of a new bill (A.10150) in the New York legislature. The bill would strengthen standards of care for dogs in these large-scale, commercial breeding facilities, aka puppy mills. The HSUS reminds us why they're advocating for change:

In puppy mills, dogs are typically kept in cramped, wire-floored cages, produce litter after litter of puppies for their entire lives, and never set foot outside their cages. The proposed bill will require basic humane standards such as solid flooring, annual veterinary care and breeding frequency and age limits.

And the HSUS' president, Wayne Pacelle, addressed the lax laws in New York specifically, saying, "New York state lacks effective laws to oversee and dismantle abusive puppy mills. Rosenthal’s bill will put requirements in place to prevent puppy mill operators from taking shortcuts that cause suffering and privation for dogs, and it’s another example of her tremendous leadership on animal protection issues.”

This week is actually Puppy Mill Action Week, so help spread the word about puppy mills and encourage people to adopt a shelter dog. And now, some horrific examples illustrating why puppy mills should be held more accountable.

• In 2010, a puppy mill operator in Romulus, NY subjected 78 dogs and 15 puppies to a long and painful death by locking them into a makeshift wooden box and piping in exhaust from a gas engine. The brutal killing of the nearly 100 dogs resulted in a mere $500 fine.
• A Dundee, NY commercial breeding facility has amassed numerous federal violations over several years, including failing to provide food to emaciated dogs, failure to provide veterinary care to dogs with medical conditions, allowing the feet of puppies to pass through wire cage floors, and rodent infestation.
• Another Dundee facility has repeated violations for unsanitary conditions, feces and urine build up, dogs with matted fur and skin conditions, and keeping dogs in constant darkness.
• A Clyde, NY puppy mill has been cited repeatedly by federal inspectors for unsanitary facilities, failure to provide veterinary care, and multiple dogs dying from unknown causes.
• A Seneca Falls, NY facility has numerous federal violations for multiple dogs with untreated medical conditions, dogs with matted fur and with excessively long nails that were “splaying outward,” and build up of feces throughout the kennel, including inside the feeders.