Minnesota Passes Puppy Mill Legislation .....

MINNESOTA PASSES PUPPY MILL LEGISLATION

Due to encouragement from the passage of the Canine Cruelty Prevention Act in Missouri, animal advocates in Minnesota worked tirelessly to pass their own law to protect dogs confined in abusive and neglectful puppy mills. While Minnesota does not have nearly as many puppy mills as Missouri, it is home to some of the worst puppy mills in the country. In the past, the Alliance’s Executive Director, Bob Baker, has investigated numerous puppy mills in Minnesota and uncovered breeding dogs living in horrendous conditions. Baker stated that, “most upsetting was coming across a breeder who was performing her own surgeries without anesthesia, along with other abusive practices.”

Baker reported his findings to both the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the U. S. Attorney’s Office in St. Paul. It was the documentation of the horrific conditions at Minnesota breeding mills that helped prompt the eventual first-hand investigation of commercial dog breeders by OIG. This investigation ultimately led OIG to issue a critical report on puppy mills concluding that the current enforcement process was “ineffective against problematic dealers.” This report was issued in May 2010 and provided valuable evidence in support of the Prop B ballot initiative that eventually resulted in the passage of the new puppy mill law in Missouri.