Today the Independent Regulatory Review Commission passed the new regulations proposed by the Canine Health Board for commercial breeding facilites in PA by a vote of 3-1. These regulations apply to ventilation, lighting, temperature, humidity, wire flooring and exercise runs. A mechanical and electrical engineer, Scott Learned ,spoke to the panel of commissioners and said Pennsylvania is the first state to create such strict regulations for dogs in commercial kennels. He also felt that this will have a domino effect on other states in the next 10-15 years.
Commercial kennel owners and a former kennel owner spoke at yesterday’s meeting I attended. The former owner said he was glad he was out of the business. He stated that with these new regulations, the expense of changing the kennels to the new specifications would put many commercial breeders out of business. Other kennel owners stated the same thing- the cost of changing their existing kennels would outweigh the profit they make from their business.
Since the new law went into effect October 2008, PA had 303 licensed kennels. We now have 111 licensed commercial kennels. Notice, I said licensed. How many are still out there hidden in the countryside? Out of those 111 licensed kennels, 81 received waivers to extend their time to make the necessary changes for three years.
While that part of the revision concerning the ventilation, humidity and temperature was a positive outcome, what so many animal advocates objected to were the issues concerning wire flooring and no access to excercise areas for the mother dogs and her puppies. The law’s wire flooring loophole which allow adult nursing dogs to stay on wire flooring for months at a time will stay in effect.
What does this mean? The new dog law states that dogs over 12 weeks of age must live on slatted or solid flooring. The new law never stated the type of flooring a puppy under 12 weeks of age will be forced to use. There’s your loophole. What is even more distressing is that nursing mothers and her puppies will have no access to an exercise run as required by law.
If you take a closer look at this scenario you will find a mother dog will be stuck in a kennel for at least half a year. Some advocates say up to eight months a year. The reason puppymillers are in business is to make a profit by breeding dogs. It is the female dog who endures so much of the hardship during her lifetime in a kennel. She is there to breed for profit every heat cycle. The pupppymills are allowed to keep mother dogs on wire flooring for up to two weeks prior to having puppies as well.
In 2008, so many of us contacted our legislators to change our antiquated dog law. In that new law, it clearly states, no wire flooring and dogs must have access to an exercise run.
Unfortunately the Canine Health Board changed our law and the Regulatory Commission agreed with the revision. Half of the new revisions are a positive step to helping animals in puppymills. As I sat and listened to the details about ventilation, humidity and heat index levels, I was impressed that this part was taken so seriously.
While I was there, I ran into quite a few animal advocates that I know personally and many I have written about. Some of those who made public comments were Bill Smith of Mainline Rescue, Helen Ebersole of United Against PuppyMills and Jenny Stephens of North Penn PuppyMill Watch and many more.
I spoke with all three. Bill told me that if this revision passed, he was ready to contact his lawyer and sue. He also informed the panel of his intentions. As we talked, it was apparent that both of us could not understand how the new dog law could be changed from a legal standpoint.
Jenny Stephens stated that out of the 111 kennels still in operation in PA, there are over 12,000 dogs who live in them. What an astounding and unbelievable number of dogs!! Those poor dogs!
Helen told me she, too, was impressed and learned much about the new specifications about ventilation, etc. Did you know when the temperature hits 85 degrees, the heat index kicks in? That is why that number is used when talking about ventilation for the dogs.
From my own perspective, as an animal advocate and pet owner, I hope all commercial breeding facilties go out of business. There is no plausible reason to have any in existence. Millions of animals die in shelters each and every year because people no longer want their pets or in this economy, can’t affoard them. There is no reason to bring other puppies into this world when a pet overpopulation exists in the US.
The bottomline is this- we have a new law that clearly states no wire flooring and dogs must have access to exercise runs. These new revisions clearly contradict the law. These new revisions will go before Attorney General Tom Corbett. If he approves, the new regulations will go into effect in 6-8 weeks. It seems to be what is being done is illegal and I don’t understand how it can go forward.
If Corbett approves, I expect the litigation to begin. Bill, I said would spread the word and I am. To all animal advocates, let’s keep on fighting for the animals!