OK: It’s long past the time to address mill problem

Lawmakers kept a tight leash last year on a bill that sought to regulate puppy mills. Pet lovers in Oklahoma  should hope a renewed effort to enact change is successful this session.

Senate Bill 1712 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, is among the bills being considered by the Legislature. It would regulate as professional occupations those commercial breeders who have 11 or more female dogs or cats being used for breeding. Last year’s bill, which failed to get out of a Senate committee, targeted people who sold at least 35 dogs or cats in a year, and sought to establish minimum standards for housing and breeding animals.

That measure was widely opposed by breeders and this one likely will be, too. But something needs to be done to combat the flow of sickly animals sold each year, and to reduce the number of surplus dogs — about 60,000 annually — and cats that wind up having to be euthanized in shelters.

Oklahoma presently has no minimum state standards for such breeding operations and is the No. 2 dog-producing state in the nation, behind Missouri. Proponents of this bill fear that if Missouri voters approve regulations later this year via referendum, it will only serve to drive more puppy mill operators in our direction.

Opponents of Anderson’s bill — indeed, of most any effort to put some rules on the books — say regulations only wind up punishing reputable breeders. A comment from a breeder interviewed by The Oklahoman’s Vallery Brown is an example: "I think the bad breeders need to be stopped, but how do you do that without stopping the good ones?” In other words, butt out.

Anderson’s bill would, among other things, establish a board to set the regulations and fees for commercial breeders. Perhaps revenue from those fees could be used to help crack down on the sorts of operations that all too frequently in Oklahoma make news for the wrong reasons — puppies and kittens malnourished and sick after being found in cramped, filthy quarters.

The bill would make breeders subject to annual inspection, and would require them to provide the board with health records of their animals each year. Shouldn’t reputable breeders welcome efforts to put such standards in place?

Some have argued through the years that private property rights would be violated. But hair dressers who work out of their home are regulated by the state. So too are day care operators. Why not dog and cat breeders?

Kitten and puppy mills have been a problem in Oklahoma for decades. It’s past time for lawmakers to take steps to change that, and SB 1712 provides one opportunity.

Read more: http://newsok.com/its-long-past-the-time-to-address-mill-problem/article/3442944#ixzz0gv3keBkJ

Source

MO: 'Puppy mill' industry lobbyists stall bill

It's no surprise that puppy mill industry lobbyists don't like the term "puppy mill" and they've filed a baseless lawsuit as a delay tactic to prevent Missouri voters from strengthening protections for dogs ("Lawsuit calls the term "puppy mill" into question," 2/23).

The Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act will provide standards and penalties for large-scale breeding operations in which the health of dogs is secondary to maintaining a low overhead and maximum profits. "Puppy mill" is certainly not the worst term used by the investigators who remove sick, unsocialized, overbred, filthy, frightened dogs from these facilities.  Opponents of the measure also complain because it requires that kennel temperatures not exceed 85 degrees. But existing federal and state regulations already require that temperatures not exceed 85 degrees for four consecutive hours. Removing the time allowance and making the temperature consistent does not impose additional costs on facilities; it simply makes the law enforceable.

Readers can learn more or support this effort by visiting www.missourifor dogs.com.

Source

TN: Patricia Adkisson - Hickman C. Animal Hoarding Trial Begins

TN: Patricia Adkisson - Hickman C. Animal Hoarding Trial Begins
700 Animals Seized from property in 2008

CENTERVILLE, Tenn. -- The trial of Hickman County woman charged with hoarding hundreds of animals at her home began Wednesday.  Patricia Adkisson is accused of unlawfully transporting dogs or cats and giving rabies shots without proper certification in 2008.  Authorities seized 700 animals from Adkisson's property last year. Many were in poor health and living in what investigators called "deplorable" conditions.  On Wednesday, two women who worked at the facility took the stand in a Hickman County court. One of those women testified she also contacted authorities after finding two dead dogs and terrible conditions.

Lisa Osborne worked at Pine Bluff Kennels for about a year and a half. She said there were animals walking around in feces.  Another employee, Jessica Mills, said she and Osborne were hired by Adkisson to feed and care fore more than 650 dogs. Mills said she was responsible for about 400 to 500 dogs on a part of the property known as The Hill.

In court, Mills showed photographs she took last spring, showing feces lining the cages and skinny dogs.  Osborne was in charge of the section known as the Dog Trailer, which was where the mother dogs and their puppies were kept. Osborne said she was dismissed from the job for a while, but when she returned, she found two dead dogs due to the filthy conditions. She testified Adkisson was in charge of the dog trailer while she was gone.  "I thought she would take better care of them than that," said Osborne.

Adkisson's attorney cross-examined the state's witnesses asking if his client provided them with the tools to do their jobs. Both witnesses testified that Adkisson provided them with between 1,200 and 1,500 pounds of dog food each week.

One of the veterinarians who arrived on the property to examine the animals testified they weren't properly cared for.

Adkisson was ordered to undergo a mental evaluation in August. Based on the results, a judge ruled she could stand trial.  This isn't the first time Adkisson has been on trial for animal cruelty. She was convicted in 2000 and given probation and a $3,000 fine. That conviction was overturned.

Source

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Legislation Proposed To End Puppy Mills
Legitimate Breeders Concerned About Law's Burden
Reported By Cara Kumari
POSTED: 5:20 pm CST February 6, 2009
UPDATED: 7:13 pm CST February 6, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- State lawmakers are trying to curb so-called puppy mills by regulating breeders and creating an inspection process, but some breeders are worried it might have unintended consequences.

State Sen. Doug Jackson was never a fan of regulating commercial animal breeders until he set foot on a farm in Hickman County.  "After seeing that and the magnitude of that and the amount of suffering that was taking place ... it was clear in my mind to support this kind of legislation," he said. "Animals have just become more important to me."

He's now proposing legislation that he hopes will put an end to what many call puppy mills.  It would require any breeder with more than 20 animals to pay a $500 licensing fee to the state. If you have more than 40, it goes up to $1,000.  Commercial breeders would also be inspected yearly.

Dick Dickerson is on the board of the American Kennel Club and owns 22 dogs. He said he worries a law like this will also place a burden on legitimate breeders who are already subject to strict regulations through the AKC.  "Numbers are not neccessarily the thing you go by," Dickerson said.

Jackson said the law makes sense not only to protect animals but also to protect the animals' buyers, ensuring that they get healthy pets.

As far as the Hickman County case goes, Patricia Adkisson is scheduled to go to trial in May.
Source

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Puppy Mill Operator Sentenced to 10 Years

CENTERVILLE, Tenn. -The Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal protection organization, applauds Judge Timothy Easter for imposing an appropriate sentence following the conviction of Patricia Adkisson, owner of Pine Bluff Kennels in Lyles, Tenn., on animal cruelty charges.

(Media-Newswire.com) - CENTERVILLE, Tenn. —The Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal protection organization, applauds Judge Timothy Easter for imposing an appropriate sentence following the conviction of Patricia Adkisson, owner of Pine Bluff Kennels in Lyles, Tenn., on animal cruelty charges.

On Feb. 18, Judge Easter sentenced Adkisson to ten years, including five years on Community Corrections where she will be heavily monitored. The remaining five years will be served under probationary supervision.  Judge Easter imposed a lifetime ban on animal ownership or association with persons or organizations who deal in animals.

In December 2009, Patricia Adkisson was convicted of 14 counts of aggravated animal cruelty and 16 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty. These charges stemmed from allegations that Adkisson neglected hundreds of dogs kept in her mass breeding business, Pine Bluff Puppies. Upon sentencing, Judge Easter noted the court found there was an indefensible treatment of animals and that Adkisson exhibits a low value for life in general.

"We are grateful to the judge as well as to the 21st Judicial District Attorney General's Office for treating animal cruelty as the crime it is. Authorities are serious about enforcing Tennessee's animal protection law, and this sends a message to other puppy mill operators out there that they won't get a free ride in our state," said Leighann McCollum, Tennessee state director for The HSUS.

"By imposing this sentence, Judge Easter recognized the magnitude of the cruelty and neglect suffered by these puppies and the other animals on Adkisson's property," said  Tennessee 21st Judicial District Attorney General Kim Helper. "We appreciate the help provided to us by The Humane Society of the United States during the course of our investigation and subsequent trial."

The raid in June 2008 was set into motion by The HSUS' Tennessee state director, who received tips and worked with investigators with the 21st Judicial District Attorney General's Office to build a case against Adkisson. It was the largest puppy mill bust in Tennessee history.

The HSUS oversaw the removal of 747 animals from Adkisson's mass breeding facility. The 700 dogs and 47 other animals were taken to humane organizations across the country where they received necessary medial and behavioral care and placed up for adoption in new, loving homes.

Subsequently, The HSUS worked with the 21st Judicial District Attorney General's Office, legislators and others, including the Nashville Kennel Club, to pass legislation in Tennessee to crack down on puppy mills in the state.

Source