CT Puppy Mill Ban Needs Your Support Now

Historic Bill Prohibiting the Sale of Puppy Mill Dogs in CT Pet Stores Awaits Vote in Hartford

Connecticut House Bill 5027, as amended (#6461) by Rep. Brenda Kupchick (R-Fairfield), would prohibit Connecticut’s pet shops from selling commercially bred dogs and cats and instead require that only dogs and cats who are humanely sourced from animal control facilities and non-profit rescue organizations be sold or adopted out in pet shops.

The bill has strong bipartisan support in the state legislature, with upwards of forty co-sponsors and is supported by CT Votes for Animals, ASPCA and HSUS. 

Many Connecticut residents are also speaking out in favor of the bill, including Wilton resident Karen Rasmussen who, for almost seven years, has been making regular trips to the Department of Agriculture to research where the state's puppy stores get their puppies.

“I have thoroughly researched the sources of our Connecticut pet stores’ puppies and kittens.  Without a doubt, every store bringing in pups from out of state uses Midwest puppy and kitten mills to fill their cages. Many of these commercial breeders have heinous violations that would break your heart. The stores blatantly lie to their customers, or have no idea who the breeders are, as they procure the puppies via large-scale brokers.”

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) only minimally enforces standards of care as specified in the Animal Welfare Act.

“It is a common misconception that USDA-certified breeders have dogs that are well-treated and healthy,” said Amy Harrell, president of CT Votes for Animals. “USDA standards under the Animal Welfare Act are very low, and allow dogs to sit on wire mesh floors all the time. They can live in cages only six inches larger than they are.”

The photos accompanying this piece were all taken by USDA inspectors of breeding facilities who supply puppies to pet stores in Connecticut.  There are hundreds more and thousands of violations.  Many more can be viewed on the facebook pages of CT Coalition Against Puppy Mills, Boycott Puppies of Westport, and Puppy Love Exposed.  Again, these are pictures taken by USDA inspectors and most of these 'breeders' are still selling puppies.

In addition to the often heart-breaking photos, the inspection reports themselves often reveal conditions which would shock the purchasing public.

**  In October 2012 during a regular inspection at Sky Blue Ranch, Inc. of Iowa (USDA 42-A-1140) who supplies puppies to Puppies of Westport, a female black and tan dachshund was found dead in her cage.  She was described as "cold and stiff to the touch."   According to the inspection report, the owner, Linda Thorp, advised that the dachshund was approximately eight years old and was having difficulty breeding.  The veterinarian was not contacted.

**  In November 2012 a supplier for Gentle Jungle in Meriden,  Sara Young (USDA 71-A-0676), who made the HSUS 'Horrible Hundred' list,  had housed two females together who were due to whelp.  During the inspection the adults were found along with three dead puppies in various stages of dismemberment.

**  In May of 2012 an inspection of Betty Jo Mobley's facility in Arkansas (USDA 71-B-0133) found that in the whelping building five of the food receptacles contained a combination of gnats, roaches, spiders and webs.  In another building, six of the food receptacles contained roaches in the food.  They supplied puppies to Puppy Love and American Breeders in Danbury, CT.

**  In August 2012 another Puppy Love supplier, Rhoda & Joseph Graber of Indiana (USDA 32-A-0350) advised the inspector that a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy had somehow broken it's front feet.  Despite the bones and muscle protruding through the skin (see photo attached) the injury was NOT reported to the vet, even though he had been to the facility days earlier, but rather they self-treated it with steroids.  The puppy cried out in pain and at the inspector's insistence a vet was called who came out to euthanize the puppy :(

During the same inspection a Shih Tzu was found constantly licking its lips.  Its rear teeth were covered in a thick layer of a brown and green crusty substance.  The breeder's son stated that they were going to put the dog down after it gave birth and weaned the puppies.

These are only a few stories from the thousands of violations that the 'breeders' who supply CT pet stores have accrued.

If the bill is passed as amended, it would give pet shops two and a half years to transition to a more humane business model, such as that of PetSmart and Petco, who do not sell dogs and cats from puppy mills. Instead, they work with local animal rescue groups or municipal shelters and sponsor adoption days.

Individuals and families wanting to adopt a purebred pet, if they cannot find one through an animal shelter or adoption event at a pet store, could continue to seek out local breeders. This allows for more transparency, where future owners can evaluate the conditions in which a dog or cat was born and raised, and be educated on how to care for the particular breed. It also allows breeders to evaluate whether or not the breed of dog or cat is suitable for its future families’ circumstances, resulting in fewer abandoned animals.

With only weeks left in the Legislative session, I urge Connecticut residents to contact their State Lawmakers and ask for their support of Rep. Kupchick’s amended bill, HB 5027 (the amendment is important).  To locate your state representatives, please click here.  There is a directory of telephone numbers here.  This bill could be called to the floor at any moment -- so your legislators need to hear from you now...

Our lawmakers are not only hearing from supporters.  The Pet Store Lobby, PIJAC, is at the capitol pushing their own bill which would only prohibit pet stores from purchasing dogs from breeders they 'know' are substandard.

Of course, that would allow them to continue 'business as usual.' 

If passed, Connecticut would be the first state to ban the sale of puppy mill dogs, but thirty-one cities, including Los Angeles, CA, have already done so.  Residents in San Diego, CA are hoping to make their city number thirty-two.

CT Votes for Animals was founded in 2008, and is an all-volunteer, nonpartisan 501(c)(4) organization. They prioritize issues most important to Connecticut voters and the animals they care about. If you would like more information on CVA, or would like to know how to support their proposed bills, please visit www.ctvotesforanimals.org.

Kerri Ann Hofer blogs about animal welfare, the scourge of puppy mills, puppy store protests, and animal rescue. She also posts dogs and cats for adoption. Follow Kerri Ann's Patch blog by clicking here and then click "Get email updates."  Thank You!