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Senate Bill
 130 
 

Updates for SB 130

 Jan 24, 2012 Passed Senate Ag 9-0 vote
Jan 25, 2012 Passed Senate Floor 30-0 vote
 

Ohio Puppy Mills in the News

Puppy Mills In Ohio

-The Other Paper                          February 9, 2012
-Columbus Dispatch Editorial         Nov 18, 2011
-Columbus Dispatch SB 130          Nov 16, 2011
-Medina Co Dog Breeder,              Feb 14, 2011  5 dogs dead
-Buckeye Dog Auction,                 Jan 2011     Dogs in Freezing trailers
-WKRC Cincinnati                        Feb 2011 Ohio Dog Auctions 
-Buckeye Dog Auction, Holmes Co Oh very graphic  
-The Wall St Journal,                    Dec 2010  Breeder making $120k
-Cleveland Scene                         July 2010  Amish connection
-Buckeye Dog Auction                  May 2010  Owner Threatens Reporter
-Columbus Dispatch                     Oct 2009  Editorial
-Media from Senate                      Oct 6, 2009  Testimony
-WV Breeder banned from breeding moves to Ohio
-Cols Dispatch                             July 2009  Pup Mills Must Be Stopped
-Cols Dispatch  Lawsuit Seeks to Stop Breeder July 2009
-Dispatch, Petland/Pup Mill Connection   April 2009
-Jo Ingels interviews Rep Hagan    4-8-09
-Nightline investigation of Amish Mills March 2009
-Ch 10  Petland being Sued             March 19, 2009   by HSUS
-Dispatch Editorial                          2/2/09
-Dispatch Editorial                        11/28/08 
-Dispatch   Letter To Ed                 11/7/08
-YouTube Ohio Puppy Mill Rescue  11/23/08
-Dispatch Editorial                         10/13/08
-Coschocton Co OH                       August 2008    banned breeder
-W Virginia Pup Mill Video              8/30/08
-Dispatch Editorial                        7/13/08
-Dispatch Editorial                        4/17/08
-Toledo Blade                               6/11/07

-Columbus Dispatch Editorial         5/2/06

-Columbus Dispatch Article            4/27/06

-Cincinnati Ch 12  WKRC              4/27/06

-Cincinnati Enquirer                      4/27/06

-Columbus Channel 10                 4/26/06
-More Puppy Mill Articles

Senate Bill 130

Senate Sponsor
Jim Hughes

Senate Co-Sponsors
Beagle, Burk, Gentile, Hite, Jones, LaRose, Lehner, Niehaus,
Patton, Sawyer, Schiavoni,  Seitz, Tavares, Turner,  Skindell, Wagoner






Ask your State Rep how they will vote on this legislation.
 
Find  your  State Representative           




2010 Session Sees SB 95 Pass with a 7-1 Vote
No Vote on Puppy Mill Bill by Senator John Carey representing
Clinton, Highland, Fayette, Pickaway, Ross, Pike, Jackson, Gallia & Vinton Counties

               

     Tell Everyone You Know    
We are the voice for the dogs and puppies left in the horrible puppy mills that are
so well known in Ohio.  The dogs and puppies need you. Flyer to Print/Post

Rocky was rescued January 2007 from a puppymill. He came with sores and scabs all over his body.

Much of his hair was gone. He had demodectic mange and was flea infested. He was terribly afraid of

everyone and would bite when anyone tried to touch him.

Questions about the Puppy Mill Bill

The Puppy Mill Bill will address the high volume kennels that Ohio is now

infamous for. 

The language has been fine tuned from the last two general assemblies and
interested parties have given advice based on their specialty in the dog
arena, (dog breeders, humane advocates, dog wardens, humane
societies, pet stores)
                                                            

Thank you to everyone who has been carefully looking at the wording of the bill and sharing your stories.  This is a joint effort of

hundreds of people who care about dogs, dog breeding and saving dogs from deplorable conditions.

When reading the bill, please note:
-new legislation must recite an entire statute including existing legislation
-underlined text is new language.  Individuals who complain about material that is

not underlined/strikethrough, are concerned about existing law, not something in

this proposal.

Question:  Will the proposal make hobby breeding illegal in Ohio?
Answer:  No

Question:  Who does the proposal regulate?
Answer:  Individuals and businesses who sell 9 or more litters or 60 dogs a year.  The legislation creates civil regulation, not a ban, of high volume

facilities where tens or even hundreds of adult dogs are housed to make a profit.

Question:  What kind of standards will regulated kennels have to meet?
Answer:  A kennel will have to be a clean and safe place for dogs.  Clean water and wholesome food will need to be provided daily. 

Cages will need to have adequate space for dogs who live in them 365 days a year.  They will have resting boards to give them relief from standing on

wire flooring. 

Dogs kept out of doors will need to be provided with shade in summer and insulation to keep warm in winter.  Necessary veterinary care will need to be

This dog was removed from Tuscarawus Puppy Mill, March 2008.  Because we have
no laws regarding high volume breeders, this dog was returned to the breeder.

Question: Does Ohio have a puppy mill problem?

Answer:  Yes.   Ohio has over  11,000 kennels.  The dog breeding business is not regulated in Ohio.  The USDA only regulates wholesale breeders. 

The USDA has 161 licensed breeders in Ohio (many of which are breeders of animals other than dogs). Ohio is second only to Missouri in number of

puppy mills.  National undercover investigators have called Ohio the worst state for the sanitary conditions that dogs live in.

High volume, irresponsible breeders locate in Ohio because there is no regulation that addresses substandard conditions, and the few laws that do exist

must be enforced by a county dog warden who lacks the facilities and funds needed to enforce the existing animal cruelty law.  This bill will bring change

by providing an enforcement entity to address and shut down abusive puppy mill operations in Ohio, so that responsible breeders can flourish, and consumers

can be protected.

Question:  Are large scale facilities regulated by the American Kennel Club or United Kennel Club?

Answer:  No.  The AKC and UKC (and all registries) are voluntary clubs that only have the power to suspend their non-compliant members.   The purpose

 of the AKC and UKC are to improve breeds and bloodlines, and encourage responsible standards in breeding.  The AKC and UKC are not regulatory agencies. 

 They have no power to remove dogs in danger.  Many puppy mills in Ohio do not belong to either the AKC or UKC and therefore are not being monitored in

any form.

Question: 
How much will it cost for a breeding kennel license?
Answer: 
$150 for 9-15 litters a year
$250 for 16-25 litters a year
$350 for 26-35 litters a year
$500 for 36-45
$750 for more than 46 litters a year

$500 for intermediaries (pet stores, brokers, dealers)

Question: Why wouldn't the local humane agents be the ones to inspect local people if there is a complaint?
Answer:  Right now, absent a criminal complaint, there is no recourse if a humane agent is turned away to inspect and rescue dogs in imminent danger.

Question: Why are the dog wardens left out if this?
Answer: They are not.  Dog wardens are an important part of dog law enforcement.   Under the proposal, dog wardens will report sub-standard conditions

to the kennel authority. Dog wardens have two primary responsibilities: they enforce animal cruelty laws, and they operate county dog shelters for stray animals.  

Question: Why does the bill read the way it does?
Answer: There are places in Ohio where dogs are kept in cages where they cannot turn around, feces/urine drop on them from above, and accumulate,

where dogs have never seen a veterinarian in their lives, and they cannot walk in a normal fashion because their nails have never been trimmed, and where

their hair is matted by feces. That is reality at some kennels in Ohio.  And absence a complaint for animal cruelty, there is no inspection whatsoever.

Presently there is no way to get the dogs out of that situation.  Most people don’t have any idea about these horrendous conditions, or that Ohio is at the top

of the list as far as such horrendous conditions.

Question:  What if a breeder chooses not to get a license?
Answer:    The breeder is still subject to inspection, and the consequent penalties for violation.  In addition, the breeder would be subject to a financial penalty

 equal to two times the amount of the license fee that should have been paid.   A complaint can also be filed against the person to obtain a court order to cease operation.

Champaign County Puppy Mill (Feb 2008)

Question:  Does the bill set a price for what a rescue can charge for an adoption fee?
Answer:  No.  Dogs that have been relinquished  to the Kennel Control Authority may go to a rescue or shelter and can be adopted from the rescue or

shelter for an adoption fee that the rescue/shelter sets.

Question: Does this bill have anything to do with dog auctions in Ohio?
Answer:    No.  Although a dog auction ban was once part of the bill, interested parties including the Farm Bureau and the Sportsman Alliance (NRA)
                were opposed to banning dog auctions.

Question:   Do vaccinations have to be given to my dog every year?
Answer:   The owner, together with the dog’s veterinarian, determines the vaccinations to be given to the dog.   


Question:   Why does the puppy mill bill micromanage the euthanasia of dogs? 
Answer:  It doesn’t. It says only that dogs must be euthanized by the dog’s veterinarian, and not be left unattended between the commencement of the

 process and death.  Imperfect puppies in puppy mills are drowned in a bucket of water if the cost is too high to treat health issues, hammers are used to

euthanize the older dogs. High volume breeders are profit-driven and will not pay the price for humane euthanasia.

      
Removed from Ohio Puppy Mill.  Rosie is an 8 year old Shih Tzu.   The mat around her leg was like a tourniquet.  

She had pyometra and was extremely sick. 

 She had to be shaved down which resulted in a body that was skin and bones.  She weighed in at 14 lbs. and when the mats were shaved,

she weighed 11 lbs.!  The last  picture is after weeks of rehabilitation.  She has been adopted and is living with another dog.

Question:  Does Ohio have that many breeders with hundreds of dogs?
Answer:  Yes.  There are over 11,000 kennel registrations in Ohio.  There are hundreds of kennels that have hundreds of dogs being confined in conditions

shown on this website.  Ohio is 2nd only to Missouri in number of kennels in the state. 

Question:  Who must apply for a kennel license?
Answer:  A person who has nine or more litters, or sells 60 or more dogs in a given year.

                                                                                                            
Japanese Chin with deformed legs purchased from an Ohio Puppy Mill                                              Paralyzed Papillion removed from an Ohio Mill, April 2008

Question:  Do you expect us to license every dog?
Answer:  All dogs are required to have a license tag under current Ohio Revised Code.  Kennel licenses vary depending on what Ohio County is administering

the license. This proposal does not change the current law.   The only change from existing law on this point is that a dog housed in a regulated breeding

kennel does not need to be wearing the tag.  This is a safety provision. 


Question:  What is a surety bond?  Who pays for it?  How much does it cost?  How is the cost determined?  How do you get one?
Answer:  Breeders who are regulated must provide insurance or, in lieu of that, a surety bond which is subject to redemption if they lose their license to

operate. (For Breeders: If you have insurance on your business now, then you would simply pay for a rider to cover the license revocation issue. 

The surety bond would need to be provided only if there was no insurance that covered the issue.  The cost is estimated at $150-300, should this type of

bond coverage be needed).

Question:   "Euthanasia".  The way this reads is that if my old dog dies in the middle of the night, I can be in some sort of trouble.
Answer:   No, not unless you killed your dog.

         
Pictures taken at an Ohio puppy mill.  This puppy miller was allowed to have 25 dogs back in his custody to continue his business.  Look at the boxes

(or "kennels" as the millers call them) that these dogs live in 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, until they are no longer producing puppies.  They are then either sold

at auction or killed.

Question:    What are conditions like in so called puppy mills?
Answer:  Large numbers of breeding dogs kept in cramped cages that are not regularly cleaned.  Breeding dogs receive little to no medical treatment,

 and are not properly socialized either with other dogs or with humans.  Such breeders engage in large scale breeding of many different breeds of dogs. 
These dogs are then sold to consumers without documentation of the dog’s origin or state of health. Puppy mills negatively affect responsible breeders

who care for the health, social and behavioral aspects of the dogs and puppies they breed and sell.
Puppy mill produced puppies are often sick and born with genetic defects and sold to unsuspecting consumers under the guise of being “registered”

and/or “purebred”.  Consumers don’t know they are buying a dog born and bred in horrendous conditions.
When the breeding dogs have become so ill or bred so much that their uterus collapses, they have been known to be disposed of by drowning, bludgeoning,

shooting, surrendered to tax supported dog shelters, or sold at auction.




More Ohio Puppy Mills

I spoke directly with the Ohio Amish puppy miller who was auctioning her off at a farm auction. 

She had spent her entire 7 years in a wire bottomed cage hanging off the side of a building. 

When I sat her on the ground, that was the first time in her entire life she had been on

grass. 
 

       

                   
-White Shepherd   Open sores found on this dogon the day of a raid German
-Picture 2, dog surrendered by auctioneers at dog auction in Holmes County, front part of lip ripped off, never repaired
-Black dog, picture 3, Scabs and missing hair from this dog removed from an Ohio Puppy Mill.  Dogs live like this for months and years.

Conditions at puppy mills are:  filthy, urine/feces soaked kennels.  This puppy mill, in operation in Morrow County Ohio

for 25 years, actually had mice and rats running among the dogs while rescuers where removing dogs.


May 2007     A rescue picked up an 11 yr old AKC Sheltie from a high volume breeder. 
He had 6 Shelties to get rid of and the 11 year old had just "weaned her last litter".  She was free.  The miller said that we could have

 her or he'd just turn her loose.  He lives right on a busy state road.  He said "they don't last long, I've gotten rid of a lot of them that way." 

We had her 3 weeks and she died of cancer.  At least she died clean, not matted, out of a cage and knowing that she was loved. 

She was an affectionate sweet dog.  She had been born into his puppy mill and lived her entire life in a small wire cage. 

At 11 she was done and she was worthless to him. 

When he took her out of the cage he grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and let her dangle like a piece of meat.

Sadly he still has three of her pups - now breeding females.  He wants $600 for them because they are pure bred.  He won't deal with us because he
knows we're a rescue and I'm sure he's sorry that he said all he had to say. 

   Columbus Dog Connection.com        2761 Johnstown Rd       Columbus OH  43219