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Ohio's Proposal to Regulate Puppy Mills and Dog Auctions
There are 161 USDA "Class A" licensed b reeders and 34 USDA "Class B" licensed dealers in Ohio, and more than 54% of these breeding kennels are located in Berlin, Millersburg and Sugarcreek, the heart of Amish country. In 2008, Holmes County licensed 537 kennels, a 56 percent increase from 2003, the year before the Buckeye Dog Auction started.
With hundreds of kennel registrations in Ohio, there is great disparity in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) licensing and inspecting the appropriate number of kennels. Laws are on the books to provide minimum-care standards for animals, but enforcement has historically been spotty at best.
The *USDA-APHIS licenses and inspects commercial breeding facilities; (those that sell to wholesalers) for violations of the Animal Welfare Act; likewise, a handful of states have laws that provide oversight of some breeding operations as well. (**Ohio law requires kennels register annually in their home counties.) But puppy mills can successfully navigate around these laws, either by selling directly to consumers (thereby avoiding USDA licensing requirements) or by simply avoiding the reach of law enforcement - with so few USDA inspectors and minor fines, it's easy to stay in business.
You may be interested to know that a 2009 report issued by the USDA has confirmed Ohio ranks seventh among the top 10 states with the largest number of USDA Class A licensed commercial breeders:
1. MO - 1,370
2. OK - 498
3. IA - 322
4. AR - 308 (ranked 5th in 2008)
5. KS - 291 (ranked 4th in 2008)
6. PA - 202
7. OH - 161 (a 400% increase in the number of Class A licensed "commercial" breeders just six years ago!)
8. NE - 142
9. SD - 102 (ranked 10th in 2008)
10. TX - 91 (ranked 9th in 2008)
*To view copies of USDA Animal Welfare Inspection Reports, click here.
**To view a summary of state puppy mill laws, click here.
Links for More Information
For more information on the proposed Initiated Statute to Ban Dog Auctions ("Ohio Dog Auctions Act"), we invite you to visit the Campaigns page of our website.
For more information on proposed legislation to address puppy mills in Ohio, we invite you to review McKenzie's Law.
For more information on how Ohio Issue 2 could prevent proposed legislation to address puppy mill breeding in Ohio, we invite you to read the article, "Ohio Issue 2 Could Prevent Puppy Mill Legislation" published by Laura Allen of the Animal Law Coalition.
Legislative Resources
For more information on the status of bills in the Ohio House of Representatives and Senate, visit Ohio Legislative Service Commission.
For more information on contacting your local, state and federal elected officials to share your concerns about puppy mills and dog auctions, visit Congress by Capitol Advantage.
For more information on USDA minimum requirements and Animal Welfare Act regulations, read the article The USDA and Puppy Mills published by Best Friends Animal Society.
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