Update June 23: Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski has made it official. He has signed the puppy mill bill into law.
Oregon now joins Virginia, Louisiana, and Washington state in limiting the number of breeding dogs a breeder can keep. This should go a long way towards curbing the breeding! Â
Similar limits are pending in New York, Massachusetts, and California.
For more on this historic law, read Animal Law Coalition’s reports below.
Update June 2: Oregon’s puppy mill bill passed the state Senate by a vote of 18-10. The bill is now awaiting Governor Ted Kulongoski’s signature.
The governor has said he will sign the bill.
Significantly, the bill would limit breeders to 50 intact dogs that are 2 years old or older. The bill also contains consumer protection provisions. For more on the bill’s requirements, read Animal Law Coalition’s report below.
A chief sponsor of the bill, H.B. 2470, state Sen. Vicki Walker, said puppy mills are a "significant contributor" to the overpopulation of unwanted pets particularly in view of how many dogs from the mills end up in public shelters. Some estimates put that number at 25% or more.    Sen. President Peter Courtney and Sen. Diane Rosenbaum were also sponsors.
For more on this historic legislation, read Animal Law Coalition’s earlier reports below.
Update May 20: The Oregon puppy mill bill, H.B. 2470 has now passed the Senate Consumer Protection and Public Affairs Committee. A vote before the full Oregon Senate is expected next week.Â
Update May 13: Oregon’s proposed puppy mill bill, H.B. 2470, passed the House of Representatives. Â
The version passed by the House would cap the number of breeding dogs a person could have for the "primary purpose of reproduction" at 50 dogs 2 years of age or older. It would be prima facie evidence that a person possesses dogs for the primary purpose of reproduction if during a 12-month period the person sells, offers for sale, barters or exchanges more than three litters of dogs that are less than eight months of age.
Persons with 50 breeding dogs that are 8 months of age or older would be required to keep detailed records.
The bill would otherwise regulate any breeder with 10 or more breeding dogs 8 months of age or older. Anyone with 75 dogs total must have at least one person working 8 hours each day to care for the dogs. The ratio of workers to dogs must be 1:75. Â
All dogs over 4 months of age must be provided with one hour of exercise each day. This means walking on a leash or moving about freely.
Each dog must under this bill also be provided with "sufficient space to turn about freely, stand and sit and to lie down without the head, face, tail, legs or feet of the dog touching the sides of the enclosure or touching any other dog." The cage must be 6 inches higher than the head of the tallest dog when standing. Really just a cage for 23 hours each day.
The flooring for cages would be required to be solid, and cages could not be stacked or more than 42 inches off the floor.
There would also be requirements for veterinary care, sanitation, cleaning, and record keeping.
The bill also provides for consumer protection.
Go here for more information about how else you can help shut down puppy mills.Â
People need to realize that the lemon law portion of this bill will sweep up responsible breeders who adhere to stringent breed health testing and AKC rules! Dog’s are living things and no guarantees can be made on what aliments a dog can be afflicted with past the initial breeder’s diligent testing before and after breeding. Reputable breeding programs are based on genetic testing. Proper genetic pairs are bred to produce the best line possible, however nature always has her way! Living things are not perfect no matter how much effort is put in to pairing a perfect breeding match.
Reputable breeders will simply stop selling high end hunting dogs, for fear of the repercussion of the lemon law. There is no way to guarantee that a dog will remain perfectly healthy for two years! No one can predict the future! If all efforts have been taken to responsibly genetically match a breeding pair and AKC rules are adhered to, the rest is up to Nature!
Once reputable pure bred breeders stop selling dogs, all we will be left with are the puppy mill mutts!
Voice your opposition to Now is the time for all responsible animal owners in Oregon to contact your State Representatives with the message that HB 2470 is unnecessary, irresponsible and unfair and must not be allowed to move forward.
EG
Many states have these consumer protection laws now because of the innumerable breeders and pet stores that sell sick, diseased or disabled puppies that they know are in this condition. That is who this law targets. It is an important tool in the fight against puppy mills. It is ridiculous for anyone to say this bill targets responsible breeders – if you are responsible then you won’t knowingly sell a sick, diseased or disabled dog without dislosing that to the purchaser. That is all this law does.
Puppy’s are sold at 8 weeks old. Hip or elbow dysplasia will not show up in any dog at this age!!! Genetic conditions like PRA are screened out by blood test prior to pairing up a breeding. Reputable breeders would never knowingly sell a dog with a defect!
Tell me what diseases you might have in two years……………..!!!
Get the word out!!!! Reputable breeders that supply top quality hunting dogs will be directly affected by this broad one size fits all legislation!!!!!!!!!
Voice your opposition to Now is the time for all responsible animal owners in Oregon to contact your State Representatives with the message that HB 2470 is unnecessary, irresponsible and unfair and must not be allowed to move forward!!!!
EG
What reputable breeders object to most of all (besides the lemon law portion) in Oregon HB 2470 is the following:
“Exempts shelters, veterinarians, pet stores and research facilities from new standards of care.â€
You need to re-read the bill!!!
EG
Actually, your reading of the bill is incorrect. The consumer provision portions apply to pet stores.Â
The cage provisions don’t apply to pet stores so the dogs there can be crammed in as tightly as they want. Also, many good breeders keep their dogs as part of the family. They would be illegal because they don’t have enclosures requiored by the bill. And don’t let the numbers fool you – they are reasonable now but once a law is on the books it’s easier to change the numbers and they often do in other states.