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Winter Warriors Sunday Harvie 66 Meetups Alicia Handlin 44 Meetups Olivia Sanchez 43 Meetups
2012 Anti-Puppy Mill Bills Pam Sordyl Founder Puppy Mill Awareness of Southeast Michigan www.meetup.com/puppymillawareness/ Humane Lobby Day, April 17, 2012 Version 4
Pet Lemon Law (SB 574) Sponsors: Steven Bieda - (primary) Tory Rocca, Rebekah Warren, Hoon-Yung Hopgood, Virgil Smith, Bert Johnson, Goeffrey Hansen, Michael Kowall 2010 Petland Novi Puppy Mix breed (Affen-pincher) $1,679 Pet Warranty Law or Pet Consumer Protection Act Offers consumer protections for purchasers of dogsand cats. People who purchase sick or diseased animals from pet shops, breedersor dealerswill have options: returning the animal for a full refund or, replacement, if available or, recovery of veterinary expenses. Eighteen other states have Pet Lemon Laws in place.
Protecting Families We need to hold pet sellers accountable for burdening the public with veterinary costs and emotional stress of caring for a sick pet. Lack of protection Seller guarantees do not hold up in court. Consumers have to prove the seller knew. Current State Law = 30 day health certificates signed by a vet are required by pet stores only. These are only wellness checks Do not uncover genetic defects. Pet stores are no longer regulated by the MDA. Would encourage stores to get their health certificates and treat animals properly. Families do not want to return or replace their animals. Families need help with veterinary care costs! April 2012 Pet Station Owner Arrested Count 1: Animals Abandon/Cruelty to 10 or More Animals (Felony Four years) Allegation: Animals received inadequate care, food, water, sanitary conditions and medical attention. Count 2: False Pretenses $200 to $1,000 (Misdemeanor One year) Allegation: False representation about the health of animals causing a patron to purchase an unhealthy animal.
New Requirements Will not impact non-profit organizations, animal rescue groups, shelters or veterinarians. 2011 The Family Puppy (Novi) Mix breed $497. Breeder from unlicensed breeder in Indiana. The bill includes: specific time frames for reporting illnesses (10 days) maximum amounts a buyer can recover (up to the purchase price) provisions for congenital defects in the purchased animals (90 days to report) Supplier disclosure information
Stop the sale of sick animals 48% of puppies being sold in pet stores were ill or incubating an illness at the time of purchase (per California study) Pollywood Pets, Mt. Clemens Covering veterinary costs will cut into profits. It is easy to sell a sick animal to an unsuspecting buyer. Driven by huge mark-ups Stores pay $50-$150 for each puppy Stores sell puppies from $250-$4,000! Average price is $772 down from $1,200 in 2007. Reducing costs = sick animals Vet care, food, shelter are cut to reduce costs. Puppies are taken away from their mother too early before their immune system is fully developed. Puppies traveling long distances in semi trucks are more vulnerable to diseases. Some animals travel 19 hours before they reach the pet stores in Detroit. Once they arrive at the store, they may not be isolated or treated properly before sale to reduce costs. Puppy Mill Awareness of SE Michigan has collected 75complaints on The Family Puppy chain and 54on Petlandin Novi.
Supplier Disclosure Breeder information, such as names and addresses, can help protect conscientious Michigan customers from unknowingly contributing to animal neglect and abuse at kennel operations. Puppy buyers have access to kennel inspection reportsand inventoriesonline through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website. Buyers can make more informed decisions. 2011 Detroit Area Survey: 13 out of 23 establishments did not provide breeder names 100 per cent of the establishments did not provide details about the puppy's parents beyond sire and dam names, and 95 percent did not allow viewing of the parents. Critter Pet Shop, Allen Park 2011 Pet Store Survey
Too many puppy-peddlers Stores outside of Detroit-area (16) Stores in the Detroit-area (27) The Family Puppy Store Front - Chain Flint, Mi 48507 Pet Station Store Front - Chain Jackson, MI Brooklyn Pets Store Front Brooklyn Curious World Pet Centers Store Front - Chain Grand Rapids, V.I..Pets (My Precious Puppy) Store Front - Chain Grand Rapids, V.I. Pets Store Front - Chain Grand Rapids Curious World Pet Centers Store Front - Chain Jenison, Mi V.I. Pets Store Front - Chain Holland V.I. Pets Store Front - Chain Jenison, Mi Betty's Pet & Garden Store Front Houghton Lake Ocean Odyssey Store Front Saginaw, Mi Pretty Pooch Store Front Saginaw, MI The Pet Place Store Front Marine City, MI. Pretty Puppies Store Front Midland, MI The Pet Stop Store Front Marquette, MI Anne's Pet and Hobby Shop Store Front Greenville The Family Puppy Store Front - Chain Brighton, MI Puppy Place Residence Howell, MI Parkside Builders Inc Residence Brighton Twp Pawsitively Spoiled Store Front Brighton Puppy Place Residence Gregory Family of Pets Store Front - Chain Roseville, Mi Utica Pet Supply Store Front Utica, MI 48317 Greenwood Pets & Plants Store Front Warren Pollywood Pets & Acc Inc Trade Center Mt. Clemens Shaggy Dog Store Front Utica The Doggie Parlor Store Front Eastpointe Bark Avenue Store Front Monroe Downtown Hound Pet Store Front Monroe The Family Puppy Store Front - Chain Novi, MI 48375 Petland Store Front - Chain Novi, MI 48377 Family of Pets AKA Store Front - Chain Troy, MI 48083 Teacups & Toys A Pet Store Front Birmingham Pet City Pets Store Front - Chain Ypsilanti, MI Westland Dog Food Store Front Westland House of Pets Store Front Garden City, Mi Bully Depot Store Front Detroit Critter Pet Shop Store Front Allen Park Pet City Pets Store Front - Chain Wyandotte John Trade Center Taylor Nancy's Suggies Trade Center Taylor Puppy Love Puppies Residence Fort Gratiot Bully Depot/K-9 Trade Center Taylor, MI 48180
Pet Lemon Law Impact Michigan has 639 licensed dog breeding kennels, four are USDA licensed, which means largecommercial and there are approximately 37 puppy selling stores. In 2010, 1,400 puppies were shipped into pet stores from out-of-state commercial breeders. Michigan s largest retailer, The Family Puppy, ships in over 100 puppies per month many with violations to the Animal Welfare Act. 2010 Paws & Claws (Eastpointe) Maltese from Arkansas breeder with 70 dogs. (store now closed!)
Puppy Protection Act Will protect dogs in large-scale breeding facilities (15 or more intact females). April 2012 Allegan Breeder with 350+ dogs House Bills 5230-5231 Sponsors Vicki Barnett (primary), Wayne A. Schmidt Senate Bills 891-892 Sponsors Steven Bieda- (primary), Rick Jones, Tory Rocca, Michael Kowall Will establish long overdue guidelines for housing, sanitary conditions, enclosure space, exercise, and veterinary care of dogs. Will place an upper limit on the number of intact breeding dogs = 50 Launched by Michigan Humane Society Supported by the Michigan Association of Animal Control Officers, Puppy Mill Awareness, and the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association
Stop Puppy Mills from Coming to Michigan This bill will help ensure kennels do not migrate to Michigan as some of these states are implementing new laws of their own. 2011 Livingston County breeder with 77 dogs in her home Michigan is not a big puppy mill state. Only four USDA licensed commercial breeders Twenty-one county licensed breeders with over 50 dogs. We are a Midwest state very close to the Puppy Mill Belt -sharing borders with states that have over 100 commercial breeders.
Protect Animals in Large-scale Kennels Operators have moved to counties with no Animal Control and under-staffed police, avoiding inspections and enforcement. The Puppy Protection Act will close that loophole. In 2009, a Michigan kennel study showed that approximately 230 licensed kennels would fall under this new law. This will ensure that kennels that individually license their dogs (instead of getting the optional kennel license) will need to be licensed and inspected annually. Example Case:For the past five years, this Jack Russell has lived with over 130 dogs in a breeding kennel up north hidden in the woods. She is provided minimal food, water and just a door-less carrier to live in. In the winter, the floor of her kennel becomes solid ice, making it painful to walk across and in the she has no shade. Missaukee Breeder with 130 dogs
Say NO to Commercial Breeding No animal should be mistreated for any reason, and especially not for profit! Branch County USDA Licensed Breeder with 31 dogs Example case:one Michigan USDA licensed breeder was cited for housing and veterinary care. This bulldog lives in a barrel on wire floors and another dog was found with untreated inflammations in his eyes. Under the Puppy Protection Act, this kennel would need to make some changes reduce their intact breeding dogs from 85 to 50, provide solid floors provide exercise seek vet care provide rest between cycles and have unstacked cages.
Limit the number of animals Four states have caps limiting the number of intact breeding dogs. The potential for neglectand inadequate care increases significantly when the number of breeding animals becomes unmanageable. A limit on the number of breeding animals would prevent the introduction of overcrowded, large-scale breeding operations into Michigan as they become more restricted in other sates. Example Case:On April 9, 2012 authorities removed over 350 dogs from a breeding kennel in Allegan County that spiraled out of control. Mothers were nurses under layers of matted feces. The animals were found soaked in urine, with severe dental problems and fleas. April 2012 Allegan Breeder with 350+ dogs
Let your dog share a few barks at the State Capitol this year! Law-makers may just learn a lot about largescale breeding when they meet some of the survivors. September 25, 2012 Parade Around the Capitol Building Postcard Drop-offs Guest Speakers Organizational Introductions Group Photos
Puppy Mills Are Not Welcome Here! Questions?