New Group Pushing Ohio Puppy Mill Legislation: the More the Merrier!

Got this in an email over the weekend and thought it was worth posting…especially since we in Ohio are working SO HARD lately towards eradicating these damn puppy mills and their ruthless owners…

I promise that in the next couple weeks I’ll do another nationwide  update on AW legislation instead of always talking about Ohio!! Sorry:)

We are continuing to move forward with McKenzie’s Law and closer to our introduction date. 

Come to our introduction and meet McKenzie, a puppy mill survivor.
 
McKenzie’s Law is sponsored by Rep. Cheryl Grossman working with SK9 Scotties, Animal Law Coalition and a grassroots effort to stop puppy mills in Ohio.

Why McKenzie’s Law Should Pass
There are less than 200 Ohio commercial dog breeding kennels licensed by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, but there are hundreds more of these facilities in the state.

Kennels that sell dogs directly to the public through ads or over the Internet are not regulated by USDA and more are coming to Ohio each year.  I’m sure you knew that, right?

One commercial dog breeder claims in his county, Holmes County, the puppy mill industry earns $9 million annually. That is in just one Ohio County. However: the state and local government did not receive tax revenue from those sales of dogs.

McKenzie’s Law:

- would use the present government entities, eliminating any additional cost to state and county government
 
- bring tax revenue into the State of Ohio and into county and city government as well

- will ensure the state and local government receive their share of tax revenues from these business
 
- allows state and local government to monitor and regulate commercial dog breeders ensuring tax revenues are collected
 
- limits commercial breeders to 50 breeding dogs which will make enforcement of standards possible and could reduce costs to county and city shelters
 
- protects hobby breeders
 
- protects reputable commercial dog breeders
 
- protects the consumer from commercial dog breeders or pet stores that sell puppies that are sick, diseased or have congenital defects or behavior problems
 
- requires all commercial kennels with more than 5 breeding dogs to meet minimum standards of care
 
- does not have complicated expensive state licensing and registration scheming
 
- restricts one kennel per property address
 
- would improve breeding dogs living conditions.
 
- would require all commercial breeders obtain a business vendors license and report and pay sales tax on revenues collected on the sales.  (ORC 5739.01 (B) (1) and ORC 5701.03 (A)
 
- would require any Ohio commercials dog breeder with five breeding dogs to obtain a local kennel license or zoning permit
 
- eliminate dog auctions
 
- provides for broad enforcement and cross-reporting 

We are asking for your support to end the misery of “puppy mills” and “dog auctions” in Ohio by sending the Endorsement Form to legislatures or FAXing to 614-451-8901 or mailing to SK9, PO Box 21304, Columbus, Ohio 43221. 

The Endorsemnt Form referenced is below.  We will add your name to the growing list of endorsements that is posted on the www.sk9scotties.org website.  We are excited over McKenzie’s Law — that it will END the suffering of the dogs…however we need your support so please take a moment and send in your endorsement.  If you can’t down load the form, just send us a simple email in support of McKenzies Law to:  zaron@zaronsdogforum.com.
 
Another group working very hard to ban dog auctions is www.BanOhioDogAuctions.com. (I’ve told you guys about this site a million times already, it’s great for materials and petitions, etc.)

Led by the famous AW advocate and my good friend Mary O’Connor Shaver, the group has been gathering signatures statewide for months, for a ballot initiative for voters to vote the elimination of dogs auctions in Ohio in 2011.  If you would like to help gather signatures, please jump on their website and grab a petition and gather “voters only” signatures.  All the information is posted and the forms to collect signatures.

Get on time success in ccna wireless & 70-680 exams by using our latest and high quality CISSP and other superb ccent exam pass resources of SY0-201.