Known as the “Puppy mill capitol of the East,” Pennsylvania has more licensed and unlicensed commercial dog breeding facilities then anywhere else in the region. Puppy mills are notorious for cramming dogs into kennels where the conditions are often deplorable. Cages are stacked, one on top of the other, with little or no ventilation, no opportunity for exercise, and no routine medical care. The puppies bred in these unsanitary conditions are not socialized and often are shipped to pet stores across the country before the crucial developmental period is up and before they have finished nursing, often resulting in poor health and temperament.

Pennsylvania Representative James Casorio, is aiming to change Pennsylvania’s reputation and has introduced a bill that significantly increases the criminal penalties for commercial breeders who do not maintain humane conditions for the animals. This is one of three bills recently introduced that are meant to update Pennsylvania’s dog breeding laws, which were most recently enacted in 1982.

One of the new bills would define a commercial kennel as one that sells dogs to dealers or pet shops, or one that sells more then 60 dogs a year. The bill would require double the current minimum legal floor space per animal and require regular cage cleaning and annual veterinary exams. Other parts of the bill aim to increase animal cruelty fines and force owners of confiscated dogs to pay the cost of keeping them in animal shelters.

House Bill 2525 doubles the minimum amount of cage floor space for dogs and requires solid flooring, so excrement doesn’t fall onto dogs when cages are stacked. It also requires a dog to have an outdoor exercise area that’s twice the size of its primary enclosure.

House Bill 2532 prohibits “debarking,” which means cutting or destroying a dog’s vocal cords, except when done for valid medical reasons by a veterinarian. Rep. Casorio said some commercial kennels use a barbaric practice where a plastic pipe is shoved down a dog’s throat and then smashed with a sledge hammer, destroying the vocal cords, so a dog can’t bark.

The bill also prohibits docking of a newborn’s tail, by anyone other than a vet, once the animal is at least 3 days old.

House Bill 499 increases fines and jail terms for people who are cruel to dog.

In addition, the legislation prohibits the sale of dogs younger than 8 weeks old. Current law allows sales at 7 weeks. The cost of complying to the stricter codes ranges from $5,000 to $20,000 per kennel and will ideally result in a number of breeders and kennels having to go out of business. Last Wednesday, a rally was held outside the Capitol by dogs and their people, supporting this package of laws. Though the legislation does not outlaw commercial breeding altogether, most rescue groups and activists feel it is a step in the right direction.

To learn more, or get involved, please visit Pennsylvania Dog Law Action and Prisoners of Greed.

Puppy mill image via Prisoners of Greed, Image of rally via Jason Minick / Associated Press

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