Puppy Mills

Being from New York State, I was aware of the puppy mill problem in the neighboring State of Pennsylvania. I didn't realize until I had been living here for a while that Missouri is considered the Puppy Mill Capital of the Country.

This is a title that any State should be ashamed of.

I consider myself a dog breeder. I have bred two litters over a forty year period. Each puppy was cared for in the house, given love, good nutrition, veterinary care and placed in a loving home. I made myself accessible to the new owners for any help they might need and I stated that I would take back any puppy, no questions asked at any time during the dog's life. I did take back one pup from my first litter.

Puppy mill pups are born into a very different existence. We've all seen the pictures and most of us have come in contact with a dog rescued from mill life.

On November 2, voters in Missouri have the opportunity to make life a little better for mill dogs. Proposition B seeks to regulate breeders with more than 10 breeding dogs in the following ways:

Provide at least 12 square feet of climate controlled living area per dog depending on it's size

Do away with stacked cages and wire floors


Feed at least once a day and provide potable water at all times


Provide access to an outdoor exercise area


Limit the number of intact dogs to 50


Limit production of litters to two per dog per 18 months


Have each dog examined yearly by a veterinarian


Have necessary euthanasia performed by a veterinarian


How can anyone object to these regulations?

The lobbyists for the puppy mills, of course, are throwing around all sorts of threats about what awful things will happen if Proposition B is passed. Lets' think rationally about this. The millers will lose money.  Get real everyone, there is no shortage of adoptable dogs in this country. There is an overpopulation. Do we really need to churn out thousands of puppies each year while thousands of healthy dogs are being euthanized in shelters?

Why is it wrong to expect breeders to offer basic care to their breeding dogs? Don't we, the buying public, want to bring healthy, well adjusted puppies into our homes?

Support Proposition B on the November ballot. Even if you're not enthused about any of the candidates running for office, vote for the well being of the dogs. They need us.