United effort needed to pass puppy mill legislation
Thursday, May 13, 2010
As the 2010 session of the Minnesota Legislature draws to a close, we are reminded of the effort we’ve put forth with a Coalition of more than 15 Minnesota animal welfare organizations, supporting lobbyists and passionate community members to pass the Dog and Cat Breeder Bill, better known as the Puppy and Kitten Mill Bill.
The Puppy and Kitten Mill Bill would have allowed authorities to proactively respond to acts of inhumane breeding by giving the Minnesota Board of Animal Health (MBAH) the authority to license and inspect all commercial breeding facilities. Under existing law animals in facilities with owners that practice inhumane breeding are found by happenstance—and only after the cruelty has taken place.
Throughout the 2009–2010 legislative session, many animal welfare organizations and individuals in Minnesota came together to ensure the bill was heard at the Capitol and the issue of inhumane breeding was brought to the forefront in the public. Unfortunately, one animal welfare organization chose to act alone—waffling between working with and against the Coalition throughout the current biennium.
As the Coalition’s bill was being introduced in 2009, Animal Ark in Hastings, Minn. introduced its own bill that significantly minimized the number of facilities affected by regulation. Soon after, legislators requested that all groups, including breeders, animal welfare organizations and dedicated individuals, working toward puppy mill legislation get together to present a unified bill.
A compromise bill was drafted allowing for consensus between all groups. As the draft of the Puppy and Kitten Mill Bill was in place, all groups, including Animal Ark, agreed to support the revised bill with the Coalition and legislators sponsoring it.
Regulation of commercial breeding facilities has long been met with strong opposition. Among them are agricultural interests with concerns that legislation for companion animals will open the door for protection of livestock and other agricultural animals. The Coalition understands those concerns, but that is not the intention of this bill. However, because of that belief it is important that the Coalition continue to develop positive relationships with agricultural partners in the legislature. Those partnerships are needed to make positive change for companion animals.
When the bill failed to pass the Senate Agriculture Committee this year, Animal Ark under the leadership of Executive Director Mike Fry, took it upon itself to act alone. Last month, Animal Ark drafted an amendment to be attached to an omnibus bill that was to be heard by the House of Representatives—an effort that went around the earlier decision of the Senate Agriculture Committee to not pass the bill.
The organization stated the amendment “was virtually identical in language to House File 253.” What Animal Ark failed to mention to its supporters and the public is that the amendment weakened the bill by taking oversight authority from the MBAH and giving it to the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine (MBVM)—an agency that has neither the resources nor the same type of authority or regulatory and oversight experience of the MBAH in protecting companion animals. It would also diminish the ability of the MBVM’s two paid staff to function as a licensing and professional oversight agency for practicing Minnesota veterinarians.
Animal Ark’s actions were not only ineffective, but offered little chance for broad support or passage. It undermined the relationships the Coalition built with legislators and confused the public and animal advocates who’ve supported the bill undermining their trust in the Coalition to effect great change for companion animals in Minnesota.
Animal Ark recently stated in recap written about the amendment effort in its newsletter and on its blog:
“When [the bill did not pass this year], many of the animal welfare advocates working to pass the legislation packed up their bags and went home. They figured the issue was dead for the year and that there was no point in putting forth any additional effort.”
The truth is the Coalition didn’t stop. It immediately began building a foundation for next year. The Coalition understands that fractious, radical efforts won’t help us achieve our goal of ending inhumane dog and cat breeding. It is moving forward as a united front and respecting the decision of the legislators—actions that will help us pass a strong bill in 2011.