Help Protect Puppies

Local Blogs

By Roz Rogoff

E-mail Roz Rogoff

About this blog: In January 2002 I started writing my own online 'newspaper' titled 'The San Ramon Observer.' I reported on City Council meetings and other happenings in San Ramon. I tried to be objective in my coverage of meetings and events, and... (More)

View all posts from Roz Rogoff

Uploaded: Apr 25, 2014

I was doing some research on No Labels to write my blog on it this week when I came across the Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety Act, H.R. 847. This Act sets minimum standards for exercise and activity for dogs raised for sale by a 'high volume retail breeder' or what are more commonly called 'puppy mills.' You can get an idea of how bad the conditions are for these dogs from the summary of what the bill requires.

This Bill, 'Requires the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to promulgate requirements for the exercise of dogs at facilities owned or operated by a dealer, including requiring daily access to exercise that: (1) allows the dogs to move sufficiently in a way that is not forced, repetitive, or restrictive; and (2) is in an area that is spacious, cleaned at least once a day, free of infestation by pests or vermin, and designed to prevent the dogs from escaping.'

The Bill was introduced by Rep. Bill Gerlach of Pennsylvania in February last year and has been languishing in the Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development, and Credit since March 13, 2013. While the bill just sits in the subcommittee, conditions for puppies and mama dogs in puppy mills are not getting any better. It's discouraging to see how slowly our government moves at times.

The Puppy Uniform and Protection and Safety Act has 134 co-sponsors, including both of our California Senators and several recognizable names from nearby districts, Zoe Lofgren, George Miller, Jackie Speier, Mike Honda, Barbara Lee, and Jerry McNerney. Our Congressman, Eric Swalwell, is not on the list of co-sponsors.

I plan to contact Congressman Swalwell to urge him to support the Puppy Protection Act to improve the conditions under which 'high volume' dogs are bred and housed. I will contact both California Senators to see if this bill can be sped up through the subcommittee.

The two Congresspersons from Maine, which only has two Congressional Districts, and one of the two Senators, Susan Collins, are co-sponsors, but I was surprised that Senator Angus King is not. I shall contact my Sister-in-Law in Portland and my niece in Freeport to urge Senator King to co-sponsor this Bill. I might even contact No Labels to see if they can get their 'Problem Solvers,' to get this bill passed. Senator King is one of the No Labels Problem Solvers.

I downloaded the No Labels book, which is worth reading to see how our elected representatives could be working for us and not for themselves or their political agendas. Here's a link to download the book. It is in e-reader format, either Kindle or Nook, which I don't like as much as PDF. If you do not own a Kindle, which I don't, you can download the Kindle for PC app along with the book.