Westchester lawmakers want to combat 'puppy mills'

Legislation proposed by several Westchester County lawmakers would strengthen protections against sales of dogs from 'puppy mills' and set standards for care and feeding of cats and dogs for sale.

New Rochelle pet lover and animal activist Dianne Heim said she was surprised to learn that when she complained about a pet store she suspected sold puppy mill dogs that city officials had no authority to intervene.

That changed early this year, when Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation giving municipalities the authority to adopt stricter laws on breeders and sellers of cats and dogs. Albany, Nassau and Suffolk counties have adopted local laws and Rockland lawmakers recently held a public hearing on their version. Westchester Legislator James Maisano, R-New Rochelle, recently proposed legislation for the county.

If Westchester approves a law, 'it will stop these businesses from obtaining dogs from puppy mills,' said Heim, a New Rochelle Humane Society board member. 'So if they (the county) can prove that they are getting dogs from puppy mills, then they can stop them.'

The legislation would protect animals' health, comfort and well being while they are with dealers and sellers, and prevent 'these businesses from obtaining dogs from puppy mills or disreputable breeders,' Maisano said in a statement. Legislators Gordon Burrows, R-Yonkers, and Peter Harckham, D-Somers, are also sponsoring the legislation.

Dealers and sellers would have to keep records that prove where their animals came from, and there would be standards for what they are fed and their living conditions, such as how much space they need and how often it needs to be cleaned. They would have to be examined by a veterinarian within five days of arriving at a dealer or seller facility. The annual permit fee would be $200 for businesses that sell 25 or more animals a year, and $100 for fewer than 25.

The ASPCA is most supportive of the Albany law and Westchester proposal, which set a higher standard for source breeders and wholesalers, said Bill Ketzer, senior state director of ASPCA government relations for the Northeast.

A 2000 state law that created the state licensing and inspection program for pet dealers prohibited municipal oversight of pet stores and home-based breeders. The state Agriculture and Markets Department had few inspectors and in the past five years levied penalties only in about 50 of 800 failed pet dealer inspections, Ketzer said. 'Local governments were kind of growing increasingly frustrated with their inability to protect themselves locally.'

The previous law didn't cover wholesale pet sales from large-scale breeding facilities, also known as puppy mills, which is as important if not moreso than regulating local pet stores, Ketzer said.

Steve Reid, owner of S.R. Dog Training in Somers, said dogs from puppy mills may have trouble with house-training because they were kept in a small space and went to the bathroom where they were. Reputable breeders breed for good temperment, good hips and other qualities, he said.

'If anybody's just simply looking to turn a profit, they reduce their quality standards,' he said, adding that conditions in puppy mills are 'cruel and horrific.'

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