In these days of government over-regulation it still might
surprise you to learn that a government agency could determine the next puppy
you get. But if the Obama Administration and Tom Vilsack at USDA have their way,
that's exactly what will happen.
The USDA's APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service) agency announced a proposed rule in May that would devastate
small-scale purebred dog breeders who raise dogs in their homes. This includes
most breeders of show dogs, people who breed K9 search and rescue dogs, police
dogs, and protection dogs, many hunting dog breeders, and people who breed dogs
for the disabled, as well as people who produce good pet dogs.
The rule proposed by APHIS would result in a serious change
in direction to the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) which they administer. The Animal
Welfare Act was originally passed in the 1960s to protect laboratory animals
and it was later altered to allow USDA to oversee the care of breeding animals
in large commercial facilities. For the past 15 years the Humane Society of the
United States (HSUS) and other animal rights groups have been seeking to change
the Animal Welfare Act so that it covers more than animals raised by
wholesalers as it does currently. They have been trying to stretch the act to
cover retailers, which would include breeders who raise a litter at home and
sell directly to a buyer.
The Doris Day Animal League, which has since been subsumed
by HSUS, sued USDA (DDAL vs Ann Veneman (Secretary of Agriculture) in 1997 in
order to try to force USDA to apply wholesale breeding regulations to
retailers, i.e., to treat home breeders the same way USDA treated large
commercial breeders. DDAL initially won in court but the case was reversed on
appeal by the Washington DC U.S. District Court of Appeals. http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-dc-circuit/1362167.html
One of the things that's so interesting about this case is that USDA opposed
the animal rights position at this time. They claimed that the Animal Welfare
Act should not be applied to retail breeders, who are typically small-scale
breeders. According to USDA at this time, it would be a waste of the agency's
inspectors and other resources to try to oversee these entities.
But things change and with the Obama victory in 2008,
regulations were seen as the way to accomplish many things that could not be
accomplished legislatively. Today USDA is supporting the animal rights position
and trying to force small-scale breeders, as retailers, to live under
commercial breeding or wholesaler regulations.
HSUS, which is NOT the same as your local humane society or
animal shelter, has been trying each year to pass repressive legislation
against pet breeders. So far they have failed, despite the fact that they have
lured many first term congressmen to support the PUPS bill (Puppy Uniform
Protection and Safety, Senate Bill 707 (S.707) and House
Bill 835 (H.R.
835) which would apply onerous
restrictions to small-scale dog and cat breeders. Even some Republicans who
should know better are supporting this bill which would do many of the same
things that the proposed APHIS rule would do. It would label many small-scale
breeders as commercial breeders and they would be forced to become
USDA-licensed and inspected.
Just to make sure you get the picture, we are talking about
your Aunt Susie who has a few Yorkies and raises some puppies. She would have
to get a USDA license and have inspectors come to her home. But, it's not that
simple. In order to become USDA-licensed, she would have to make her facilities
(her home) USDA-compliant. That means having non-permeable surfaces that can be
cleaned at temps of 180 degrees, proper ventilation in the areas where the dogs
are kept, drainage for that cleaning water, insurance as a commercial business,
possible approval by her homeowner's association, zoning approval, and a host
of other requirements under AWA rules. She would go from being a hobbyist to a
small business, whether she liked it or not. It's kind of hard to do these
things if you're a small breeder living in the suburbs. And that's where many
of our best home-raised puppies come from. When you want a good, home-raised
puppy, you go to someone like Aunt Susie. But Tom Vilsack and the USDA would
like to have small breeders put their dogs in kennels so they can make everyone
be USDA/AWA compliant. Or, perhaps it's safer to say that USDA would like all
of us small breeders to just disappear.
Are you wondering why the Humane Society of the United
States would support the PUPS bill or the proposed APHIS rule when they would
send our home-raised dogs out to the kennels? Aren't they the folks who are
supposed to care so much for animals? Despite the ubiquitous ads with sad-faced
kittens and puppies, HSUS does not support local shelters. The money they raise
goes for lobbying on animal rights issues; lawsuits against agricultural
interests; and their own salaries and pensions. Less than 1 percent of the
money they raise goes to the animals. It would suit HSUS just fine to get rid
of small hobby breeders who have been resisting them. The Humane Society of the
United States opposes all animal breeding. It is easier for them to control
breeders if they have breeders thoroughly regulated under the APHIS proposed
rule and/or PUPS. They have won over USDA to a great extent now, at least under
Tom Vilsack. HSUS, through it's lobbying arm the Humane Society Legislative
Fund, is a contributor to the campaign of Vilsack's wife, Christie Vilsack,
running for Congress in Iowa. And HSLF has contributed more than $100,000 to
oppose Christie Vilsack's opponent, none other than Rep. Steve King, who has
been a vocal opponent of HSUS-sponsored bills in Congress. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2941250/posts
Earlier this fall, eight Iowa TV stations refused to air Humane Society
Legislative Fund ads against King because of their sensationalism and
dishonesty. The ads had to be re-worked before stations would accept them.
When's the last time you heard of TV stations refusing ads? Well, PETA comes to
mind.
The upshot is, the Humane Society of the United States is no
friend to animals, whether they are pets or in agriculture. Over-regulation and
animal rights-supported bills are hurting all of us, even the people who raise
pets. Don't be fooled when you hear that something is “good for the animals.”
If it comes from HSUS or if it smacks of over-regulation, just say no.
