04-19-2002, 02:20 AM
American Kennel Club Lobbying Against New Puppy Regulations <br>Dog breeders and animal welfare groups are scrapping over a bill passed by the U.S. Senate that would require puppies to have a set amount of human contact before they’re put up for sale, The Associated Press reported. <br><br>The Puppy Protection Act, part of a Senate-approved overhaul of farm programs, would also specify how often dogs could be bred. <br><br>The American Kennel Club (AKC) says that the rules could unleash federal inspectors to poke around private homes all over the country. <br><br>“If the people who are currently closest to dogs-breeders, veterinarians and animal behaviorists-don’t have a consensus as to how is the best way to raise a dog, then how can the federal government have a way?” asked AKC spokeswoman Stephanie Robinson. <br><br>The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates 3,400 breeders of dogs and other animals and inspects them about once a year to ensure that they meet sanitary standards and other requirements. <br><br>The Puppy Protection Act includes a “three-strikes-you’re-out” provision that would revoke a breeder’s license after a third violation. <br><br>The USDA now regulates only breeders whose puppies are sold through pet stores. But the rules potentially could be imposed on breeders who sell to private individuals as well, if animal welfare groups are successful in winning a lawsuit. <br><br>A federal judge ruled last year that the USDA should regulate breeders who sell directly to the public as well as to stores. The case is currently on appeal. There would be an exemption for people who keep fewer than four female dogs. <br><br>The AKC is urging dog breeders to contact members of Congress about the legislation, warning that it could empower the government “to go into hundreds of thousands of individual homes to inspect and regulate how breeders and even ordinary pet owners treat their dogs.” <br><br>For more information, visit www.akc.org. <br> <br><br><br>