Wisconsin is making great progress in an effort to eliminate backyard or "puppy mill" breeders. The breaking news came as a relief to animal advocates who had been working hard with Governor Jim Doyle to sign the madate into law yesterday.
What does the law mean?
Anyone who owns and breeds 25 or more dogs must adhere to certain standards when it comes to the care of the animals. Anyone caught in violation would have their license revoked, have their animals taken away, and face further legal punishment. This is a big move and counted as a major win for the animals.
Then why aren't shelter workers cheering?
According to reports, "About one in four dogs at the Green Lake County animal shelter have direct ties to a puppy mill." And the spill-over of animals is just beginning as puppy mills start to shut down and ship out their dogs.
Janine Rubeck runs the shelter and looks forward to the future, but braces for what's coming. "Years and years and years, Wisconsin has been the place to come if you run a puppy mill," she told the press. "(But) I would rather have to deal with several hundred dogs over the next few months because a whole bunch of puppy mills are closing than to not have this legislation happen."
For more information on this issue, visit the website Stop Puppy Mills:
http://stoppuppymills.org/http://www.examiner.com/x-1911-Dallas-Pet-Scene-Examiner~y2009m12d2-Wisconsin-breeders-must-be-licensed-shelters-expect-overflow-of-puppy-mill-dogs