Popsquire On Puppy Mills
Because you are a faithful Popsquire follower, you have memorized the tv schedule and know that Lisa Ling will be on Oprah today to discuss puppy mills. Given that celebs constantly are photographed buying and traveling with dogs, animal rights represent a clear collision between pop culture and law.
Popsquire is bracing for sad, terrible images that may be unwatchable. As you know, however, Popsquire believes that information is good and research is even better! So, here’s a quick primer on legal issues pertaining to puppy mills.
- The term “puppy mill” is not a legal term, nor are puppy mills necessarily illegal.
- Definitions of animal cruelty differ from state to state. In fact, in most states, so long as dogs are given food, water, and shelter, there may be not be any evidence of illegal activity.
- A federal law, the Animal Welfare Act, outlines specific minimum standards of care for dogs, cats, and some other kinds of animals bred for commercial resale.
- Only commercial facilities that breed animals for resale, e.g., to pet stores, are required to be licensed and inspected by the USDA (Dept. of Agriculture).
- As a result, breeders that sell directly to the public are not necessarily required to adhere to the Animal Welfare Act.
Do you think there should be additional laws? Or are there “more important” things to worry about? Talk to me!
