Colorado Bill Seeks to Deter Puppy & Kitten Mill Breeders - National Humane Education Society
Paws Up!
January 24, 2020
To Colorado Representative Monica Duran and Senator Mike Foote for introducing a bill to ban the sale of cats and dogs by commercial breeders.
Update (3/20/2020): HB20-1084 did not pass the House Rural Affairs and Agriculture Committee.
Today, companion animals are a common sight in many households. Cats and dogs are among the most prevalent. Sharing your life with a companion animal can be a source of comfort, joy, and companionship. One of the downsides to the increase of companion animals inhabiting homes are the people who choose to overbreed cats and dogs for monetary purposes to meet this demand. When this is the sole purpose, thoughts for an animal’s well-being is nonexistent. These entities–puppy or kitten mills—exist because of consumers who desire to have a purebred or designer animal. Puggles, Labradoodles, and Maltipoos are just a few of the sought after so-called designer canine breeds. If consumers had first-hand experience observing how these pregnant animals lived in filthy cages with little to no food, water, exercise, or veterinary care, they would hopefully hesitate to fuel these puppy or kitten mills. Instead, choosing to adopt a cat or dog from a breed-specific animal rescue or local animal shelter.
Throughout the United States, measures to stop puppy and kitten mill breeders are continually being tackled by legislators. In 2019, California became the first state to ban puppies and kittens from being sold in pet stores if they were acquired from a puppy or kitten mill. In 2020, Maryland became the second state to follow suit. Now, Colorado has introduced HB20-1084 referred to as the “Humane Pet Act” sponsored by Representative Duran (D-District 24) and Senator Foote (D-District 17). This bill would create a standard of care for dog and cat breeders to follow:
- The breeder could not have more than twenty-five animals at a given time.
- The breeder would need to provide at least thirty minutes of exercise and social interaction daily to each dog or cat.
- The breeder would only be able to breed each dog or cat once a year.
- The breeder would need to have health screens completed before breeding a cat or dog.
This bill hopes to deter commercial breeding within the state in addition to prohibiting the sale of puppies and kittens in retail stores or public places by these breeders. If passed, the bill would go into effect, January 1, 2021.
To learn more about puppy mills, please download our free brochure here.
Take Action: Colorado residents, contact your representative to show your support that HB20-1084 be passed to keep dogs and cats from having to live their lives continually impregnated to supply human greed.
THESE PUPPY/KITTEN MILLS ARE SUPPOSE TO BE CHECKED FREQ. BY THE GOV. AGENCY THAT CHECKS FACTORY FARM ANIMALS – ONE HAND SHAKES ANOTHER AND THESE BARBARIC BREEDING FARMS GET AWAY WITH MURDER. NEVER MIND THE GROSE NEGLECT OF THE ADULTS, IT’S THE BABIES THAT BRING IN THE CASH. THE SOONER THEY GO OUT THE DOOR THE FASTER THE BREEDER GETS HIS CASH SO THEY ARE TAKEN AWAY FROM THEIR MOMS AT 3.5 TO 5 WEEKS AND KEPT IN CAGES UNTIL READY TO SHIP. MANY, MANY DIE FROM WEAKNESS. ONCE IN THE STORES THEY ARE PUMPED WITH DRUGS TO STOP DIARRHEA AND OTHER SIGNS OF ILLINESS. THE POOR SUCKER WHO DROPS $3,000 TO $5,000 AND TAKES THE PUP HOME FINDS HIMSELF IN THE VETS WITH IN A WEEK – MANY OF THESE BABIES DIE. HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ARE SPENT TO SAVE THEIR LIVES BUT THEN DOWN THE ROAD THEY SHOW SEVERE BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO STAY WITH MOM WHO WOULD TEACH SOCIAL BEHAVIOR.. NEXT STOP, THE POUND WHERE THEY ARE KILLED. PLEASE, STOP THIS CYCLE AND CLOSE THESE HOUSES OF HORROR FOR OUR COMPANION ANIMALS.