Making a Difference: Lawmakers and Puppy Mill Dogs This Holiday

It’s that time again. “Christmas puppy” season. Puppy selling pet stores hawking their pups like shiny presents. To unsuspecting consumers with nary a clue about what’s behind that cute face is this reality: dogs existing in abusive conditions, filth and neglect along with medical, emotional and behavioral problems.

I am a 15 year commitment. NOT a toy to be discarded.

But, this Christmas season animal lovers have TWO big wins to be thankful for. On November 25, Florida Governor Ron De Santis unveiled plans to protect puppies, curb animal abuse, and promote adoption of shelter animals. His plans call for rooting out unethical puppy mills that keep their dogs in squalor and filth while profiting from their sale to dog brokers and pet stores.  Meanwhile, Madison, Wisconsin, just banned the sale of puppies at pet stores in their town.

It's a joy to report the ripple continues.  Presently, over 500 communities in America and eight states (California, Maryland, Maine, Washington, Illinois, New York, Oregon, and Vermont) have banned the sale of puppies at pet stores. (Unfortunately, some of these places are pressured by pet industry lobbyists to overturn these bans, but that’s for another story.)

It's exciting to report Republican Governor De Santis has stepped up to the plate on behalf of Florida dogs bred in USDA licensed commercial dog breeding facilities. This action confirms that making lives better for dogs via animal welfare legislation is a bi- partisan concern.

 What’s important about this news: his proposal is a partnership with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It creates a framework to enforce ethical breeding standards. Under the plan, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) will be directed to license dog breeders AND aggressively pursue operations that mistreat animals.

What’s also noteworthy is this new legislation is aimed at protecting puppies in Florida by cracking down on puppy mills and abusive breeding practices. The plan includes licensing breeders, establishing a hotline for reporting abuse, and requiring pet stores to prioritize shelter dog adoptions.

And way up in the frozen tundra, kudos to the Madison, WI, city council for banning pet store sales of dogs and cats. Though they don’t have any pet selling pet stores, this move prevents any from moving in and selling. So having laws in place like this will keep bad players who sell puppy mill puppies away from Madison.

Until puppy mils are extinct, because folks are thinking with their hearts and adopting their next best friend at shelters and rescues, news like this moves us closer to the day when puppy mills are a thing of the past. And on this note, wishing you a very Merry Christmas and happy holidays!