We are professional dog breeders and have been raising puppies on our farm since 1989. We started with a few dogs and have enlarged our operation as our market grew. Today, we employ eight adults and 10 school students to help with our puppies. Some of these students socialize puppies. Dogs require care 24/7. We try extremely hard to take the best care of our dogs and puppies possible. We allow our customers to see our kennel facilities if they desire, and we receive almost all positive comments about our facilities and the way we care for our dogs and puppies.
There is a pending bill (HB 1468) that says dogs can only be treated humanely if there are less than 30 dogs per location. We contend that there is no "magic number" to make a kennel operate properly or have their dogs treated humanely. With our 18 employees and ourselves actively caring for our dogs, our ratio of caregivers per dog is far better than what this bill expects, yet this bill is basing its credence on the "magic number" of 30 dogs per location.
Bill1468 exempts all animal shelters, humane societies and animal rescues from it rules. The sponsors and authors of this bill have exempted themselves from their own rules.
Totally unfair. They don't want you telling them what to do. Are they above the law? They made this the first section - first line on this bill. Kind of makes you wonder, doesn't it?
These same organizations have attached this bill as an amendment to another bill in order to "sneak it in." To our best knowledge, no commercial breeders had any input on this bill. Again, totally unfair. If this bill was a legitimate bill, it would have had input from all persons involved. If this bill is concerned with limiting the number of unwanted dogs and cats in Indiana, why not provide a legitimate solution like offering free pet sterilization statewide? Most unwanted pets are not coming from professional breeders.
If this becomes law, many "reputable" professional breeders would reduce the number of dogs they have, as well as the employees they employ. Many well-run kennels would be forced to quit. Our president is actively working to stimulate our economy. This is an anti-stimulus bill, targeting a viable Indiana industry by legislating it to death as a means to destroy it. Overregulation will lead to the pet industry moving to other states and countries. We would assume most Hoosiers would prefer their puppies be raised locally rather than come from a place like Mexico.
Accusations, exaggerations and generalizations make for a good story, but are very seldom the truth. Bill 1468 has been based upon all of three of these. We can't have laws based upon some special interest group's beliefs. Laws are to serve the best interest of all the residents of Indiana. Can the current system be improved? We believe it can be, but only with consideration from all sides of this issue.
Thanks for this opportunity tell a little of our side.
