Important legislative information for Minnesota residents from
Animal Folks.
The MN Dog and Cat Breeder Regulation bill - H.F. 84 - passed the following three House committees: Civil Law, Public Safety Finance and Policy, and Government Operations - and Governor Mark Dayton publicly supports the bill.
H.F. 84 was referred to the House Agriculture Policy Committee but it was not granted a hearing in that committee. That is the last policy committee that the bill needs to pass, by March 15, in order to continue this year.
(Minnesota works on a biennial legislative session; 2013 is the first year of the two year session, 2013-2014.)
We need your voice! Please call ALL of the members on the Agriculture Policy Committee NOW (before Wednesday) and ask them to SUPPORT H.F. 84. Let them know you do not support the weaker bill that was introduced (see below) - and urge them not to accept any amendments that will weaken H.F. 84.
VERY IMPORTANT: If you are a constituent of one of the committee members listed below, be sure he/she knows that. Legislators need and want to hear from constituents. To find out who represents you, go to:
MN District Finder
You can leave your message with the Representative's legislative assistant because it is hard to reach legislators directly. (In addition to your call, you can follow-up with an email but the calls are critical.)
We need to protect Minnesota dogs and cats who are forced to live in substandard and deplorable conditions. Additional talking points are provided below in the next section. Please keep your message short and respectful.
Thank you for taking action!
NOTE: A weaker bill has been introduced on behalf of the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) in both the Senate and House. In the House, the bill number is H.F. 1005. This MVMA bill has no required licensing or inspections. It is a "status quo" bill - it's complaint-based (similar to the current system), where someone first has to observe and report the cruelty/neglect, law enforcement then must pursue it, and the courts would have to take action. The MVMA bill includes a required health certificate for dogs and cats sold (very similar to MN existing Pet Lemon Law) but does nothing to help the breeding dogs and cats.
PLEASE ALSO NOTE: The MVMA does not speak for all veterinary professionals. On behalf of the SPEAK UP coalition and thanks to all of your help, Animal Folks MN has been able to gather over 315 veterinarians/vet techs in support of H.F. 84. This has been submitted to all legislators.
HOUSE AGRICULTURE POLICY COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Names and contact information below can also be found at:
House Agriculture Policy Committee
Representative Jeanne Poppe, Chair (District 27B) - 651-296-4193
rep.jeanne.poppe@house.mn
Representative Tim Faust, Vice Chair (District 11B) - 651-296-0518
rep.tim.faust@house.mn
Representative Paul Anderson (District 12B) - 651-296-4317
rep.paul.anderson@house.mn
Representative David Dill (District 3A) - 651-296-2190
rep.david.dill@house.mn
Representative Roger Erickson (District 2A) - 651-296-4265
rep.roger.erickson@house.mn
Representative Andrew Falk (District 17A) - 651-296-4228
rep.andrew.falk@house.mn
Representative David FitzSimmons (District 30B) - 651-296-1534
rep.david.fitzsimmons@house.mn
Representative Patti Fritz (District 24B) - 651-296-8237
rep.patti.fritz@house.mn
Representative Rod Hamilton (District 22B) - 651-296-5373
rep.rod.hamilton@house.mn
Representative Clark Johnson (District 19A) - 651-296-8634
rep.clark.johnson@house.mn
Representative Debra Kiel (District 1B) - 651-296-5091
rep.deb.kiel@house.mn
Representative Ron Kresha (District 9B) - 651-296-4247
rep.ron.kresha@house.mn
Representative Jay McNamar (District 12A) - 651-296-4929
rep.jay.mcnamar@house.mn
Representative Bud Nornes (District 8A) - 651-296-4946
rep.bud.nornes@house.mn
Representative John Petersburg (District 24A) - 651-296-5368
rep.john.petersburg@house.mn
Representative Jean Wagenius (District 63B) - 651-296-4200
rep.jean.wagenius@house.mn
TALKING POINTS FOR H.F. 84
Highlights of the issue and bill are also provided on:
FLYER
The Problem
There is no State law to license, inspect or regulate commercial dog and cat breeders in Minnesota. The problem is inhumane breeding practices. Minnesota is among the top producers of puppies in the United States with some of the largest breeding kennels in the nation - housing 300, 600 or over 1,000 dogs and puppies. Kittens are also mass-produced in Minnesota. Many dogs and cats live out their lives in small, overcrowded wire cages and are bred repeatedly. Their cages are often stacked, allowing feces and urine to fall onto the animals below. Animals may be malnourished from inadequate food and water, receive little or no veterinary care, are stressed from constant confinement and neglect, have fleas, worms, etc. Many have deformed paws, are severely matted, or are burned from sitting and standing in urine and feces. And, they are rarely, if at all, provided human socialization.
While many breeders in Minnesota act responsibly, there are those who keep dogs and cats in deplorable conditions and are willing to make a profit at the expense of the animal’s health and wellbeing. The puppies and kittens are sold to the public and many are sick, diseased, and have genetic problems.
The Solution
H.F. 84 addresses the problem by giving the State of Minnesota the authority to:
• License - Require commercial dog and cat breeders in Minnesota to be licensed;
• Inspect and Enforce - Give legal authority to the MN Board of Animal Health to inspect commercial dog and cat breeding facilities and enforce existing State laws to ensure animal care standards are met; and
• Penalties - Impose civil, administrative and criminal penalties for those who violate the law.
For more information, go to
www.animalfolksmn.org
