SCI Legislative Alert -- Oppose H.R. 835 and S. 707

[huntrights]

Contact Your Representatives

SCI Legislative Alert -- Oppose H.R. 835 and S. 707, the Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety Act (PUPS)

http://www.scifirstforhunters.org/advocacy/contactcongressman



"Safari Club International (SCI) needs your help by contacting your member of Congress!  The PUPS Act, which is backed by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), seeks to regulate “high volume retail breeders”, internet sales of dogs, and so-called “puppy mills”. At first blush, this legislation seems reasonable but there are serious problems with the bills that will adversely affect sportsmen who hunt with dogs, hunting and field dog trainers, hunting clubs with kennels, and breeders.

The PUPS Act designates a “high volume retail breeder” as a person a "person who, in commerce, for compensation or profit -- has an ownership interest in or custody of one or more breeding female dogs” and “sells or offers for sale, via any means of conveyance (including the Internet, telephone, or newspaper), more than 50 of the offspring of such breeding female dogs for use as pets in any 1-year period”.  The term “ownership interest” is not defined in the legislation, is overly broad and, most importantly, does not take into account common co-ownership arrangements or agreements of sporting dogs owned by hunting clubs, trainers and breeders, potentially causing many unsuspecting sportsmen, dog trainers and hunting clubs who own only a few dogs to be subject to commercial breeder regulation under the Animal Welfare Act. 

The PUPS Act defines a “breeding female” as an intact female dog aged 4 months and older. This age is arbitrarily low and incorrectly implies that female dogs can be bred at 4 months. Additionally, the bill seeks to establish standard exercise and kenneling requirements that it gives USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspections Service (APHIS) discretion to implement. Standards that are appropriate for large institutional breeding kennels may be inappropriate, onerous or impossible for many responsible hunting clubs, trainers and breeders to meet.

SCI condemns substandard kenneling and negligence or cruelty to any dogs. We support use of existing negligence and cruelty laws to shut down so-called “puppy mills”.  We believe improved enforcement of existing laws will be a more effective solution than new federal laws and regulations that will adversely affect sportsmen who own and breed dogs.

Please contact your Member of Congress today and urge them to oppose HR 835 and S 707."

[csaaphill]

done did