New laws proposed by the USDA.

[Georgia Boy]

Everyone please take the time to read these links and educate yourselves on this bill. If it becomes law we will all suffer in one way or another, breeder or not.


http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/joi ... e=timeline

http://www.adbadog.com/p_pdetails.asp?fpid=789&pg=789

[Ghosted3]

Thank you for bringing those to our attention. Especially for some of us who are thinking about breeding in 5yrs or so.

Corry

[Birddog3412]

Illinois already has a similar law. If you have 5 or more breeding females you are suppose to be registered with the state, pay fees, get inspected, etc. Not really inforced, how could they? In most cases the only way it is applied is if someone is selling whole sale to a pet store.

[Georgia Boy]

If people will take the time to really read and understand this bill you will see it is very different from any current laws. It is breedable females of any species and limits the way they are sold and transported. The problems include but are not limited to those listed below...


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- The proposed rule change has been circulated in the media and by HSUS as “closing an Internet loophole” in the AWA that will bring regulation to unscrupulous dog breeders who operate in substandard conditions. Far from it!! The broad scope of the proposed rule could bring hundreds of thousands of pet retailers and rescuers of domestic animals under federal regulation.

- A breeder/seller of any species currently covered under the “retail pet store” definition can potentially lose their exemption and be required to obtain a federal license for even occasionally selling sight unseen via the Internet. “Covered” species includes dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rats, mice, gophers, chinchilla, domestic ferrets, domestic farm animals, birds.

- The proposed rule would require EVERY SINGLE BUYER to physically visit a retailer’s premises. Therefore selling even one pet OFF PREMISES at a show, at a park, or arranged location without the buyer visiting first, will result in loss of an exemption from federal licensing. Rescue organizations are NOT exempt from this proposed rule. Selling pets at an adoption day event away from their base location or traveling to meet potential adopters would no longer be permitted without a federal license. This proposed requirement places undue limitations on buyers as well as sellers.

- Living under USDA licensing is NOT an option for the average retail seller. Spare rooms in homes, porches, covered kennel runs, and barns can never be converted to a USDA-compliant facility. Federal engineered standards for licensed facilities dictate enclosure sizes, sanitation, surfaces that are impervious to moisture, ventilation, bio-hazard control, veterinary care, exercise, temperature controls, waste disposal systems, diurnal lighting, drainage systems, washrooms, perimeter fencing, as well as transportation standards for regulated animals. Most residential environments would not permit zoning variances for such facilities.

- Exemptions from licensing are limited. Breeders of cats, dogs, and small exotic animals are currently exempt if they have 3 or fewer breeding females. APHIS proposes to increase this to 4 or fewer breeding females. However, either limit makes it very difficult to build a breeding program without constantly moving out or spaying older females to make room for the next generation. To have more than this number of breeding females requires a license.

- There is still an exemption for sellers who derive less than $500 gross income from the sale of other animals (this does not include dogs, cats, and exotic or wild animals).

- The massive expansion of regulatory responsibilities into the private sector outlined in the proposed rule is not only impractical but unaffordable for an agency that is currently addressing serious budget challenges. For the past several years, APHIS’ budget has been shrinking; since 2010 the budget has decreased by roughly 10 percent. The 2013 submitted budget calls for an additional decrease of 6.6%.

[JoshHaker]

The republicrats and demublicans are killing us! We need another option.

[legallyblonde]

PLEASE everyone go to the APHIS website and make a comment on how this could affect you personally. Signing the petition is not enough.

http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComm ... -0003-0001

[Cajun Casey]

There is very good information on the AKC site, also. www.akc.org

American Field needs to get with the program, in my opinion, too,

[fuzznut]

ALL dog clubs and organizations need to get on board with this!
Fuzz

[Cajun Casey]

So many of these laws have already flown in under the radar at a state level and people have no clue. Look at Nebraska. I mran, for crying out loud, these are dogs we are talking about.