This is a post from another message board I hope it is allowed here. this regulation will affect anyone who lives and operates a kennel in Pennsylvania and if this is allowed it might spread to your state. please do anything you can to let you law makers know you oppose this. thanks.



Today, I received a mailing from a group calling itself "The American Canine Association, Inc." The material discussed proposed changes in Pennsylvania Kennel regulations that, if correct, would have a strong potential to put almost every kennel in Pennsylvania out of business. The material provided a URL for the Pennsylvania Bulletin, which publishes rule making for a period of public comment that ends on February 15.

Here is the link to the PA Bulletin page http://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol36/36-50/2452.html .

Strangely, the state didn't send me a copy of the proposed new rules, and I am the owner of a state licensed kennel. It sounds like it is being pushed through secretively.

Quoting from the PA Bulletin, here is the bottom line: "The costs to the regulated community will be varied, depending on the size and condition of the existing kennel. It is estimated that the costs will range from $5,000 to $20,000 per existing kennel for compliance with the new standards."

According to the mailing I got, the new rules will do many things, including:

1. Require doubling of kennel sizes, exercising every dog ON A LEASH for 20 minutes a day and documenting it, require health certificates for all dogs entering the state (even if you drive out of state to buy a puppy), prohibit licensed kennels from doing business with private parties (i.e. I can't buy a puppy from you), and impose strict temperature controls for inside AND outside kennels (Yes, Robert will indeed have to take his dogs to bed with him when it is cold outside...and it sounds like air condioning will be required when it's hot).

2. Impose massive amounts of paperwork on kennel owners (a record will have to be kept for each dog giving the day and time its bowls are cleaned, the days and times it is exercised on a leash, the days and times its kennels are cleaned, etc. etc. etc.). It probably will take more time to do the paperwork than to do the actual work.

3. There are many other changes regulating kennel construction, management practices, etc. etc.

4. Fines of a minimum of $100 a day, up to $500 a day, will be imposed for even small violations.

5. The state can sieze any dog that is not in compliance with the regulations, and charge you for each dog's care while you are fixing the problem. Heavy fines and dog siezures are mandated for non-licensed kennels.

6. Many dog people would be required to obtain a kennel license. If anyone keeps, sells or gives away 26 dogs a year, that person must comply with the rules. That means if you have six dogs and raise three litters of puppies a year, the rules apply to you. The rules would have a major impact on every professional trainer in Pennsylvania, of which I am one.

It was not widely published, but last year Gov. Rendell fired the entire Dog Law Enforcement Advisory Committee, and put in his own people. It seems that the new committee has been quite busy.

It's not the government's responsibility to tell us how to run our dog kennels. It's the community's decision whether they like the way their animals are treated and to return to that kennel or not.
I hope you guys (PA residents) fight this and get it thrown out!

All the gov. wants is some more money and control.
All these dog laws are really bugging me lately. It's none of their business & dont they have better things to worry about?...
::rant off::

Alison Voore

Brandon, well, it doesn't seem all that terrible to me. It would certainly take care of the puppy mills, wouldn't it? You know the ones - crating a dog for years doing nothing but breeding the heck out of it, no exercise, filthy conditions, etc.

In #1 of the poster's paragraphs, he says: 1. Require doubling of kennel sizes, exercising every dog ON A LEASH for 20 minutes a day and documenting it, require health certificates for all dogs entering the state (even if you drive out of state to buy a puppy), prohibit licensed kennels from doing business with private parties (i.e. I can't buy a puppy from you), and impose strict temperature controls for inside AND outside kennels (Yes, Robert will indeed have to take his dogs to bed with him when it is cold outside...and it sounds like air condioning will be required when it's hot).

The section I believe the poster was referring to above regarding buying pups from private parties reads as follows:

"Section 21.42. Bills of sale.

The Department added subsection (b) to this section. Subsection (b) addresses the in-State and out-of-State licensure provisions of the act. Subsection (b) notifies licensed kennel owners that it is a violation of the act to purchase, accept, sell on behalf of or transport a dog from a kennel required to be, but not licensed under the provisions of the act. It provides an exception where the Department provides the kennel owner with written permission to accept dogs from an unlicensed kennel. This is to allow the Department flexibility in closing unlicensed kennels. Furthermore, it should be noted that this provision is not intended to and does not affect the ability of a licensed kennel to sell dogs it owns."

To me, this again requires licensed breeders to be on the up and up in case they decide to purchase puppies or dogs from puppy mills and sell them in turn to the unsuspecting public. I would imagine that the puppy mills, whether licensed or not, are being targeted here, and unscrupulous breeders who keep their dogs tethered or kenneled all day long and are too lazy to exercise them or clean their living areas, or keep them unsheltered in the snow, etc.

Sorry, but don't see this as a terrible thing and would go far in guaranteeing the welfare of dogs and puppies.

I really don't see how that would effect reputable breeders who are probably close to compliance now. I've read the problem stems partialy from people switching cattle and hogs to dogs. The breeders I know personaly may only sell maybe 16 to 18 pups a year.

I do see one immediat problem tho, all those kennels/mills that will be shut down, thats goingto be a lot of questionable dogs needing homes

give them an inch they take a mile. The problem is this will only lead to stricter laws. puppy mills and kennels are two separate things and lumping them together is not right.these laws are backed by organizations that do not want pet ownership allowed and they take what they can get until one day nobody can have a dog without paying a large fee. I didn't use to think like this but I see it happening.

another problem is that if someone has built there kennel a foot to short or narrow the whole kennel would have to be rebuilt how many kennel owners have that kind of spare cash around? The exercise issue is only an issue with bird dog owners(the guy who wrote the posts trains bird dogs)there time with the dogs is in the field off leash.Most trainers don't have the time to spend an additional 20 minutes per dog being a dog walker nor is that adequate exercise for a sporting dog.

This is just a way for the anti dog groups to gain an inch while your not looking. here is a link to a site that has quotes from leaders of the organizations that write and push these types of laws and it shows you were they are heading with it.

http://www.naiaonline.org/articles/archives/animalrightsquote.htm#Own

I don't think the proposed changes are that bad, but then again I am not a breeder. One thing is for sure, the changes will close down puppy mills and even pet shops from selling dogs, which I think is the intended purpose of these changes.

Kim

 Quote:

It's the community's decision whether they like the way their animals are treated and to return to that kennel or not.

Many animal owners (consumers) could hardly be called animal advocates, and never will be.

The magic number in this law is "26", In Va where we use dogs for hunting it might be a problem, but what stuck me in this proposed law is the requirements where drawn from:

The changes made to this section are based on situations encountered by the Department over the last several years and in many cases set forth provisions contained in the Animal Welfare Act and in the ''Military Dog Training Manual.''

My post earlier stemmed from my opinions: Puppy mills can operate in secret and get around the laws anyway. What do you think someone with no morals regarding animals and going to do when they meet a law restricting waht they are doing? Just like dog fighters. They still do it, laws or not. They go underground.
Alot of a kennels business is based on reputation. If someone deosn't recommend that kennel due to the lack of exercise their dog got or the kennels being small, then that's their right, not the gov't right to say how big they need to be. Some dogs don't mind being in small kennels and not every dog needs 20 min leashd walks everyday when owners are on vacation. Let the professionals- the kennel owners- do what they do best & let competetion reign. There will always be deadbeats who try to make a buck the easy way, whether thats by having poor environments in the kennel or puppy mills. Let's not make it hard on the people doing the right thing in the first place.

I think these changes to the law are looking after the welfare of the animals, by making sure the dogs have enough living space and some exercise. IMO it's the least the laws should do. People don't always buy dogs from reputable breeders or word of mouth because they don't know better, but these laws are trying to enforce safe conditions for the animals being housed and sold no matter where they came from. I don't think the puppy mills will go underground because with all the required paperwork who are they going to be able to sell the dogs to? The state will find out where the dogs came from eventually and seize the animals or setup sting operations from advertisements of puppies.

Kim