MUSCATINE, Iowa — Supporters say an area legislator is heading efforts to defeat a bill that would allow state inspectors into "puppy mills."

Iowa Voters for Companion Animals says Tom Sands, R-Columbus Junction, is leading a Republican charge against the proposal.

Director Mary LaHay of Des Moines said the bill lacks support in southeast Iowa, where many of the state’s more than 450 commercial dog kennels licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture are located.

But LaHay said some large-scale dog breeding facilities, referred to as “puppy mills” or “puppy farms,” operate under substandard conditions.

Annual inspections of the facilities by federal authorities may or may not take place, she said.

“The USDA inspections aren’t cutting the mustard,” said LaHay. “So we need the right of the state to be able to go in when there’s a complaint. Right now, they don’t have that right.”

Iowa Voters for Companion Animals, which claims more than 500 supporters, wants to change Iowa’s laws to allow the Iowa Department of Agriculture to investigate complaints at USDA-licensed facilities.

The bill passed the Senate State Government Committee and House Public Safety Committee, but was sent back to the House Agriculture Committee.

Sands said there are flaws with the bill.

“It’s all emotion,” he said. “None of it is based on fact, or even good sense.”

Sands said the bill does not qualify the validity of complaints, or address unlicensed facilities.

“If there are people that are breaking the law right now … passing another law isn’t going to force them to be legal,” he said.

Sands said any failures at the federal level should be addressed with the USDA, headed by former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack.

“There are a lot of responsible dog breeders in Iowa, and all of them would agree if there’s a problem, something needs to be done about that,” Sands said. “This is not that

bill.”

LaHay, however, said good dog breeders would benefit by not being brought down by unfavorable images of the industry.

Adult dogs may be bred often, forced to live in small cages amid excrement, and with substandard nutrition and little veterinary care, she said.

LaHay owns an 8-year-old miniature poodle named Eddie that lived at a puppy farm near Storm Lake for five years.

“He’s just a shell of a dog,” she said. “He doesn’t know how to play.”

The puppies at the dog-breeding facilities, primarily designer toy breeds, are plagued with chronic health and temperament problems, often the results of inbreeding, LaHay said.

“We need to weed out the bad actors, the irresponsible breeders,” she said.

LaHay said there are about 6,000 USDA-licensed facilities nationwide. Iowa ranks third in the number of the facilities, she said, behind Missouri and Oklahoma.

Many of the large-scale facilities that breed dogs also breed cats, she said.

Details

Mary LaHay, director of Iowa Voters for Companion Animals, advised that potential dog-buyers should:

First check animal shelters, including breed-specific rescues which can be located using the Internet

 “If you insist on a puppy, you must see the parents and where the parents live. If you are denied either of those … don’t buy the puppy.”

 LaHay said people often want to “rescue” puppies from irresponsible breeders. This only makes room for more puppies, she said, and doesn’t consider the welfare of adult dogs.

“They’re still making cute puppies. Nobody sees the adults and it’s the adults we’re fighting for.”

Contact

For more information about Iowa Voters for Companion Animals, email LaHay at mkdavenport@hotmail.com