UPDATED: Shouldn’t Texas House of Representatives be allowed to vote on Puppy Mill Bill?

HB 1451 (the Puppy Mill Bill) is now scheduled for House vote on Tuesday, April 26.

LONGVIEW — Act now or one Longview legislator may derail the puppy mill bill.

Here’s what has happened: According to THLN, “Once again, Rep. David Simpson (R-Longview) took actions against HB 1451 on the House Floor and knocked the Bill off of the Local and Consent Calendar for the day. This means that the Bill could not be voted out of the House as was originally scheduled. Because of these actions, the Bill has been assigned to the Major State Calendar for the House.”

Something is wrong with our state’s legislative system if one uninformed freshman representative can block a bill with as much universal support as this bill has. This bill is endorsed by the Texas Veterinary Medical Association and both the Republic and Democratic Party Platforms. Shouldn’t our elected representatives be allowed to at least vote on it? This guy doesn’t represent me, but he won’t even allow the people who do to have their say?

HB 1451 (the Puppy Mill Bill) is now scheduled for House vote on Tuesday, April 26. Please read the information below and take action right away. Don’t assume someone else will do it – please! We need everyone’s help. Thousands of animals’ lives will be made better if this bill passes. And it’ll only take you a few minutes.

What you need to do: Click Contact your State Representative now and politely urge that he or she support HB 1451, a much-needed bill to regulate Large-Scale (High Volume) Dog and Cat Breeding operations. They’re YOUR representatives. YOU voted for them. Do not be afraid to contact them. Their job is to represent YOU, not some guy in Longview who thinks $1,300/year would be a hardship to legitimate breeders.

Wait. What? Let’s do a little math:

The law only applies to breeders with 11 or more adult intact female dogs or cats. It doesn’t apply to small breeders, backyard breeders, or pet stores. Just the big guys.

Let’s see – that’s 11 female dogs (at least) with average litters of, let’s say six puppies and two litters a year (at least).

That’s ONE HUNDRED THIRTY TWO puppies each year. From what I’ve seen, most purebred puppies go for between $800 and $1,500 each – let’s use $1,150 (split the difference) for our calculations.

$1,150 x 132 = $151,800 a year! Minimum.

And $1,300 to regulate their industry and get rid of the sleazy puppy millers is going to put them out of business? I don’t think so. I think Rep. Simpson may have been misinformed, don’t you?

Besides, with all this talk about puppy mills, wouldn’t a reputable breeder see it as prudent to invest in a bill that would clean up the industry and provide them with a “seal of approval”?

On Tuesday morning, it’s imperative that you email and fax your representative. Tell them you support HB 1451 and ask them to do the same. Also, please thank them in advance for supporting Representative Senfronia Thompson, the Bill's Author. Be polite, but let them know you take this very seriously.

Don’t know who your representative is? That’s OK. Click here to find your representative. Just put in your street address – and then look for “Texas State Representative.” The phone number will be there, along with a link to their web page where you can find their fax number.

You can email, too: All Texas House Representatives’ email addresses use the same format: firstname.lastname@house.state.tx.us. I promise you my representative will be hearing from me today. And again on Tuesday before the vote – just to be sure.

If you’re in Austin, or have time to drive down there on Tuesday, THLN can use your help as well. They’ll be visiting representatives' offices to urge support for the bill. The AKC will be there, too – in force opposing this bill. Sign up for Action Alerts on the THLN website for more information on Tuesday’s activities.

Speaking of the AKC - you’ve all heard the AKC say the welfare of dogs is their highest priority. Or is it? Their opposition to this bill would suggest that it is not – that their highest priority is keeping breeders in business at any cost. Why?

In 2010, the AKC had consolidated total revenues of $61 million – the majority from registration of purebred dogs. Because registration costs are only $25 to $50 each, they depend upon scale – a large dog population – for their revenues. In 2009, they paid:

Their President & CEO over $700,000 in total compensation
Their VP and CFO $469,000
Their COO $380,000
And eight other employees between $150,000 and $267,000

The AKC’s involvement isn’t about passion – it’s about money. In my humble opinion.

Sources: AKC 2010 Annual Report, AKC Form 990 on Guidestar.org

UPDATE: According to the Texas Tribune, the bill was passed on the second reading in the Texas House. It will go to a third reading, and if passed, will go to the Senate and then to the governor's desk.

Rebecca Poling is the Dallas Animal Rescue Examiner and a content partner of Pegasus News.