The Business of Proposition B

There has been much talk of late of Proposition B, Missouri’s Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act, which will be voted on in November this year.

The Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act seeks to improve the lives of dogs by requiring commercial breeders to provide each dog under their care with such basics as sufficient food and clean water, necessary veterinary care, adequate housing and space, as well as access to regular exercise.  It’s hard to believe that anyone could bicker with a law requiring these necessities for dogs.   Over 190,000 Missourians signed a petition to have this bill introduced on November’s ballot.

Lawmakers in Iowa and Oklahoma enacted puppy mill legislation in those states earlier this year.  After Missouri, they are the two largest dog-breeding states in the nation. In 2009, 10 states approved legislation to address puppy mill problems.

Naturally, Prop B has its usual flock of nay-sayers.  Breeders say that the proposed bill seeks to shut down all animal agriculture, despite the fact that it concerns only dogs.  And of course we have heard the usual rhetoric against the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) from the usual Center for Consumer Freedom followers.  Evidently, these people believe that casting aspersions on the HSUS itself automatically negates the causes that the HSUS supports.

I think we can all agree that the dogs and puppies of Missouri, the PUPPY MILL STATE OF AMERICA, could use some changes in their current breeding laws.  So Missourians out there, please vote YES to Prop B on November’s ballot!  Even if you aren’t living in Missouri, join the campaign at the YES!  on Prop B website.

For further reading, try the following links:

• Watch the TV ad promoting Prop B
• The ASPCA’s take
• A summary of the bill in Wayne Pacelle’s blog in the Huffington Post
• Opposition to Prop B:  The Southeastern Missourian, Neosho Daily News.com
• Missouri’s Dirty Dozen (a report on Missouri’s 10 worst puppy mills)