Most of the time my blog is used as a chronicle of the lives and times of the dogs at Solstice, we share the joy and the heartbreak of dog ownership and our personal successes and failures.  But today I am hijacking my own blog to talk about USDA new proposed regulations which would create harsh and unintended consequences for responsible small and hobby breeders in this country.

I know many of you who read the blog are not breeders, you are great dog loving people who want to do the best thing for dogs, all dogs not just our favorite breed.  You believe puppy mills and commercial breeders need to be stopped, taxed, regulated and more.   Somebody needs to do Something!  I agree with that too!  But most of our lawmakers don’t understand the purebred dog community and our commitment to our chosen breeds, the life long dedication to the health and welfare of our dogs and when they impose rules they do it across the board and that impacts people like me.  

I’m not a commercial breeder and I don’t worry about making a profit and I spend a lot of time matching my puppies to their new owners.  Some of those new owners I never get to meet face to face.  According to the proposed regulations I would be a commercial breeder, I own 5 intact girls and I have placed puppies with owners I have never met face to face yet I don’t feel like I am anything like a commercial breeder and I hope you agree.

So if you are a breeder or have ever gotten a dog from a breeder or maybe plan to get a well-bred dog from a responsible breeder in the future this affects you as much as me.  If regulations like this pass you will one day only be able to get a dog from a government regulated puppy farm so please take a moment to join with the American Kennel Club and sign the petition to protect the small responsible breeders who are committed to the health and welfare of dogs.

http://www.akc.org/petition/

Join With the AKC to Protect Responsible Small Breeders

The American Kennel Club has created the Join With the AKC to Protect Responsible Small Breeders petition in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) new proposed regulations which would create harsh and unintended consequences for responsible small and hobby breeders in this country.

Please join us by signing the Join With the AKC to Protect Responsible Small Breeders petition before July 16 when the public comment period to the Animal Care Division of the USDA’s Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service ends. The petition, along with AKC’s comments on the proposed rule change, will be sent to the USDA.

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/join-with-the-akc-to-protect-responsible-small-breeders.html

We join with the American Kennel Club to express our concerns about the harsh and unintended consequences that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed regulations (RIN 0578-AD57) to redefine “retail pet store” would have on responsible small and hobby breeders.  Currently, responsible small and hobby breeders across this country provide Americans with healthy, well-socialized, loving family companions.

Under the proposed regulations, breeders or others who sell a puppy sight unseen, by any means including online, by mail or by telephone, would now be regulated in accordance with USDA standards, if you own more than four “breeding females” of any of the listed species, including dogs and cats. The effect of these proposed regulations would be to take away the public’s opportunity to obtain puppies from those breeders, who in many cases have dedicated their lives to breeding for health, breed type and temperament.

As the leader and expert in breeding and maintaining dogs for more than a century, the AKC supports responsible breeders and dog owners through its educational and inspections programs. As the only purebred dog registry with a care and conditions of dogs policy – which we have recently enhanced to create a comprehensive policy for the welfare of all dogs – more than 55,000 inspections have been conducted since 2000. We know through experience that regardless of the number of dogs owned or the manner in which breeders interact with potential puppy buyers, a “one size fits all” breeder regulation is unfair and unenforceable.

We sign this petition in order to alert the USDA that a “one size fits all breeders” type of regulation is not in the best interest of dogs and/or consumers in this country. We stand in support of the AKC’s comments to the USDA in opposition to the proposed regulations as written.  In so doing, we demonstrate our commitment to the continued breeding of dogs by responsible small and hobby breeders throughout this country.