I do not proclaim to be an expert on this subject, it just seems that the focus continues to bypass the issue which is inhumane treatment.
I do not find 60 pages of laws governing dog breeders by the Animal Welfare Act or APHIS. There are minimal standards without any definitions or guidelines. There isn't any enforcement of current laws and animals sold by pet stores or directly to the public (like over the Internet, from homes, or through newspaper ads) ARE NOT COVERED BY Animal Welfare Act. Congress passed the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) as a means of regulating animals in science and research, not animal cruelty. Without more specific rules governing commercial kennels, these facilities are able to continuously operate legally, yet be inhumane for the dogs within the facility.
Inspections of commercial breeding facilities are of great importance to animal welfare because it is the regulatory agency that has the power to shut down facilities that do not follow the rules. Enforcement is currently lacking and requirements undefined.

Providing new laws that enable the public to be knowledgeable about legitimate breeders can provide clear expectations and allow legitimate breeders to prosper in the production of healthy puppies.

It is critical for WI to act immediately and effectively on puppies' welfare. Legitimate breeders are encouraged to follow the laws and regulations set forth and preserve the integrity of the business. Most importantly, the general public can help curb the disturbing business of puppy mills by decreasing the demand by purchasing puppies from legitimate breeders, performing self-inspection of facilities, and reporting violations, and avoiding buying puppies over the Internet. Both breeders and the public need to be held accountable for the rising problem of puppy mills in Wisconsin.

It isn't the license fee. It's the legislation. If licensed,inspectors could enter your home anytime durning regular business hours. Those who sell less than 50 pup/yr.have a job to pay our bills with. Those jobs are durning daytime hours. The puppy police could come, brake our doors down, fine us & steal all our dogs, just because we were at work, & not there to let them in.
The legislation does not include the "rules" that will go with the law if passed. Those rules will be made later. In a past version of this bill, that was passed but later pushed out; a year was spent making the "rules" to go with the pet facilities bill. It required impervious to moisture facilities, attached to a state approved sewer. I don't know one household in the State of Wisconsin that is impervious to moisture & could be hosed down with 180 degree water every 2 weeks. A breeder with a handfull of dogs, say 5 to 10 adult dogs total, would have to build a state approved building. Lets start with the cement slab, about $10,000 to $15,000, sewer, $4000 to $15000, insulated poleshed $20,000 to $40,000, heating, airconditioning, ventilation system. Are you getting the picture?? About $50,000 to $100,000 might build your state approved facility to keep your 5 to 10 dogs in. Now which residential zoned area in Wisconsin is going to let you put up this state approved dog facility??
All of you who want this bill, know that it is a breeder eliminator bill. It has nothing to do with the care of dogs.
Numerous sub-standard breeders, & rescue's have had their dogs confiscated in Wisconsin in the last few years. This was done with the current laws. Many of us do pay our taxes, including sales tax, even if we only sell 20 puppies in a year. I've had a sales tax number since 1985. I've known several smaller breeders who pay their taxes. Wisconsin has tax laws. No new law is needed to require breeders to pay sales tax. Enforce the ones that are there. Sales tax shouldn't be that difficult to enforce. A one sentence law requireing a sellers ID number to appear in any Wisconsin advertising would improve enforcement. Large dogs such as labs can have 10 to 13 puppies. Someone with as few as 3 adult dogs could be required to build a $50,000 facility to keep them in. A reasonable breeders law, would require a license, that is obtained after your premise is inspected by a veterinarian. If you pass the vet inspection, you get the license. No inspectors showing up anytime. No invasion of privacy. No cost to the state. All the state has to do is collect the license fees. A complaint driven warrent, should be the only way law enforcement is allowed to inspect your animals.
The wholesale breeders in this state are already UDSA inspected. The rule book is about 60 pages. You can look it up on the USDA Aphis pages. It's a huge bunch of rules. There is nothing the state can add to those rules to improve dog care. Go read them.

No, "interested", I am not a breeder, never have been and never will be. I have been involved in dogs for 50+ years as a pet owner, a trainer, a dog sports competitor, canine search and rescue. The problem that I have with the current breeder licensing bill is the Law of Unintended Consequences. If people don't start to look into the future, and envision the disasters that can happen to law abiding citizens of Wisconsin when the details of this proposed law rear their ugly heads, we are in for a bad time, where people look around and say "how did THIS happen?!" There is nothing wrong with licensing - we all do it with drivers license, dog license, raffle license, and on and on. A HOME BASED hobby breeder is an entirely different situation than what people call "puppy mills". Even though we are licensed to drive, and we must have a safe vehicle, take a test, that DOES NOT give a law enforcement officer the right to pull us over and search our vehicle without cause. As long as we obey traffic laws and registration rules, we are safe from intrusion into our privacy in our cars. If this proposed bill had a clearly defined provision to protect people from false accusations, frivolous law suits, or harrassment it would be more acceptable. What if you breed Chihuahuas for show and pet, all dogs are licensed and you are a law abiding citizen with a dog show hobby, but your new neighbor doesn't like your fence, or something about you personally, or just hates dogs, that neighbor could call animal control on a bogus charge, just in case they found a certain condition in your home that was reported, like an elderly, infirm dog that 'looks sick'. Say I am a licensed breeder - just the other day one of my dogs was vomiting, so the vet restricted water for that dog. I had to pick up all water bowls so that the sick one wouldn't get sicker, and ration water for another. An unannounced inspector would say "not adequate water available" and fine me for protecting my dogs in MY HOME! Home breeders deal with this kind of situation regularly, especially if they rescue their breed. If you believe that an animal control officer who sees $$$$ for his department is going to overlook anything, you are kidding yourself. He gets paid for each inspection.
I would have no problem with this bill if the number of dogs goes up to a more sensible level, if there was state level protection against bogus complaints, and if Home Breeders were inspected only if there is reasonable suspicion that there is a crime being committed.
We all have the same goals here, folks. Let's stop throwing the baby out with the bathwater in our emotional zeal to save the puppies. Regulating high volume breeders is a very good idea, but we must be careful of how we do it so as to not eliminate our best source for top quality healthy pets, or make these dogs so expensive that only the very wealthy can own them - that Law of Unintended Consequences I mentioned.

I, like most, do not like "regulations" imposed on me but its something we know we all have to live with because of those who can't seem to conduct themselves like a responsible human being.....call your legislators and PASS THE BILL

Nonewtaxes, and pbvgmom: You are, obviously, breeders who are concerned about this bill. Why? If you are a hobby breeder that license fee is $5-$10 dollars per dog if you sell between 25-50 dogs/year, so up the price of your puppy by that amount, that shouldn't drive you out of business. What about the inspection component? Isn’t that important for ANYONE who sells dogs? If you are a reputable breeder you already invite prospective buyers to your house to see how the dog is socialized, meet the parents of the puppies to see their temperament, and let people see the conditions the dogs live in. What is there to hide from inspectors? Yet if you read the Dog Federation of WI, June 11 Orange alert: www.dfow.org/BreederAlert6-11-09.pdf they say, "If animal control or law enforcement come to your door, walk out of your door and shut it behind you. Do not allow them to enter your home." (read the rest on the site) Why wouldn’t an upstanding citizen, breeder, not want to be visited by enforcement officials, unless they had something to hide? You folks keep hyping the license and inspection components of the bill as the issue that will drive you out of business. The license is cheap, and inspection shouldn’t be an issue. You don’t belong in business if you can’t measure up. You need to pay taxes, be licensed, inspected and pay your dues like all business people. Lastly, the bill is self-funded so tax payers won’t have to pay, just those of you “in the business.” All of you, read the bill: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2009/data/A.... You seem to forget or don’t mention there ARE PROBLEM BREEDERS AND DOGS LIVING IN DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS. You are not focusing on the right issue, and if you are a breeder that doesn’t recognize this or are not interested in helping these animals, I feel, YOU may be part of the problem.

Again, I say pass the law and get PEOPLE involved in finding these places and making complaints.....the "squeaky wheel principle".....until these places get SHUT DOWN and FINED BIG.

The license fee for 25 dogs is $10.00 per dog (250.00), which is a low fee per dog. Why the fear of being inspected if they aren't doing anything wrong? USDA regulated means nothing, there is no enforcment and the fines are very low. Unless they find nearly dead or dead animals, there is nothing they can do. The guidelines are food, water, shelter. Dogs are not even listed in the Wisconsin Statutes as farm animals, yet they are treated as farm animals by being inspected by USDA. These are scare tactics by lobbyists who say nothing should be done to regulate these places. Puppy mill does not mean 25 or more dogs. Puppy mill is more of a slang for poor conditions and inhumane treatment of breeding dogs. The bill has a committee of experts with regard to the bigger dogs having bigger litters, etc. WI is one of the few states with NOTHING in place to regulate any breeders, no wonder they complain. They have it made here. Pennsylvania is having great success, Indiana just passed a bill last week. What are you all doing to educate the public and let the market decide? Put your dogs in these cages for life and let them breed and rot and then say there doesn't need to be something done. This isn't the wild, wild west.

This legislation will NOT shut down one single high-volume breeder, but it will add extra burdens to the small breeders who currently provide the healthiest puppies. The 25 dog limit was set this low because it was the only way the legislature could raise enough money to support the increased size of the bureaucracy needed to support this law, not
for any other reason. High volume commercial breeders will have no problem paying the fees set by this law (they pass it on to their buyers), but small hobby breeders who produce 2 or 3 litters in a year will now have an extra burden. It may force some out of their hobby. Where do people think their next pet will come from if there are no more breeders? Let the market, not the government determine who should stay in business. Be an educated buyer! Know the difference between well-bred and commercially produced dogs, and buy from people who care about the quality of the dogs they produce. If people would stop buying dogs from auctions, pet stores, unknown web-sites and mixed-breed rescues, the problem would resolve itself. It's the buyers who keep these producers in business. And know the real agenda of the organizations that are pushing for this kind of legislation! It's probably not what you think it is. If this law goes through you can all expect to pay even more for poorly bred dogs, while the well-bred dogs will nearly disappear.

A major problem is the general laziness of most people that just want to leave everything to "enforcement personnel" and never actually DO anything to get involved themselves....television syndrome.....etc..etc..

Solution: Once the bill gets passed, more *people* need to get *personally* involved to see that enforcement and necessary prosecutions are carried out in whatever county the violations may occur.

I am very familiar with this bill, and believe very strongly that there is a major flaw that will result in negative unintended consequences for the providers of the very best quality family and working dogs in the state: the hobby and show breeders who raise litters in their homes. The big flaw is in the number 25 [or three litters, whichever is greater]. No one who raises and finds appropriate homes for 25 to 50 puppies a year is making money, PERIOD. Not if the proper care is given, with health checks, screening, veterinary care, stud fees, show expenses, care of dogs until they go to another home. The problem with this bill is that the number is so low that it will effectively shut down the very people we NEED to support, the people who strive for excellence, health, temperament and who raise puppies in their home, with the best socialization, the best diet and vet care. I train Search and Rescue dogs, and I, or anyone I know in the field of SAR or competitive dog sports, is not going to be shopping for a new puppy from what is commonly called a "puppy mill", which is a heart-tugging euphemism for a SUBSTANDARD BREEDER, a commercial business that cuts corners everywhere it can to be profitable. To these awful places, a small license fee and the occasional fine is just a minor cost of doing business. So, this bill, in reality, will NOT give a single animal a better existence. It will simply license all breeders. The problem comes in when you include home-bred show, hobby and hunting dog breeders in with the commercial for-profit businesses. We also have to realize that in many communities across the state it is illegal to run a business out of your home. A hobby is not illegal, but as soon as a breeder buys a license, they are automatically breaking a local law. Cut back, move, or get out of breeding will be their only choices. That is NOT GOOD NEWS for anyone who wants a healthy family pet, hunting dog or working dog.

There are already plenty of county ordinances that should be able address the 'problem' people, the collectors, hoarders, mentally ill or lazy and slovenly people, or an elderly person who is in over their head. A licensing program will really have no positive effect on this problem, which may fall into this number. Change the number to at least 100 annually, and there will be a much more efficient and effective program.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for less(no)taxes and keeping the gov't out of peoples' business but some just CAN'T seem to conduct themselves like a normal human being without being watched.

I say pass the bill, then work on enforcement..NO ONE should "make a living" solely by selling dogs, thats ridiculous..25 puppies by one person is a LOT of puppies, especially with the number of dogs that are killed each year JUST because there is no where for them to go..What a DISGRACEFUL state of affairs that is!!

I agree there needs to be regulation but more importantly those regulations need to be enforced. Will the state enforce this? I'm guessing not real well. All this is going to do is force the honest breeders out and promote the dishonest ones. The sub-standard facilities will continue to flourish. Especially if they only have to clean up bi-annually.Forget the human/animal emotional ties for a minute. Compare pet purchase to furniture purchase. Where will you find the best quality? At the large, mass selling mall or the private hobby craftsman?

Let's be honest, here. The only reason why those who support this bill seek to label people who sell as few as 25 dogs as "commercial breeders" is to legitimize the formation of a whole new government bureaucracy and fund it. Rep Smith told me that it is really the large breeders who participate in the Horst dog auctions that they wish to regulate. These ARE large commercial breeders who sell THOUSANDS of dogs a year, most of which are already USDA regulated. But because there are only a couple of dozen families involved in the dog auctions, those who want to shut them down know that their chance of getting a law focused just on these people is slim. IF indeed there is a problem with these dog auction breeders there are solutions: #1) enforce existing animal abuse/neglect laws (which can be creditied with all of the "puppy mill" busts reported in the media) or #3) write the bill to use the Federal Animnal Welfare Act wholesale-retail distinction for determining who is commercial and who is not (about 68 USDA commercial breeders in Wisconsin), then add just one inspector to the Dept of Agriculture and charge them a license fee high enough to pay the inspector's salary/expenses. There is no reason to PUNISH the good citizens of Wisconsin who sell so few a number of dogs. No one can make a living selling 25 or even 50 dogs a year - and are certainly NOT "commercial breeders". These small breeders, most of which offer home-raised puppies, are the public's best source for a puppy. If this bill passes, most would either cut back their number to remain under the threshhold or stop breeding all together rather than submit to government inspections of their homes. Contrary to what bill proponents are claiming, this bill would have no effect on so-called "puppy mills" because they will just go underground. At a time when the state is drowing in a sea of red ink, it would be irresponsible and foolish to pass this law and fund a new bureaucracy.

Terry Roglitz is quoted as saying, “The neighbor would have to pay for a license just for selling a few litters a year.” Let’s get the facts right. The neighbor WOULD NOT have to pay for a license, under the regulations in the Smith/Kreitlow Bill, UNLESS they sold 25 or more dogs in a year. If they did sell 25-50 dogs in a year the license fee would be $250 per year, or $5.00 to $10.00 /dog! When dogs are sold for hundreds of dollars, the license fees are not the issue.

I don’t believe Roglitz, the neighbor, pet owners, legitimate dog breeders, or any concerned citizen, would approve of the inhumane treatment animals are subjected to in “puppy mills.” So instead of quibbling about having to pay a reasonable license fee, and having to be inspected once every two years, let’s all work together to support the legislation that is intended to put unscrupulous breeders out of business!

There is a puppy mill over by Ft.Atkinson. She sells Cocker Spaniels, many times ones that are sick.

Yeah, this seems like very minimal standards, but it's a step up from no standards at all.

I agree with this and believe that any seller or breeder that sells more than 25 puppies a year should be licensed. That is quite a few animals each year and there should be some regulation at that point. Thank you for trying to get this legislation passed, any person who sells that many animals should be able to budget in enough to cover the fee, I know small breeders do not make much money if any to cover fees however if you are selling that many dogs then you should be able to figure it out.