[HairOfTheDog]

OK - Reading the summary of what the law ~does~, it sounds like it first provides some enforcement of health guarantee by providing for reimbursement for expenses and refunds if purchased animals are or become sick... And the second part sounds like it's establishing licensing and care standards for dealers... including backyard breeders.

It would appear the intent is to have some tools in the toolbag for going after puppy mills, and while it might make things difficult for the occasional home breeder, I don't see it hurting rescue groups... at least good ones, who already have good policy on sick animals, and already provide good conditions.

[LADY J]

"OK - Reading the summary of what the law ~does~, it sounds like it first provides some enforcement of health guarantee by providing for reimbursement for expenses and refunds if purchased animals are or become sick... And the second part sounds like it's establishing licensing and care standards for dealers... including backyard breeders."

I'm all for any bill that protects the helpless animals. I wish that someone would pass a bill to punish the people we read about who commit such obscene neglect and abuse to the poor little soul they have custody of - and who depend on them for love - care and their very life. Right now - it's a slap on the wrist and a small fine - for which the thinking is - After all - IT'S ONLY A DOG OR A CAT!!

Is there any place to read this bill to understand it better and have a discussion about it?

[doc30]

My concern, and I'm not fluent in legalese, is the provison that any entity that sells more than 20 dogs per year or 2 litters per year can be considered a 'pet dealer' under these two laws. That may include the different private rescue groups out there and that's where I begin to get defensive.

Here are the links to the specific bills in their current form.

http://www.flsenate.gov/cgi-bin/view_page.pl?Tab=session&Submenu=1&FT=D&File=sb0674.html&Directory=session/2006/Senate/bills/billtext/html

http://www.flsenate.gov/cgi-bin/view_page.pl?Tab=session&Submenu=1&FT=D&File=sb0470.html&Directory=session/2006/Senate/bills/billtext/html

[doc30]

Also, the reason why I am worried is that rescue groups do an invaluable service by helping to socialize out of control, unwanted animals. My experience with shelters such as the local SPCA is that these rescue animals could easily be labeled unadoptable and euthanized when all they really needed was someoen to get them properly socialized. Most shelters simply do not have the resources to do that function. They stack them up in kennels and triage the animals for adoptability based on health and behavior. Heck, the bully breed animals are the only ones not spade or neutered in advance because these are the most likely to be euthanized! All the otehrs get fixed before going up for adoption.