We also breed GSDs. This, if put into effect, will kill us. We only breed 2-4 litters per year, but have 8 breeding females in various stages of growing out, in active breeding and training, and retirement. (We don’t generally spay our retired females, as we uncomfortable putting them under anesthesia at that age. They would be classified as breeding females, even though they might be 11-12 years old...) We regularly have 2-4 puppies and young dogs growing out, waiting until they are old enough for orthopedic certifications at 2 years. The regulations classify any intact female over 4 MONTHS OLD as a breeding female. It is ridiculous!! They are treating responsible hobby breeders as puppy mills!
But folks, the issue here is not shipping: it is internet sales! If you advertise/sell over the internet you are subject to these regulations. Doesn’t matter if you ship or not. And who does not have a website with dogs and puppies listed for sale? It is the only rational way to conduct business today. There is never enough local clients to sell all your puppies into good homes, you have to sell to non-local clients. This will kill that!
Go to the AKC website and sign the petition!
(If this goes through, this will destroy US breeders, and unfortunately, the breeds.)
You are right!!! Everyone needs to be aware of how serious this is. As far as the internet sales go, I imagine that EVEN though I do not ship, because I take deposits with people only seeing pics and/or videos, it would include. I do not know if just merely having a website alone is enough, but if you take a deposit, or even offer to meet people somewhere with the dog (I have, because sometimes we travel), you'd need to comply with the regulations and inspections. It will destroy not only whole breeds but bloodlines as well. And as I keep saying, it doesn't even apply to just dogs...but livestock. I don't know and maybe someone else does, but I'm guessing there would be farmers affected by this too, who may be unaware!
LaRueLaDue, since you breed GSDs you may be interested in this if you deal with the importing pups (I don't, but considered importing from UK once and would like to someday!). From this article:
Deborah Howard, president of the Companion Animal Protection Society (www.CAPS-web.org), laments the proliferation of Internet puppy dealers. “One should never, ever buy a dog on the Internet because you’re not seeing the conditions under which the puppy is being raised,” she said. “There are no good ones because reputable breeders don’t sell puppies this way. This [the new USDA rules] is a double whammy…a $10,000 fine for selling over the internet without a license, per dog, and $10,000 for each dog imported from outside the US under 6 months of age. CAPS is going to be keeping tabs on these Internet sellers and sellers of imported puppies and we will be providing some of our many Internet consumer complaints to the USDA in support of the proposed regulation. They’re going to have their hands full.”
http://www.examiner.com/article/usda-proposes-new-rule-to-regulate-internet-dog-dealers
It sounds like people will no longer be able to import dogs younger than 6 months.