DENVER—The House Agriculture Committee killed a bill Wednesday that would have cracked down on puppy mills after opponents said the measure would have been tough to enforce and could hurt legitimate breeding facilities.
Rep. Beth McCann, D-Denver, said animals are being abused in some large breeding facilities. Her bill would have prevented dog breeders from keeping more than 50 adult breeding dogs. She said overcrowding was a major factor in many abuse cases.
“There are facilities in Colorado where so many dogs are kept, they are not cleaned, not given proper medical care, not exercised and not well cared for. Those who get dogs from large breeding facilities describe dogs who can’t walk because they have been confined in their cages for their entire lives, dogs who are afraid of people and who haven’t been socialized, and puppies that are sick and malnourished,” she told the committee.
Witnesses told the committee they had rescued a number dogs with severe injuries from large-scale breeding facilities in Colorado, including one dog with an ulcerated eye.
The bill would have required an annual veterinary physical exam and certificate of suitability for breeding dogs in many of the state’s 231 licensed dog breeding facilities. A license could have been revoked if a breeder was convicted of animal cruelty.
Opponents said they are looking for other options to regulated the industry, including a proposal to support an industry watchdog group that regulates pet animal facilities.
Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, said he voted against the bill because he didn’t think it would solve the problem.
“Everybody is opposed to animal abuse in puppy mills, but this bill wouldn’t stop abuse. It needs to be done through enforcement, and we can find other ways to do that,” Gardner said.
