McKenzie's Law, named for the little dog pictured here, who was rescued from a puppy mill, is an alternative to Ohio's S.B. 95, the bill currently pending in the state legislature that proposes to create a central Kennel Control Authority to regulate "high volume breeders", dog retailers, boarding kennels and all animal rescues and shelters.  The Kennel Control Authority would be made up largely of breeders and other affiliated with dog breeding as an industry.

S.B. 95 would create a powerful state agency that would weaken the state and local governments' right or ability to stop or control puppy mills. The state agency would depend on the proliferation of the mills for funding. There would be little or no incentive to shut down puppy mills. Indeed, just the opposite.

S.B. 95 would offer weak or non-existent enforcement and vague standards of care that would likely mean little, if any, improvement in the lives of dogs trapped in the misery of puppy mills. Inexplicably, the bill targets all rescues but leaves thousands of puppy mills and backyard breeders unregulated.  

Why McKenzie's Law Should Pass

There are thousands of commercial dog breeding kennels in Ohio. Because commercial dog breeders are virtually unregulated, Ohio is fast becoming a draw especially for large volume puppy mills, moving here from other states. They are moving to Ohio because other nearby states like Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Indiana along with a number of other states around the country have passed legislation to regulate them.  Without regulation, Ohio will soon be known as the puppy mill capital of the country. Ohioans do not want their state to be known for a business that thrives on animal cruelty. 

Also, without regulation, Ohio and its counties are losing much needed revenues. One puppy mill operator testified in the legislature last year that commercial dog breeders bring in $9 million per year to Holmes County alone. The state and local government did not receive tax revenue from those sales of dogs. (Go to http://www.holmescountyexposed.com/ for more information.) That is because many of these commercial breeding operations are not licensed or registered; the county as well as the state is losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales tax revenues. 

Here is why McKenzie's Law makes much more sense for Ohio:

1. S.B. 95 targets all rescues and animal shelters, boarding kennels, and dog retailers that buy or sell dogs wholesale or for resale or to pet stores, but only "high volume breeders", leaving thousands of puppy mills and backyard breeders unregulated. McKenzie's Law targets commercial dog breeders and dealers who fail to meet basic standards of care. 

2. Unlike the pending bill, McKenzie's Law does not create a large, expensive bureaucracy. Even if the bureaucracy created by S.B. 95, the Kennel Control Authority, is eventually self-funding, it will still require hundreds of thousands of dollars from taxpayers in start up costs. McKenzie's Law only requires breeders/dealers to get a local kennel or business license or conditional use permit, whatever the counties already require as well as a vendor's license. Cross-reporting of licensing helps state and county agencies track the breeders. While S.B. 95 bars anyone who has been convicted in the past 20 years of animal cruelty or animal fighting, McKenzie's law would prohibit anyone convicted of those crimes as well as other animal protection laws from operating as a breeder.

3. Unlike the pending bill, McKenzie's Law does not prevent local dog wardens and humane agents or local rescues and shelters and the public from having any say about puppy mills in their communities. McKenzie's Law will encourage and expect enforcement by dog wardens and humane agents as well as other state and local agencies, organizations and individuals. McKenzie's Law allows broad statewide enforcement against commercial dog breeders of existing animal cruelty laws as well as the licensing and minimum care requirements. There is enforcement authority but without the expensive bureaucracy and loss of local control.

4. Unlike the pending bill, McKenzie's Law places limits on the number of breeding dogs per kennel. Virginia, Louisiana, Oregon and Washington have all passed these limits. It is undisputed that it is not profitable to provide humane care and treatment for dogs particularly in large numbers. Reputable breeders and hobby breeders should welcome this part of McKenzie's Law. Their businesses or hobby is undermined by these large puppy mills that are churning out puppies like they are toasters and keeping them in abhorrent conditions to make it profitable. This will help reduce the burden on local animal control who say up to 25% or more of dogs produced in mills end up in public shelters. Also, it is very costly to counties and cities when one of these mills must be shut down for cruelty and the animals cared for, provided veterinary care and placed elsewhere. McKenzie's Law will make that less likely to happen.

5. Unlike the pending bill which turns regulation of puppy mills over to a Board made up largely of breeders and other industry supporters, McKenzie's Law requires only commercial kennels, those with more than 5 breeding dogs, to meet minimum, specifically stated standards of care with a focus on exercise and socialization of dogs. It is not profitable to provide humane care and treatment for dogs particularly in large numbers. There is also less incentive for many commercial breeders to treat dogs humanely. They are often regarded as inventory. To guard against this cruelty, it is important to set clear minimum standards for commercial dog breeders.

6. McKenzie's Law has stronger consumer protection provisions from commercial dog breeders or pet stores that sell puppies that are sick, diseased or have congenital defects or behavior problems.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Download McKenzie's Law and the Fact Sheet at the end of this article and email Animal Law  Coalition, your comments and questions!

Download the Endorsement Form attached below, fill it out and send it in! 

Find your Ohio legislators here and write or call, send them a copy of McKenzie's Law and the attached Fact Sheet and urge them to support McKenzie's Law as a substitute for S.B. 95.   

Go to HolmesCountyExposed for more information on McKenzie's Law and Ohio puppy mills.