Dog and Cat Breeder Regulation Bill

Minnesota is one of the top producers of puppies in the nation and a prominent producer of kittens. It is also one of 16 states that have yet to regulate commercial dog and cat breeders. This means Minnesota dog and cat breeders are not required to obtain licenses for breeding, are not inspected by the State, and are not required to adhere to any set standards of care. And all too often, this lack of oversight leads to unhealthy and dangerous conditions for defenseless young animals. A new bill titled The Dog and Cat Breeder Regulation Bill could change all that.

Introduced by Minnesota Senator Barb Goodwin and Minnesota House Representative John Lesch, and supported by the Animal Humane Society, Animal Folks MN and a host of others, the bill stands to ensure the healthy and safe breeding of puppies and kittens throughout Minnesota.

The bill defines a commercial dog or cat breeder as “a person, other than a hobby breeder, who possesses or has an ownership interest in animals and is engaged in the business of breeding animals for sale or for exchange in return for consideration, and who possesses ten or more adult intact animals and whose animals produce more than five total litters of puppies or kittens per year.” For comparison, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) starts licensing breeders at four breeding females and the majority of states in the US start licensing breeders at two to 10 breeding animals.

If passed, the Dog and Cat Breeder Regulation Bill would spell out standards for breeders in the areas of veterinary care, animal well-being and inspections.

Setting this bill apart from animal cruelty laws that are already on the books in Minnesota, regulation is a preventive measure whereas anti-cruelty laws can be put into action only after cruelty has taken place. In simpler terms, regulation is proactive while anti-cruelty laws are reactive.

Want to do something to help? You can sign an online petition to pass The Dog and Cat Breeder Regulation Bill here . You can also contact your State legislators. Calling is your best bet for being heard. It’s also best to refer to the bill by number rather than name (Senate File 462; House File 702).

Learn more at the Animal Humane Society’s website and the Animal Folks MN website. You can also watch a Fox 9 clip regarding the bill here.