Dogs and puppies having fun on frozen Lake Elmore, January 27, 2024, photographed by Sophie Acker
The bill aims to prevent Vermont from becoming a site for puppy farms and factories, commercial dog breeding operations that raise animals in poor conditions.
by holly sullivan community news service Vermont could ban pet stores from selling dog, cat and wolf hybrids under a bill from the House Agriculture Committee.
The bill, H.567, is sponsored by Rep. Emily Krasnow (D-South Burlington), who introduced the bill to committee members on January 31st. Krasnow said the bill aims to prevent Vermont from becoming a site for puppy farms and factories. A commercial dog breeding operation where animals are kept in poor conditions.
“There are currently seven other states that have this bill, and Maine's bill has been in effect since 2019,” she said in an interview. Vermont's bill is modeled after that state.
Several northeastern states are considering similar legislation: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New Jersey.
“The reason why it's so important is because we don't want to have puppy mills or pet stores operating in Vermont that would drive them out of other states,” Krasnow said.
Similar concerns have been raised in Connecticut following New York's ban on pet sales. New England saw an increase in pet store openings last fall, according to the Hartford Courant.
In committee, references surfaced to the only pet store in Vermont that sells these animals, and the bill's grandfather clause would allow it to remain open.
“We are fortunate that Vermont has a small pet store industry that sells puppies, with only one known store selling puppies,” Krasnow told committee members on Jan. 31. ” he said. A group of villains who seek safe haven, import puppies from puppy mills in the Midwest, and have a track record of causing too many problems for the communities where they are sold. ”
Krasnow told committee members that the bill would not affect stores that no longer sell puppies, “responsible breeders” or “the $136 billion pet retail industry focused on pet products and services.” he assured.
The bill has drawn criticism from groups representing the pet industry and breeders, who say it will only fuel a black market boom.
Patti Strand, president of the National Animal Interest Alliance, sent a letter to committee members on January 30 summarizing the organization's “strong opposition to H.567 in its current form.”
The bill would fail to protect pets because of the “unintended consequences of shutting down one of the nation's remaining pet sources,” Strand wrote.
Taylor Riberi, government affairs manager for the industry group Pet Advocacy Network, agreed with Strand. Until 2022, this group was called the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Committee.
“Although well-intentioned, a pet retail ban will not stop unscrupulous breeders who are unregulated, unlicensed, and unaccountable to any animal care standards,” she wrote to committee members in January. I wrote this in a letter on the 31st.
Rivelli said H.567 “will only facilitate an unregulated black market in pets.”
In his letter, Riberi cited the experience of California, which passed a similar bill, where the number of reported puppy scams increased by “more than 350%,” and the number of reported cases of puppy fraud “obtained from unregulated sources.” claimed that the number of dogs is rapidly increasing. Rivelli cited what appeared to be the title of the article (but no link or source name) and the Better Business Bureau website, which tracks reports of business fraud.
Krasnow remains optimistic that H.567 will have a positive impact on the pet community.
“I'm not personally concerned that (the bill) would create an underground market for illegal dogs and cats here,” she told committee members on Jan. 31.
Krasnow said he has not received any direct backlash and the bill has support from local groups, the Humane Society and state representatives.
“For me personally, I didn't hear any opposition from anyone on the committee. Everyone was really appreciative and seemed to like it,” she told Community News Service. “Bills like this have a lot of support from animal advocates in our state and surrounding areas. So, personally, I have a positive attitude toward this bill. I’m here.”
He said if the bill is not passed, he plans to reintroduce it in the next Congress.
Community News Service is a program in which University of Vermont students work with professional editors to provide free content to local news organizations.
