INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — House Bill 1412 requires breeders to register with the Indiana Animal Health Commission and creates health and safety standards.
The Humane Society and other animal rights groups said the new law would strip local governments of their power to ban the sale of animals from pet stores and so-called puppy mills.
“I think this is an outrageous overreach of local management,” said Samantha Chapman, Indiana state director for the Humane Society of the United States.
Chapman told News 8 the law would overturn 21 local ordinances that regulated or prohibited pet stores in local cities and counties.
Indianapolis, Bloomington, and Carmel are just a few of the areas that have enacted ordinances restricting pet store sales.
“I want to be clear,” Chapman said. “This bill was introduced for one purpose only: to override 21 local ordinances passed across the state regulating the sale of dogs and cats in retail stores.”
The bill would require stores to source from USDA-approved breeders with no direct violations within the past two years.
The Humane Society said the USDA rarely issues such violations, even though it operates under what the USDA identifies as inhumane living conditions.
“Thousands of dogs suffer in puppy mills and pet stores that sell puppies are sourcing from inhumane puppy mills because responsible breeders do not sell their dogs to pet stores. We know,” Chapman said.
Chapman said sales are being done in a hurry and without due diligence because pet stores want to sell as many pets as possible.
“When you go to a pet store that sells puppies, the sales model is to get them as quickly as possible,” Chapman says. “I need you to sign on the dotted line.”
The Humane Society said a good breeder should meet with the family and allow the dog to be returned if it's not a good fit.
“Pet stores that sell puppies often don't adopt them,” Chapman said. “So when these dogs are surrendered, they often end up at local shelters.”
This bill does not provide additional funding to enforce these new health and safety regulations or to assist shelters when they see an increase in pets.
“I think it's a big problem for rural areas because there's no state funding for animal control,” Chapman said. “So it is alarming and frustrating that the state completely preempts the local area.”
News 8 reached out to the bill's author but did not receive a response. This law will come into effect on July 1st.
To learn more about breeders recommended by the Humane Society, check out the Canine Care Certified National Certification Program. It is managed by Purdue University.
Mr. Chapman also recommended the American Kennel Club's Directory of Responsible Breeders. This can be filtered by breed, gender and location on the website.
