The plethora of laws banning or limiting sales of dogs from pet stores to families seeking a dog for long term companionship, purportedly passed to shutter puppy mills, have done nothing to improve the lives of dogs bred and sold by substandard dog breeders, because they were never the source of pet store puppies to
Dog Breeding
ALERT TO AWA LICENSEES AND REGISTRANTS
By Nancy E. Halpern, D.V.M. on
For those who do not receive notifications directly from USDA APHIS, please note that the agency has just announced that it has removed its Self-Reporting Incentive Program, included in the Animal Welfare Act Inspection Guide and published in Tech Note titled, “Incentives for Identifying, Reporting, Correcting, and Preventing Noncompliance with the Animal Welfare Act.”
The…
Press Release: International Partnership for Dogs Calls for Collective Actions for Health and Welfare of Pedigree Dogs
By Nancy E. Halpern, D.V.M. on
This Press Release, republished with permission, is available in Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, and Spanish.
The International Partnership for Dogs (IPFD) is calling on stakeholder groups – including dog show enthusiasts, kennel and breed clubs, legislators, dog owners, veterinarians, welfare advocates – from all regions and countries to come together to address issues currently…
The Dog Days of Summer at the New York Times
By Nancy E. Halpern, D.V.M. on
Two articles were published about dogs (and cats) in the New York Times on September 4, 2019, that describe, in part, varying positions of a complicated issue-spay and neuter of pets in the United States—“Spaying, Neutering and Rescuing Lead to Drop in Pet Euthanasia” by author Alicia Parlapiano and “Dogs Are Not Here for Our…
The Perils of Importation of Dogs from Egypt Acknowledged and Temporarily Ceased by US Government.
By Nancy E. Halpern, D.V.M. on
Rabies is a nearly 100% fatal disease when unvaccinated animals and humans are exposed. As previously discussed the risk of exposure to rabies from dogs imported from other countries, especially from Egypt, has increased exponentially resulting from the shift from pets purchased from USDA licensed or exempt breeders in to the unregulated sales of pets…
A bill that would have prohibited sales of purposely-bred puppies from pet shops was soundly defeated in Oregon.
By Nancy E. Halpern, D.V.M. on
Oregon HB 2804 was soundly defeated after hearing testimony from dog enthusiasts and veterinarians in a dogged effort by Patti Strand and the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA) to educate the legislators about the harm to people, animals and businesses that would result if the bill became law.
NAIA, founded in 1991, is a national…
Guest Post from NAIA “Partial Government Shutdown Harming Rescue’s Business Model”
By Nancy E. Halpern, D.V.M. on
Originally Posted: 25 Jan 2019 12:11 PM PST, republished with permission.
In most regions of the United States, dog overpopulation as an issue has been solved, and there are more potential owners than there are local pet dogs available. For example, many of the dogs that arrive in Northeastern shelters and rescues come from the
…
First Reading of Ordinance to limit dog ownership in Shamong Township, NJ
By Nancy E. Halpern, D.V.M. on
Shamong Township introduced Ordinance 2018-11, governing dog ownership, on October 2, 2018, which passed by the Township Committee on a first reading of the ordinance. A public hearing is scheduled on November 7, 2018.
The Ordinance would require annual registration and inspection of “[a]ny property owner, occupant or tenant in Shamong Township having fifteen (15)…
Concerns about the validity and use of genetic testing in animals.
By Nancy E. Halpern, D.V.M. on
I have previously described concerns about the lack of validation of genetic tests to refute the pedigree registration status of purebred dogs. As several courts have held, genetic testing is currently not dispositive of pedigree registration status. See, e.g., Sandra Shines v. Furry Babies Stratford Square, Inc., No. 13-3592, slip op. at 9…
The importance of studying human behavior related to pet adoptions and its unintended impact on animal health and welfare.
By Nancy E. Halpern, D.V.M. on
The unfortunate and misguided bans of sales of professionally and purposely-bred dogs throughout the United States (which as previously described violates the constitutional rights of many and exposes people and pets to a host of infectious, sometimes deadly diseases), reveals a dearth of objective and science-based research about the welfare of dogs (and puppies) historically…