Managing Large Scale Companion Animal Breeding at the Local Level - Humane Society of Schuyler County

Managing Large Scale Companion
Animal Breeding at the Local Level

Humane Society of Schuyler County

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Humane Society of Schuyler County
Mission
• Prevent animal cruelty

• Provide quality care for homeless animals

• Eliminate pet overpopulation

• Promote responsible pet ownership

• Help the community to develop humane
  principles toward all animals

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Accomplishments
• 2014 marks 27 years incorporated as a
  Humane Society in Schuyler County.
• Spayed and neutered over 10,000 animals
  since 2000.
  -   County funds spay/neuter program with $4,000/yr
• Placed over 1,800 animals in forever homes.
• Controlled numerous feral cat colonies.
• Assumed management of Schuyler County
  Animal Shelter in August, 2009.
• Purchased facilities to support HSSC
  operations.

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Agenda
• Abuses of companion animal breeding
  -   Dog fighting
  -   Animal hoarding
  -   Puppy mills
• Impact
  -   Economic
  -   Environmental
• Existing legislation
• What can be done at local level?

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Dog Fighting

• Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement
  Act makes dog fighting illegal in NYS.
• Large-scale breeding of fighting dogs

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Animal Hoarding
• More than the typical number of companion
  animals
• Inability to provide minimal standards of
  nutrition, sanitation, shelter and veterinary
  care.
• Neglect often results in starvation, illness and
  death.
• Denial of inability to provide minimum care.
• Often considered a form of mental illness.
• Can be combination hoarder/breeder.

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Puppy Mills
• A puppy mill, or puppy farm, is a large-scale
  breeding facility that mass-produces puppies for
  sale.
• Dogs and puppies are housed in overcrowded,
  filthy and inhumane conditions with inadequate
  shelter or care and little socialization.
• Dogs are sold to pet stores, direct and via
  internet.
• Dogs are often ill, have physical deformities and
  suffer from serious medical conditions.
• There are an estimated 4000+ puppy mills in the
  United States alone, producing more than half a
  million puppies a year.

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Typical Puppy Mill

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Economic Impact
• Do not contribute to state spay/neuter
  fund but do contribute to overpopulation
• Over 75% of large-scale breeding
  facilities do not pay sales tax.
• No licensing revenue; USDA Class A
  kennels are exempt.
• Negative impact on tourism
• Negative community image

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Impact on tourism

• Lancaster, PA, once known as a bucolic tourist
  destination is now known as the Puppy Mill
  Capital of the Northeast
• Much stricter laws went into effect in 2008
• Number of commercial kennels plummeted
  from 303 in 2009 to 111 today

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Tourism and Agriculture Are The Finger
Lakes’ Largest Sources of Income

• Tourism in Schuyler County brings in $30
  million annually.
• Tourism in the Finger Lakes generates one
  of the largest sources of income.
• Cannot afford to jeopardize with a negative
  image

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Economic Impact
• Cost of closing down a facility
  - Providing shelter for seized animals
  - County personnel (e.g., ACO, public
    health, sheriff’s office, etc.)
  - Local animal welfare organizations (daily
    care, staffing, medical bills)
  - Town and county judicial costs

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Environmental Impact
• Risk of disease transmission through
  waste management practices
  (parasites, bacteria and viruses)
• CDC zoonotic diseases can be spread
  from dogs to humans (e.g.,
  toxoplasmosis, giardia, E. coli).
• Both soil and water contamination

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Known and Proposed
Puppy Mills

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Federal and State Laws Have
Been Inadequate
• Animal Welfare Act (1966)
  - 100 USDA inspectors for ~9,000 licensed
    facilities
  - NYS legislation
     12 Animal Health Inspectors in state
     Local inspector’s region includes 8 counties
• Internet and flea market sales are not
  regulated at all.
• Legislation to effect change must be
  at local level.
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Known and Proposed
Puppy Mills

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Recent New York State Law Provides
Local Rule To Municipalities
•   A.740-A/S.3753-A signed this month by Governor
    Cuomo
•   Municipalities can now regulate pet trade – formerly
    controlled by NYS Department of Agriculture
•   Protects owners of dogs and cats raised in safe and
    healthy manner
•   Municipalities can enact local laws that are more
    stringent than Article 26A of Ag and Markets Law
•   HSSC is reviewing specifics of the law and will make a
    recommendation for local legislation

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