Puppy Mill bill could be saved for this session

FROM ANIMAL ARK OUTREACH:

Following the recent vote in the Minnesota Senate Agriculture Committee on Senate File 7, a large number of Minnesotans are growing impatient with the legislature, and increasingly concerned about the influence of various special interests in fighting the efforts to pass this urgently needed bill. The bill would:

1) Require large-scale commercial dog and cat breeders to be inspected annually to ensure compliance with existing animal cruelty laws.

2) Fund the inspection program via license fees to be paid by commercial breeders. These fees would amount to, according to a fiscal note created by the Board of Animal Health, about $1 to $2 per puppy sold - costs that would simply be passed on to the buyers of puppies.

3) Help the Department of Revenue collect an additional $1.3 million in sales tax revenue. This is demonstrated through a recent review of commercial dog breeders. 74% of those sampled were not paying the sales tax on the puppies sold as is required by law.

Though the bill was voted down in the Senate Ag Committee, there are still viable options for its passage this year. Your action is needed NOW to help make that happen.

The Minnesota Legislature needs to hear from you immediately.

What to do:

If you live in Minnesota:

Contact your legislators and ask that they work with Senate and House leadership to find a way to pass these bills, and without the undue influence of unrelated special interests. Tell them you are tired of them talking about this bill and failing to pass it. Tell them you are tired of the fiscal irresponsibility. Tell them the reason we are having such financial troubles in the state is because the legislature in general keeps giving the special interests what they want, as is clearly demonstrated in this case.

Contact the Speaker of the House and thank her for her strong leadership on this issue. Ask that she continue to find a way to move this bill this year.

Contact the Senate Majority Leader and ask that he work with the Speaker to do the same.

If you live outside of Minnesota:

Contact Minnesota legislators and tell them you are sick of them letting Minnesota Puppy Mill sell sick, neglected and abused dogs all over the country. Minnesota is one of the top states in the nation for puppy mills. We need all voices heard at the Minnesota Legislature NOW!

Everyone:

Share this story with your family and friends and ask that they do the same!

Visit the Animal Ark Online Community at: http://animalark.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network