Urge Pennslyvania Legislators to Stop Puppy Mills

Urge Your Pennsylvania Legislators to Stop Puppy Mills

Oprah.com | May 30, 2008

Calling all Pennsylvanians! Were you outraged to learn that some of the inhumane conditions and euthanasia in puppy mills are entirely legal under current state law?

You are not alone. State Representative James Casorio, working with Governor Edward Rendell, proposed legislation—called H.B. 2525—to overhaul Pennsylvania's Dog Law to address problems at puppy mills.

H.B. 2525 recently passed in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. To become law, it must pass in the state Senate. The vote could happen soon, so make your opinion known today!

IMPORTANT UPDATE:
On October 8, 2008, thanks to your help, H.B. 2525 passed the Pennsylvania Legislature and will become law!

Make a Difference
Here's where you come in. Write to your state senator and urge him or her to support H.B 2525.

First, find out how to contact your state senator by visiting www.legis.state.pa.us. Enter your zip code in the space under "Find Members By" in the upper right corner.

While form letters sent to legislators are not as effective as personal appeals written by informed voters, here is a letter to use as a starting point. We ask you to take time to write a letter or e-mail—it can be as short as two lines or as long as several pages—explaining why you are urging them to support H.B. 2525. Your voice will be heard, and it does make a difference. Thank you!

Dear Senator ______,

My name is ________, and I am a voter in your district. I am concerned about the current Pennsylvania dog laws and the horrific things that are currently legal in the state of Pennsylvania when it comes to dogs, breeders and breeding facilities. There are more than 2,100 breeding facilities in the state of Pennsylvania, and over 430 of these facilities have 100 dogs or more.

The time to act is now! I urge you to vote in favor of H.B. 2525, which recently passed in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

If it becomes law, H.B. 2525 will:

Set standards for the largest of these facilities, which transfer 60 or more dogs a year or sell directly to pet stores or wholesale.
Grant stronger protections for adult breeding dogs, which are kept in these facilities for years and continually bred.
Prohibit allowed exposure to extreme temperatures.
Require increased space and access to an exercise area and regular vet care, and prohibit keeping dogs in stacked wire cages.
Prohibit commercial kennel operators from shooting or euthanizing dogs by anyone other than a veterinarian.

Please make it clear—by voting yes on H.B. 2525—that the currently legal inhumane dog breeding practices are not acceptable to Pennsylvanians.

Thank you,
________

Printed from Oprah.com on Friday, May 24, 2013