Anyone one with over 9 adult breeding dogs would have to be licensed. This means it does not affect most hobby breeders. If you have under 9 adult breeding dogs, you do not have to be licensed and are not bothered at all. If you have 9-15 adult breeding dogs, the yearly fees are $150 to pay for the one yearly inspection, a small price to help get rid of puppy mills. If you are already paying fees to the USDA or another agency, you will no longer have to pay those fees. The agency that will be set up by the state will take over all licensing. They need to hear our support. Please, everyone go to the following site, http://www.columbusdogconnection.com/PuppyMillBill.htm Under "We need your help" on the right, it gives you addresses to email senators asking them to support the bill. Please do this to help out. To see the complete bill, go to this website http://www.columbusdogconnection.com/Documents/Sub%20HB%20223-6.pdf
Here is a list of fees.
Quote: (1) For a commercial dog breeding kennel:
(a) One hundred fifty dollars if the commercial dog breeding kennel has the capacity to keep, house, and maintain at least nine, but not more than fifteen adult dogs;
(b) Five hundred dollars if the commercial dog breeding kennel has the capacity to keep, house, and maintain at least sixteen, but not more than twenty-five adult dogs;
(c) Seven hundred fifty dollars if the commercial dog breeding kennel has the capacity to keep, house, and maintain more than twenty-five adult dogs.
(2) For all other commercial dog kennels, fifty dollars.
(3) For a commercial dog intermediary, five hundred dollars.
But that is not what has me excited. The list of requirements to get licensed is great! It is really non-obtrusive to responsible owners, yet makes those horrible puppy mills have to actually take care of the dogs. Many puppy mills will go out of business rather than have to follow these. Below is a quote of requirements. I like letter (P).
Quote: Sec. 4780.08. No person operating a commercial dog kennel, animal rescue for dogs, or animal shelter for dogs or acting as a commercial dog intermediary or animal rescue for dogs shall do any of the following:
(A) Keep or confine a dog in an enclosure, crate, or cage of insufficient size so that the dog cannot stand, turn around, or lay down without touching the enclosure on the sides or the top, as applicable, and without touching or dislodging a food dish or water bowl placed within the enclosure;
(B) Keep or confine a dog in an enclosure, crate, or cage without access to either natural or artificial light during daytime hours;
(C) Keep or confine a dog in an enclosure, crate, or cage outdoors unless the dog has access at all times to a dry insulated indoor shelter or dog house or is provided with clean straw or other nontoxic insulating material in an amount that is sufficient to permit the dog to burrow under the straw or material while at the same time using the straw or material as bedding;
(D) Keep or confine a dog in an enclosure, crate, or cage if urine or feces have accumulated beyond an amount that is expected to accumulate in a normal twelve-hour period;
(E) Keep or confine a dog in an enclosure, crate, or cage without access to clean unfrozen water at all times;
(F) Keep or confine a dog in an enclosure, crate, or cage without access to adequate and wholesome food to ensure a proper and healthy weight;
(G) Keep or confine a dog in an enclosure, crate, or cage with flooring material that is incapable of being cleaned or sanitized or that is likely to cause injury to the pads of a dog's feet;
(H) Keep or confine a dog in an enclosure, crate, or cage without providing a sanitary nonporous resting board or pan that is sufficient for the size of the dog and, if applicable, the dog's litter;
(I) Keep or confine a dog in an enclosure, crate, or cage in unsanitary conditions;
(J) Keep or confine a dog in an enclosure, crate, or cage that is in contact with or in the immediate vicinity of any animal with a diagnosed or suspected disease that is contagious to dogs;
(K) Keep or confine a dog in an enclosure, crate, or cage without adequate ventilation;
(L) Keep or confine a dog in an enclosure, crate, or cage without providing shelter from the elements;
(M) Keep or confine a dog in an outdoor run or kennel where shade is not provided during the months of May through September. The person shall ensure that the shade so provided provides a reduction of temperature of at least five degrees from nonshaded areas when the temperature in the nonshaded areas is ninety degrees fahrenheit or higher.
(N) Fail to provide a dog with veterinary care and treatment for any significant disease, illness, or injury;
(O) Fail to provide a breeding dog with a clean whelping box when needed;
(P) Fail to provide a breeding dog with less than two hours per day of human contact and with an opportunity to exercise outdoors;
(Q) Fail to trim an adult dog's nails to prevent curling;
(R) Fail to provide regular grooming to a dog to prevent matting of fur;
(S) Fail to provide a dog with appropriate protection from fleas, ticks, and biting and stinging insects or treatment for worms if the dog is so afflicted;
(T) Fail to provide an adult dog with vaccinations for rabies, bordetella/parainfluenza, parvovirus, distemper, and adenovirus according to vaccine schedules established by the American veterinary medical association unless a veterinarian certifies in writing that the administration of such vaccines is medically contraindicated or medically unnecessary based on the results of an antibody titre test;
(U) Fail to provide all puppies aged three months or older with the appropriate phase-in booster vaccines for bordetella/parainfluenza, parvovirus, distemper, and adenovirus according to vaccine schedules established by the American veterinary medical association unless a veterinarian certifies in writing that the administration of such vaccines is medically contraindicated or medically unnecessary based on the results of an antibody titre test;
(V) Fail to provide heartworm preventative to a breeding dog unless a veterinarian certifies in writing that such a preventative is medically contraindicated;
(W) Fail to ensure that a dog in the person's possession or control is euthanized by any method other than by the administration of sodium pentobarbitol or another method that acts on the central nervous system in a manner that is sufficient to eliminate pain and suffering of the dog;
(X) Fail to ensure that a dog that is being euthanized is not left unattended between the commencement of the process and death and that euthanization occurs only under the supervision of a veterinarian;
(Y) Beat or brutalize a dog within the person's custody or control
We have to stick together and do everything we can to help these poor dogs. This may be a bare minimum, but it is a lot better than the laws currently in place, and better than doing nothing. Please contact everyone you know, especially in Ohio, and start sending those emails. Ask them to start sending emails, and post a link to this page anywhere you can. Thanks for all of your support. The link to the site is once again http://www.columbusdogconnection.com/PuppyMillBill.htm