Public Hearings Tomorrow to Repeal MO Prop B - Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act

If you're a dog lover living in Missouri you're needed to help preserve MO Prop B - the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act.   There are Missouri politicians who think they know better than the voters of Missouri.  Several have introduced bills that would repeal or gut Prop B.  Hearings will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, January 25, 2011.  There are nine bills introduced so far;  here are the ones which will receive a public hearing tomorrow:

HB 99 - The Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act sponsored by Tom Loehner, district 112, and co-sponsored by Bill Reiboldt, district 130.  This bill exempts all facilities, dealers, and breeders licensed prior to November 2, 2011, from the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act passed as Prop B by voters in Nov ember 2010.  The Dirty Dozen report gives examples of just a handful of the many licensed commercial breeders who have treat their dogs inhumanely who would be exempt from Prop B's new regulations.

HB 94 - The Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act sponsored by Tony Dugger, district 144 and co-sponsored by Don Wells, disttrict 147.  This bill would repeal Prop B.

HB 131 - The Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act sponsored by Stanley Cox, district 118 and co-sponsored by Chuck Gatschenberger, district 13.  This bill would gut the Prop B.

What can you do?  Attend the public hearing tomorrow, Tuesday, January 25 at 12:00 p.m.  at the Missouri State Capitol in House Hearing Room 6.    Can't attend?  Telephone your Missouri House Representative and explain why we want them to leave Prop B alone.  If you need some talking points:

• Remind them that less than three months ago the majority of Missouri voters favored Prop B.
• Without Prop B we will return to a standard that allowed a dog confined in a cage just 6 inches longer than her body - confined and never let out.  That dog would need not ever see a veterinarian and could be exposed to freezing temperatures.
• Opponents of Prop B have launched a campaign of misinformation, scaring people into believing that Prop B would regulate farm animals or end all commercial dog breeding.  Neither is true.  Prop B is a measure to clamp down on abusive puppy mills and adds reasonable and humane regulations like requiring clean food and water, exercise, properly sized cages and verterinary care.

Pick up the phone.  Thousands of dogs in Missouri's puppy mills are counting on you.