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The measure marks another attempt by the Legislature to clamp down on inhumane treatment at puppy mills and give recourse to people who unknowingly buy sick dogs from them. Wisconsin has no regulations governing dog breeding.
Sen. Jeff Plale, D-South Milwaukee, one of the bill’s authors, said puppy mills often abuse their animals and bilk consumers out of hundreds of dollars by fooling them into thinking they’re getting healthy dogs.
One of his Capitol staffers, Amber Hodgson, bought JP, a Yorkshire terrier for $700 from a breeder in August 2006, he said. Within three days the dog was almost dead and Hodgson had to shell out $2,000 in vet bills to save him.
“Unfortunately, this isn’t a fluke situation,” Plale said at a news conference, holding a healthy-looking JP against his chest.
It’s unknown how many dog breeders operate in the state, said state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection spokeswoman Donna Gilson.
Federal law requires breeders who sell puppies wholesale or for research to obtain a federal license, however. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, 69 Wisconsin breeders who fit those criteria held a license as of Wednesday.
Gilson said she receives about a dozen complaints by e-mail annually about Wisconsin puppy mills. The state’s humane officer, Dr. Yvonne Bellay, gets more, she said, but Bellay could not be reached for comment Thursday, Gilson said.
A number of states regulate the dog breeding industry, including Illinois, Iowa and Kansas, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Wisconsin’s 2001-03 and 2003-05 budgets contained provisions setting up licenses and DATCP inspections, but former Gov. Scott McCallum and Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed them out.
Rep. Larry Balow, D-Eau Claire, introduced a bill in 2003 that called for licenses, but it was never scheduled for a vote on the Assembly floor.
Under the latest version of the bill, DATCP would set standards for humane care. Breeders who either sell 60 dogs annually or have at least eight breeding females would have to get a state license. Fees would range from $75 to $125, depending on how many dogs are sold.
Violators would be subject to forfeitures, license revocation and jail.
Buyers, meanwhile, would be able to exchange sick dogs, get refunds and collect reimbursement for vet fees.
Rep. Thomas Lothian, R-Williams Bay, another of the bill’s authors, said the measure is designed to make it unprofitable to sell sick dogs.
Lisa Jurgerson raises Labrador retrievers and German short hairs at Jurgerson’s Kennels in Cambria. She said she has about 20 dogs and 13 breeding females and would have to get a state license.
She said the state just wants money. That’s fine, because she does everything by the book, she said.
Still, the bill won’t get at the bad apples, she said. They stay in the shadows.
“The legitimate ones are the ones suffering for it,” she said.
Messages left at the offices of Senate Majority Leader Judy, D-Beloit, and Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, seeking comment on the bill weren’t immediately returned.
