Puppies May Get a Pardon: Puppy Mill Bill Heads to NC State Senate

Lawrence Egerton

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Dogs in North Carolina might have new reason to wag their tails soon. North Carolina Senate Bill S460 aims to protect dogs from inhumane conditions is headed to the floor for a vote this week. The bill would require facilities with more than 10 female dogs and more than 30 puppies to register with the state, undergo yearly inspections and provide proper veterinary care.

The bill received tentative approval, and is scheduled for a final vote soon. The bill is meant only to curb abusive conditions and should have little impact on any breeding facility that operates in a reasonable manner. A similar bill was passed in Virginia in 2008 following a large puppy mill raid that brought the issue to the attention of the public there.

The bill addresses a grey area of breeders and sellers that operate mostly via classifieds and sell directly to the public, it would grant them legitimacy as "licensed breeders" and, as I see it, make them more viable by attracting customers that may have been wary of privately bred pets in the past.