Hey Goes you know me I will do anything to stop puppy mills BUT this bill goes to far and is to far reaching if you read the bill itself it leaves to much to the USDAs interpretation Of what they feel is a hobby breeder and Who they feel are Puppy mills it is just to far reaching and its all up to the interpretation Of the inpectors and such.
Also From What I can Gather the wording is just to confusing and can be interpreted to may ways Such as..
If you sell just one dog which you did not breed- perhaps a field or Show prospect that did not work out, you cannot claim the 6 litter exemption. If you have 2 litters of 8 each and one litter of 9, a total of 25, those plus the "other" dog will put you over the limit.
That "other" dog could include a rescue dog that you sold for "expenses" to cover medical costs or boarding.
Existing laws already cover neglect.
I was all for this Bill as it was originally Drafted But after PETA ,HSUS, AND AKC got ahold of it And changed what they felt needed Changed it Went over the edge For me.... This is just HSUS way of getting thier reform of the AWA done
I Do NOT WANT the GOVERMENT any more involved In My Life than they already Are. the Next step would be the IRS calling it income and wanting thier Slice of the Pie!!!!!
The Secretary of Agriculture determined that hobby breeders fell within the meaning of "retail pet stores" and ruled that breeders who sold directly to buyers fell within the meaning of the term "retail pet store." Accordingly, the USDA has not regulated hobby breeders.
Three years ago, the Doris Day Animal League sued the USDA to require them to include hobby breeders. The UKC and other dog organizations opposed this and our side ultimately prevailed when the Supreme Court ruled that:
"Thus, nothing in the plain meaning of the term 'retail pet store' precluded the Secretary from construing that term to include 'any outlet' where certain animals, including dogs, 'are sold or offered for sale, at retail, for use as pets.' 9 CFR 1.1. To the contrary, the Secretary's regulation conforms to the accepted definition of the term 'retail store.'"
The court went on to say that the Secretary's interpretation had been in effect since 1971 and "Congress has not seen fit to alter that interpretation despite its willingness during that period to amend the AWA in other respects to achieve its policy goals."
Here we come to the heart of the matter. The AR activists at DDAL and HSUS realized that the Court wasn't going to give them what they want (federal regulation of ALL dog breeding) without a bill that established that very principle. PAWS is that bill.
AKC's analysis of the PAWS bill points out, correctly I might add, that the Secretary of Agriculture could change his interpretation of "retail pet store" at any time:
"While the USDA has interpreted the term retail pet store broadly in regulation for the more than 30 years since the enactment of this exemption, it is just a regulatory interpretation, and it could be changed simply by the USDA writing and justifying a new regulation."
So this is JUST my Opinion and the way I see it. WE DONT NEED more regulation or Rules that can be amended at Will
We most certainly dont need the Goverment Telling Us as Hobby Breeders What we can and cannot do.
Just another BIG BROTHER thing to me.
, I just feel like I'm missing something 
