I am chagrined that Senate Bill 460 has once again failed to pass. The bill is simple in nature, intended to have the regulations that already exist for pet shops and animal shelters be extended to puppy mills operated by commercial breeders. It calls for provision of daily exercise, veterinary care, appropriate housing and record-keeping. As Sen. Don Davis, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, explained, “It is meant to take precautionary measures to make sure dogs are not kept in the worst conditions.â€
Why would any intelligent and kind human being not be in favor of such a bill?
The answer is blatant: Lobbyists from the powerful North Carolina Pork Council and N.C. Federation of Dog Clubs successfully swayed the House Finance Committee to determine the bill “too divisive.â€
I am a North Carolina native who has lived in this state my entire life. However, I am ashamed that North Carolina is considered to have the weakest animal-rights laws of any state in the entire nation.
It is high time that we demanded more from the folks in Raleigh who, presumably, respect and consider the opinions of their constituents.
I hope that concerned citizens throughout our state will actively participate in pursuing the passage of Senate Bill 460, so that the inhumane treatment in puppy mills will, once and for all, be a part of our state’s past.
CARLA SHUFORD
Chapel Hill
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