What We Want

We support the current draft bill introduced by Rep. Lee Denney, R-Cushing, which would mandate that all facilities transferring over 25 dogs, cats, kittens or puppies in a year be licensed.

Currently, only facilities in Oklahoma which are USDA licensed are inspected by federal inspectors. Because there are no state regulations, no inspection is required for facilities that do not have a USDA license, no matter how many breeding cats or dogs they have.

Oklahoma animal welfare laws do not have any minimum cage sizes for breeding dogs and cats; there are no cleanliness statutes and no standards for ventilation or air temperature. A dog in an Oklahoma breeding facility may LEGALLY be kept in a cage it is unable to stand up in, and in which it is living in its’ own filth, for a period of years. 

Under the current draft, facilities that are not USDA licensed would have to meet the same regulations that are in place for all USDA Class A licensees. Facilities without USDA licensing would be inspected by the state of Oklahoma; facilities already licensed by the USDA would use that inspection unless complaints were made against them within Oklahoma.

Without comprehensive legislation that brings all facilities into the inspection process we will not halt the tragedies in place at this time.

RUMOR:

Some breeders claim these issues are already covered under existing animal cruelty laws; they are not.

Some breeders have said the USDA regulations are overly restrictive. Is this too restrictive?

USDA standards call for each dog to have a cage size at least equal to its’ length from nose to base of tail, plus six inches, times the same length. This means an average beagle could spend its’ life in a 30” X 30” cage.  Each breeding cat under 8.8 pounds is entitled to a minimum of 3 square feet of floor space (96 square inches), or 18” by 24”. Cats over 8.8 pounds are to have six inches more. There are recommendations for exercise, but exercise IS NOT MANDATORY. 

USDA standards call for each animal to be fed daily and offered water at least twice daily.

USDA standards call for minimal record keeping.

Each week another ‘puppy mill,’ is seen in the paper. Many complaints come in regarding facilities claiming to be rescue organizations that operate as unlicensed Class B dealers. These tragedies appear in the news and in the courts.  Common sense standards can stop animal suffering.

Voice your opinion to our Oklahoma representatives during the 2008 session!!