Texas's commercial breeders have always operated free of State oversight, meaning the breeding dogs and cats at most of these facilities are unprotected. Breeding dogs are often forced to live in cramped, barren wire cages for years on end, often without adequate food and water, shelter from the blistering heat or bitter cold, regular veterinary care or exercise outside their cages. When they no longer produce a profit, they are discarded or killed.
With new commercial breeding laws in neighboring Oklahoma and other states across the country, Texas could quickly become a magnet state for the worst puppy and kitten mill operators—and in fact, the Better Business Bureau reports that inquiries into animal brokers, dealers and dog breeders have nearly doubled in the last two years in Central Texas, the Gulf Coast and the southwestern part of the state.
However, help is on the way: The Commercial Dog and Cat Breeders Act (CDCBA), HB 1451, has been introduced in the Texas Legislature to help ensure that large-scale dog and cat breeders comply with humane standards. If passed, all commercial breeders in Texas would have to be licensed and inspected.
The Texas House Committee on Licensing and Administrative Procedures will be holding a hearing on HB 1451 on Tuesday morning, March 15, in Austin.
What You Can Do
If you live in or near Austin, please attend the hearing—when you arrive, be sure to fill out a card in support of the bill! Cards must be submitted in person, in the hearing room. Tuesday’s hearing is at 8:00 A.M. in the Texas State Capitol Building in Austin, Room E2.012 in the Capitol Extension.
