All Eyes On Suffolk County as 1st NY Municipality To Introduce Puppy Mill Bill
Calverton, NY - May 29, 2014 - Following other recent public hearings, Suffolk County legislators will hold a final public hearing and vote on Tuesday, June 3, 2014 on the proposed Suffolk County Puppy Mill Bill (1047-2014). This bill was approved unanimously by the Government Operations, Personnel, Housing & Consumer Protection Committee on Wednesday, May 28.
Suffolk County will be the first municipality to regulate the sale of puppy mill dogs under a New York State law that gave such authority in January 2014. The law has been proposed by Legislator Jay Schneiderman (I-Montauk) and Legislator William Spencer (D-Huntington). The New York State law was sponsored by State Senator Ken LaValle (R-1st Senate District). Similar legislation has been enacted in over 40 cities in the U.S., including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Phoenix.
A press conference will be held by Deputy Presiding Officer Jay Schneiderman and Legislator Spencer who will be meeting with members of various animal advocacy groups and pet store owners supporting Schneiderman’s bill.
“Such legislation is part of a growing consciousness about the inhumane treatment of pets in puppy mills. We are grateful for Legislators Schneiderman and Spencer for their efforts to educate the public and take action here in Suffolk County,” said Pamela Green, Executive Director of Kent Animal Shelter who serves on Legislator Schneiderman’s subcommittee on the bill along with representatives from the ASPCA, the US Humane Society, and key local animal advocates. “Puppy mill dogs live under horrific conditions. The adult breeding dogs that Kent Animal Shelter has rescued arrive in poor physical and mental condition sometimes missing eyes or limbs, parasite infections gone untreated, heart murmurs, little or no socialization, and a total lack of familiarity with life outside of a cage. The offspring of these dogs end up in Suffolk County pet shops. The unsuspecting consumer may be purchasing a financial nightmare because many of these congenital abnormalities and unchecked medical issues are passed on to the puppies.”
Kent Animal Shelter is a 501(C)3 not-for-profit organization that was established in 1968 as a no-kill haven for abandoned, neglected or abused animals. More information about Kent Animal Shelter is available at kentanimalshelter.com.