A series of meetings kick off today to work out details of the puppy mill ban. A panel of 12 advisors to DATCP is gathering to work on the new law which requires dog breeders, retailers, shelters and pounds that sell or transfer at least 25 dogs a year to be licensed. Breeders are exempt if they sell dogs from three or fewer litters in a year.
Kim Waugus, who represents animal rescue, says the committee’s goal is to make sure the various groups follow the same guidelines. The Beaver Dam resident was in favor of putting including rescue groups into the legislation, a provision not everyone agreed with, “They (rescues) shouldn’t have anything to hide and why not?”
Waugus says standards need to be established for rescues that have facilities and how to manage rescues which do not have them.
The panel is meeting monthly and will complete their work by the end of this year. Public hearings will take place in spring of 2011 with the new law, signed by the Governor late last year, taking effect the following June.
Brian Moon reports (:54)
