Kentucky animal rights advocates speak out against ‘puppy mill bill’

FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — Senate Bill 122, often referred to as the “puppy mill bill,” is back in the spotlight.

Introduced earlier this year, the bill would prohibit pet shops from selling dogs or cats that didn’t come from an animal shelter or qualified breeder.

Those who oppose the bill alleged that it’s all smoke and mirrors, and the establishments listed are puppy mills disguised as “qualified breeders.”

“This bill would effectively bar communities from being able to keep those businesses out of their community, and it would allow those businesses to flourish,” said Melissa Barlow, President of Kentuckians Vote for Animals.

Shelters across the state are at capacity. Some of them even had to temporarily close. Barlow said this bill would make the issue worse by removing existing ordinances that prohibit pet stores with puppy mill animals from setting up.

“If communities decide, and their elected officials on their behalf, decide that they don’t want these businesses, the state should not be able to come in and have government overreach and tell them that they have to allow that,” said Barlow

The bill passed in the Senate Agriculture Committee, but not in the Senate itself.

Another bill that relates to licenses for animal health professionals was amended to also include the pet shop prohibitions.

Barlow said, “We would hope that instead of focusing on taking all the attention with an issue like this, that the legislature would as a whole—and there are a lot of ones that they understand—that more would understand, the animal overpopulation problem and help us come up with a solution.”

The amendment failed in a Friday morning vote, but Barlow encourages concerned animal lovers to continue reaching out to their elected officials to make it known that they don’t want any provisions of Senate Bill 122 passed.