The Millers Just Won't Give Up..... (Jefferson City, Center: inspectors, law, appraisals)

[latetotheparty]

[CENTER]Urgent: Your Action Needed by September 30 to Stop Breeders From Eliminating Critical Veterinary Care[/CENTER]
[CENTER]Write a Letter Today to Protect Missouri's Dogs[/CENTER]
Earlier this year, the Canine Cruelty Prevention Act was signed into law, guaranteeing necessary protections for dogs in commercial breeding facilities. One of the most significant and necessary improvements was the requirement that every animal receive an annual, hands-on veterinary examination.

Now breeders are pressuring the Missouri State Veterinarian to eliminate the requirement of a hands-on veterinary exam by weakening the regulations designed to fully implement the Canine Cruelty Prevention Act.

Your help is urgently needed to ensure these helpless animals receive the hands-on veterinary care they were promised.

Please write a politely-worded letter to Dr. Taylor Woods, State Veterinarian, with a CC to Dr. Jon Hagler asking them to stand firm on the requirement of annual, hands-on veterinary exams for dogs in commercial breeding facilities, as required by the Canine Cruelty Prevention Act. Dr. Woods is in charge of the regulations on which these breeding dogs are depending.

Ask them to clearly define “veterinary examination” in the regulations in order to ensure that each dog covered under the CCPA is provided an annual “hands-on physical veterinary examination.” The requirement that an annual hands-on physical veterinary examination is mandatory for each dog must be specifically included in the regulations so that it is abundantly clear to attending veterinarians, facility owners, and inspectors to avoid misinterpretation and ensure that both the requirements and intent of the law are met.
Take action as soon as possible. All letters must be received by September 30, 2011. Please also commend the new regulations in general and specifically the improved requirements for space, shade, drainage, temperature and the elimination of tethering as primary confinement.

Dr. Taylor H. Woods
State Veterinarian
PO Box 630
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0630
Dr. Jon Hagler
Director of Agriculture
Missouri Department of Agriculture
1616 Missouri Blvd.
Jefferson City, MO 65102 If the breeders' pressure tactics are successful, only walk-through, visual inspections of the animals will be required. These "inspections" are not acceptable. Without physically touching the animal during an exam, there is no way for a veterinarian to detect that a dog is suffering from:

• Malnourishment and dehydration
• Heart defects
  
• Ear infections
• Pneumonia
• Fever
  
• Skin lesions and external parasites such as fleas and ticks
• Dental diseases, loose teeth and gum issues
• Hernias
• Many other painful conditions
  

The Humane Society of Missouri has rescued thousands of suffering animals from substandard breeding facilities. Virtually all of the terrible health conditions we have witnessed could have been eliminated with a hands-on veterinary exam.

Please, be the voice for these animals and write a letter today. Let Dr. Woods and Dr. Jon Hagler know that each dog and puppy deserves a thorough examination at least once a year.
Thank you for helping to provide a voice for Missouri's puppy mill dogs.

Kind regards,

Kathy Warnick
President
Humane Society of Missouri

[lifelongMOgal]

Perhaps more specificity as to exactly what language in the law is attempting to be eliminated would be helpful rather than just the cut/past of an activist letter from the Humane Society.

For instance, are breeders be allowed to do their own puppy immunizations under the law? Or, are they allowed to euthanize themselves? If not, why would this be harmful and why does the HS find such unacceptable?

[latetotheparty]

I think you may be confusing the HSMO with the HSUS ... HSMO is not generally labeled "activist," as the HSUS is..... HSMO does the actual rescue and seizure work....

otherwise, the request is pretty clear, imo .... the commercial breeders are apparently trying to lobby out the requirement for a hands-on vet exam for the breeding dogs..... allowing walk-by exams....

people won't stand for drive-by appraisals of property.... why would a walk-by exam be acceptable??

the letter says nothing about self-immunization.... only that hands-on vet exams should REMAIN part of the regulations as they stand now.....

[Versatile]

Why shouldn't we have hands on exams for horses,cows,pigs,chickens etc.?

[lifelongMOgal]

Originally Posted by latetotheparty

I think you may be confusing the HSMO with the HSUS ... HSMO is not generally labeled "activist," as the HSUS is..... HSMO does the actual rescue and seizure work....

otherwise, the request is pretty clear, imo .... the commercial breeders are apparently trying to lobby out the requirement for a hands-on vet exam for the breeding dogs..... allowing walk-by exams....

people won't stand for drive-by appraisals of property.... why would a walk-by exam be acceptable??

the letter says nothing about self-immunization.... only that hands-on vet exams should REMAIN part of the regulations as they stand now.....

Again I was looking for specificity of the language and a link, not a cut and paste. Most of those types of e-mails are short on substance and alarmist at best.

So, do you have that specific information to share? Does it remove any/all veterinary first hand contact(exam) or only in certain situations if the dog has been previously examined or deemed healthy? Perhaps a link to "The Millers" or whomever's proposed language change to the law?

Or, are we to take the word of cut/paste spam mail as gospel?

[latetotheparty]

a lot can change in a breeding dog's health in a year.....

somehow, i don't think this "spam" would have been composed and sent if the issue was not real...... what purpose would THAT serve??

if you want to allow the millers to continue to chip away at ANY regulation of their business and don't want to support the compromise law distilled from the voted on and passed by the people proposition b, that is certainly your prerogative.....