I am forwarding an item of interest from another list. If it applies to
you, please respond as you feel appropriate.
--
Marie
--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: Bonnie Beucler <arf3@penn.com>
To: wellpet@ListService.net
Subject: Wellpet akc/usda
Date: Sun, 28 Jun 1998 01:50:01
Message-ID: <3.0.5.16.19980628015001.0e777f46@pop.penn.com>
Hi There,
While many of us may not be affected by this, it is something I felt was
worthy of passing on to you.
Bonnie
~~~~~~~~~~
The following long post is being quickly circulated among the dog world
in hopes of averting problems for us all. Please take the time to read
thru it and comment to the appropriate parties mentioned near the
end.......
This is not something we want to miss. AKC is putting full information
up on their web site by Monday, June 29.
Be sure to check it out - the deadline for responses is very close, and
if everyone gets his/her two cents' worth in writing to USDA per the
instructions, maybe we can protect ourselves.
Sarah Steiner
Crow Haven Farm
Medina, OH
please alert your breed specialty clubs and/or your major kennel club
people about this - we may be on summer vacation among many of our clubs
and there may not be meetings or newsletters to bring membership up to
speed exactly when we need it most.
--------------------
For those who receive this and do not know, this is a proposal that was
"aired" before, and it looks like we lost the first round. The USDA is
now
in "round two", in which they are asking for a line to be drawn between
pet
stores and non pet stores, defined by how many breeding animals are
kept.
ALTHOUGH MOST HOBBY BREEDERS ABHOR PET STORES, in this case, WE WANT TO
BE
DEFINED AS A PET STORE, because NON pet stores will be inspected... and
this
will include INSIDE our homes... eliminating our fourth amendment right
to a
warrant before search.
KIT
>
>Kitty & Bonnie,
>
>The USDA notice of proposed rulemaking was filed in the Federal Register
>yesterday, June 24. The proposal applies to cats as well as dogs. Here's
>the dope:
>
>The US Department of Agriculture is seeking comments on two proposed
rules
>that affect dog breeders and by extension, buyers, exhibitors, and
>ultimately, dog shows. The proposed rules would change the definition of
>retail pet store to include only commercial outlets and would regulate
>breeders of hunting dogs, security dogs, and breeding dogs according to
the
>number of breeding bitches owned.
>
>Under current rules, hobby breeders are exempted from regulation because
>they are considered to be retail outlets selling directly to the public,
>and breeders who sell to pet stores are exempted if they have no more
than
>three breeding bitches. This notice seems to be saying that USDA will no
>longer regulate kennels by the channel through which they sell puppies
>(wholesale or retail) but will deal by the numbers only. Therefore, some
>kennels and dealers currently regulated may not be covered by the number
>selected if it's too high and some breeders will be covered if the
number
>is too low. This "Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" is in response
to
>a petition from the Doris Day Animal League that requested changes to
>require that all breeders be licensed and therefore subject to
inspection
>-- even if the litter was whelped in the house. USDA received nearly
36,000
>comments during the 60-day period -- 65 percent in support of the DDAL
>petition!
>
>Because expanding the regulations to include breeders who sell directly
to
>the public would "severely strain available federal resources for
carrying
>out inspections and other enforcement activities," USDA is looking for
>comments that will define a number of breeding bitches allowed as a
maximum
>for non-licensed breeders -- somewhere between 3 bitches and 60 bitches
--
>and for evidence supporting the chosen number as appropriate.
>
>They also want to know how many breeders would potentially be affected
by
>new rules establishing a maximum number of breeding females for
>non-regulated breeders. They are looking for information "in the form of
>published industry standards, published reports in peer-reviewed
journals,
>studies, and objective data. For those issues on which data or published
>information is not available, we ask that commenters supply detailed
>information on why the number they have chosen is appropriate."
>
>All comments must be received by August 24, 1998. Mailed comments must
>include an original and three copies sent to Docket #97-018-2,
Regulatory
>Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, suite 3C03, 4700 River Road Unit
118,
>Riverdale, MD 207376-1238. Comments may also be submitted on a form
located
>on the USDA/APHIS website at http://comments.aphis.usda.gov. Only one
copy
>of electronic comments is necessary.
>
>Those who plan to respond should keep in mind that if a breeder has more
>than the allowed number of breeding females (the proposal does not say
>"intact females" and does not define "breeding female"), the license
>process requires a federal inspection of the home and compliance with
>housing standards suitable for kennels but not necessarily for bedrooms
or
>basements.
>
>If you'd like a complete copy of the notice, go to the federal register
at
>wais.access.gpo.gov and search for docket 97-018-2 or for "retail pet
>store."
>
>We have to work on all clubs to get the word out. The comments must be
>specific to the request, i.e., supported by documentation or details.
Those
>of you on breed lists can cross post this message.