How is Texas doing at busting Puppy Mills? Please read/share this article outlining TDLRs fledging Licensed Breeder Program regulating Texas dog & cat breeders. The Quest to Eliminate Puppy Mills in Texas: A Look at the Licensed Breeder Program 18 Months After the Passage of HB 1451 On Wednesday February 26, 2014, representatives from the Investigations, Field Operations and Enforcement divisions of the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation (TDLR) presented an overview of the Texas Licensed Breeder Program. As you may recall, the program was implemented in September 2012 after the passage of HB 1451 - the Commercial Dog & Cat Breeder Act. The bill had more opposition than any other legislation ever to fall under TDLRs purview, but THLN did not give up the fight and succeeded in helping pass HB 1451. So, roughly 18 months since the passage of the bill, how does it fare? Through the program, which includes a criminal background check and on-site inspections, TDLR has investigated hundreds of potential licensees and has so far issued 146 licenses. Identifying unlicensed commercial breeders is an ongoing task for TDLR, and they depend on Texans to report unlicensed commercial breeders. In the words of TDLR Lead Prosecutor Sharesa Alexander, Texans are the eyes and ears of this program. We rely on them to tell us if there is unlicensed activity. According to Lead Investigator Don Vara, TDLR is required to investigate every complaint they get and 90% of the complaints have resulted in on-site inspections. Investigators and inspectors are not required to give advance notice before arriving at the facility, as advance notice gives an opportunity to prepare for the inspection; but they often do give notice. Aside from complaint driven inspections, TDLRs field operations inspectors also conduct both pre-licensing and post-licensing inspections. Post-licensing inspections occur periodically on an 18 month cycle, or more frequently if the circumstances dictate. For example, if an inspector finds a serious or repeated violation, or a breeder fails to timely remedy a previously cited violation, the breeder may be subject to out-of-cycle inspections as often as four times a year. In addition to conducting more frequent inspections of a facility, field operations personnel can file complaints for violations they see during the course of inspections. According to the panel, the most common code violations seen so far relate to the safety and cleanliness of the primary enclosures where animals are kept. In preparation for working in the field, TDLR inspectors receive 37 hours of animal cruelty training. Whenever an inspector finds evidence of cruelty, they are required to notify law enforcement within 24 hours. Video and photographic evidence has already resulted in action against breeders who did not properly care for their animals. Such was the case in one ongoing investigation where inspectors found a litter of 5 puppies attempting to nurse from a dead mother, and dogs with open, untreated wounds at the same facility. Vara could not comment on the status of that particular case as the investigation is still in progress. But the impact of the law is clear here: without HB 1451 there would not be a dedicated team of investigators visiting such facilities on a regular basis, and the suffering of those dogs, and others like them, might never have been discovered. If you suspect unlawful commercial breeder activity you can file a complaint through TDLRs website (search file complaint on the top right corner). Be as specific as possible about the type and condition of animals, and the name, address and location of the operation. The complaint form allows for the submission of jpg & pdf files. You do have the option of filing a complaint anonymously. However, if you decide to file anonymously, please keep in mind that TDLR wont be able to report back to you without having your contact information. For more information on the Texas Licensed Breeder program visit the TDLR website or call them at 1-800-803-9202.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 03:50:35 +0000
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