Sunday, February 20, 2011

House committee amends Proposition B; approves unlimited dogs

The House Agriculture Policy Committee passed a bill Tuesday (Feb. 15) lifting the Proposition B restriction on the number of dogs breeders can have.

November of last year, Missourians passed Prop. B with 52 percent of the vote.

The bill would repeal the 50-dog restriction and lets breeders have an unlimited number of dogs at their facility.

Under the bill, dogs would not have to be examined by a licensed veterinarian unless they have an injury or illness.

Barb Schmitz with Missourians for the Protection of Dogs said the bill essentially guts Prop. B.

"It goes through and systematically undercuts every single important measure that would protect dogs, and it actually removes the protections from Proposition B and puts us back under the standards under pre-Proposition B law," Schmitz said.

Bill sponsor Stanley Cox, R-Sedalia, said voters in his district voted against passing Prop. B in the first place.

"There's a really good argument that you should not take away from, certainly, people who do a good job of breeding animals, raising puppies," Cox said. "You should not take away their livelihood."

A substitute to House Bill 131 was passed with six minor amendments, including specifications about licensed breeders. The new substitute will be sent to the House Rules Committee, which will vote whether to pass it onto the House floor.

Schmitz said she wants representatives to honor the voters' wishes and not amend Prop. B so soon.

"For folks who are saying there's some sort of mysterious problem with it, I think it's way too early for us to know that," Schmitz said. "Let's let it take effect. If there's some sort of problem, then it'll become apparent, and it can be fixed then."

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