Victory: Texas Gets Its First Puppy Mill Law!

Victory: Texas Gets Its First Puppy Mill Law!

On Friday, June 17, Texas Governor Rick Perry signed into law the Commercial Dog and Cat Breeders Act (CDCBA), which establishes minimum standards for the humane handling, care, housing and transportation of dogs and cats kept by large-scale Texas breeders. Texas's commercial dog and cat breeders have always operated free of state oversight, meaning the animals at most of these facilities are unprotected.

Lack of state inspections meant that Texas was becoming a haven for bad breeders-but once the new law goes into effect this September, many commercial breeding facilities will have to open their doors to inspectors for the first time.

The new law applies to cat and dog breeders who maintain 11 or more female breeding animals and sell 20 or more animals per year. It requires that breeders be inspected and that enclosures have adequate drainage, are made out of safe materials and have adequate space for animals to comfortably stand, sit, turn around and lie down in a natural position.

"As evidenced by their strong support of the Commercial Dog and Cat Breeders Act, Texans truly care about their pets," says Jill Buckley, ASPCA Senior Director of Government Relations. "Texas was one of the last states without a law concerning commercial breeding operations; this bill marks a new era in the Lone Star State."

The final version of the law did not include all the humane provisions we had worked for-namely, language to prohibit wire flooring and the stacking of cages was removed. However, the new law is a very important first step,
and the ASPCA will continue to work  with legislative leaders to address the problems associated with wire flooring and the stacking of cages in puppy mills.

For more information on the ASPCA's efforts to fight puppy mill cruelty nationwide, please visit http://www.aspca.org/puppymills.