Pet Advocacy Network Applauds Governor Holcomb and the Indiana Legislature for Enacting the Highest Canine Welfare Standards
Alexandria, Va. – Today, Indiana Governor Holcomb signed HB 1412, the Puppy Protection Act, into law to praise from across the pet care community. We are grateful to the sponsors of this legislation who worked tirelessly to raise animal welfare standards and support responsible pet businesses: Representative Beau Baird and Senators Blake Doriot and Jean Leising.
Indiana will now ‘lead the pack’ as the state with the highest pet retail standards in the country, utilizing the decades of scientific research on canine well-being coming out of one of the state’s most prestigious veterinary programs at its very own Purdue University.
This bill sets rigorous standards that dog breeders must meet or exceed for physical and behavioral welfare in areas such as nutrition, veterinary care, genetic screening, housing, handling, and exercise. This bill will also have the Board of Animal Health conduct random inspections of commercial dog breeders, commercial dog brokers, and retail pet stores. Civil penalties will also be imposed for those who do not meet these important animal care standards.
“HB 1412 will vastly improve animal welfare in Indiana by eliminating pockets of the state with little to no regulation and by supporting the responsible pet care community who want to do things the right way,” said Pet Advocacy Network President & CEO Mike Bober.
“Last year the Indianapolis City-Marion County Council passed a pet sale ban that would have shut down five pet stores in the state capital, my hometown, had the Puppy Protection Act not passed. Stores in Indiana will be able to continue to contribute so much to the economy of Indiana and protect Hoosier jobs. This bill will reverse those harmful local ordinances and keep responsible, local pet shops thriving,” observed PAN Director of Government Affairs Ashley Brinkman.
Pet businesses operating in good faith regularly go above and beyond legal requirements to care for their animals and their customers. By driving prospective pet owners into the arms of unregulated, unscrupulous actors, pet sale bans often do more harm than good when it comes to protecting animal well-being.
Mr. Bober continued, “The Pet Advocacy Network is proud to support the passage of common-sense legislation like the Puppy Protection Act that improves animal welfare and ensures pet owners across Indiana continue to have reliable access to healthy animals to love as pets now and in the future.”
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About Pet Advocacy Network
The Pet Advocacy Network connects the experience and expertise of the responsible pet care community to lawmakers and governing bodies, advocating for legislative and regulatory priorities at the local, state, federal and international levels. Since 1971, the organization has worked to promote animal well-beingand responsible pet ownership, foster environmental stewardship, and ensure access to healthy pets, including small animals, cats, dogs, fish, reptiles, and birds. Pet Advocacy Network members include retailers, companion animal suppliers, manufacturers, wholesale distributors, manufacturers’ representatives, pet hobbyists, and other trade organizations.