PETITION TARGET: Pennsylvania Legislators
UPDATE 4/10/2023: Victoria’s Law has been re-introduced as HB 846. We’ll keep advocating for this important legislation to pass! — Lady Freethinker Staff
*
A 90-pound German Shepherd, crammed into a crate on a Pennsylvania puppy mill farm, had lost the ability to walk from an incurable genetic disease. But that didn’t stop her “guardian” from breeding her, over and over again, for 10 years, until she had birthed 150 puppies who inherited her disease.
The dog, Victoria, caught the eye of a shelter rescuer who saved her. She’s now the legacy behind Victoria’s Law — legislation currently before the Pennsylvania House (as HB 1299) and the Senate (as SB234) which, if passed, would ban pet store sales of live dogs, cats, and rabbits unless they come from shelters or rescues.
The law aims to further crack down on Pennsylvania’s sordid history of serving as a hotspot for “puppy mills” — the term given to any breeding facility where profit takes priority over animals’ welfare.
This lifesaving legislation could not come at a more important time.
Despite state efforts to improve conditions, six Pennsylvania breeders last year made the Humane Society’s “Horrible Hundred” list — a nationwide probe into the worst puppy mills in the country. This year, eight different breeders made the list.
Conditions identified in inspection reports included a lack of veterinary care, dogs in poor health, dirty kennels and crates, animals exposed to extreme temperatures, and dogs without reliable access to food and water.
Ending a profitable market for these innocent animals would help save their lives, and Victoria’s Law is a critical step in the right direction.
Sign our petition urging Pennsylvania legislators to prioritize, pass, and fund needed enforcement actions to meaningfully establish Victoria’s Law, and so help end the needless and severe suffering of animals throughout the state.
