On May 12, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) introduced crucial reforms to protect animals in puppy mills, research labs and roadside zoos.
Under the new regulations, puppy breeders and roadside zoos will no longer have their licenses automatically renewed every year. Rather, they’ll be required to apply for a new license every three years and pass an inspection to get it. This stops cruel breeders who repeatedly violate the Animal Welfare Act from continuing to operate without an evaluation.
Additionally, puppy breeders are required to comply with increased veterinary care standards, including 24-hour access to clean drinking water — a condition that was shockingly not necessary prior to these new reforms — and apply for a new license if the number of animals they’re keeping at their facilities greatly increases.
While the USDA should be applauded for establishing stricter rules and regulations for the inhumane puppy mill industry, it simply isn’t enough. Dogs still live in deplorable conditions at best, and bipartisan legislation that goes beyond the new licensing requirements has been introduced to Congress in order to help combat this tragedy.
“Despite the Animal Welfare Act, too many dogs are still treated inhumanely by commercial breeders,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, one of the sponsors on the Puppy Protection Act, “and spend their whole lives in conditions that most dog owners would find cruel and completely unacceptable.”
The Puppy Protection Act aims to improve these dreadful conditions and make sure puppies are both healthy and safe.
The USDA must continue to do the right thing for innocent dogs forced to endure horrifying situations. Sign Lady Freethinker’s petition urging Congress to pass the Puppy Protection Act, protecting thousands of dogs from harmful, profit-driven breeders.

Please ban puppy mills. They are cruel and traumatize animals immensely.
You are all sick bastards and need to be punished for what you do to animals.
Jail time is not good enough for you, but they should do to you what you did to these poor animals.
Rot you know where!
Well said!
CLOSE ALL PUPPIE MILLS!! N
This poor pig. they have feelings just like the jerks that were beating on him. I hope that they are given the maximum penalty for animal cruelty and are beaten with broom handles also!!!!
Rot in prison POS!
Puppy Mills? Are we still in the dark ages?? Get rid of them now!
There is no need for puppy mills .
there are plenty of animals that need adopting.
no need to produce more
they are costly and they usually have health problems.
just go to a shelter please
Why are puppy mills tolerated? Do we need pure breeds that bad? They are animals, not possessions that. They shouldn’t be bred to please us and sold for a profit, very selfish. Mutts are more cute and fun anyways!
Of course, dogs have the same right to life and normal existence as all living things on our planet.
Animals should be safe and protected.
Why not an ANNUAL license with surprise inspections? They can still criminally abuse animals and make a profit for 365 days of the year for two years and 364 days of the 3rd year before their license is renewed? This is considered a greater restriction of criminal behavior? Are taxpayers paying for this “enforcement?” And by the way, puppies are NOT agriculture.
There should be NO-NOT A SINGLE- puppy mill!!!
Tout à fait d’accord
It’s pitiful, it should be far more strict. These things HAVE to stop and for that, the law has to be much more strict.
People!! Your not doing tour jobs!!
Stop the torture and murder of innocent animals!
All these animals need your protection!!
Please stop puppy mills now!!
Stop the puppy mills.Please!!!
USDA stinks to high heaven. They are as fickle as the day is long. They propose high speed kills for animals on farm factories, but do this? I don’t understand them.
Regulations for puppy mill breeders???? How about shutting those hell holes forever…but no, the corruption money is too great to ignore.
Instead of just fining these cruel illegal breeders put them in prison for a long time. If they are just fined they will make money out of breeding again and again. Grass on these wicked fiends.
A step in the right direction but more needs to be done.
This must end NOW.
AKC has people that inspect these puppy mills but it’s corrupted by money. The inspectors take money from the breeders to look the other way. Watch Nation Puppy Mill rescues on youtube. They rescue these AKC puppies from places that have been inspected by AKC. AKC is EVIL!
Sorry it’s National Mill Dog Rescue https://nmdr.org/
This is a welcome improvement but much more needs to be done.
Yeah like catching the USDA and AKC inspectors taking bribes to look the other way.
Stopp denne torturen av dyr
its time to close them all
Agree.
Stricter rules my butt. They should be made to apply for, and be examined by a qualified inspector, every year! Better still, outlaw puppy mills and roadside zoos altogether!!!