Animal Welfare Act would strengthen licensure requirements

CLEVELAND - 8/22/05 - Licensure for commercial dog and cat breeders would be strengthened if the Pet Animal Welfare Statute(PAWS)is amended.

Under current law, breeders who sell directly to the public do not have to be licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

PAWS would require any breeder who breeds more than six litters of dogs or cats and sells more than 25 dogs bred and raised on the premises to have a license.

If the facilities were required to be licensed by the USDA, they would be required by law to comply with standards of care given by the Animal Welfare Act.

PAWS also would require licensure for retail pet stores that imports dogs from outside of the country.

For daily Web updates, log onto www.dvmnewsmagazine.com