HB 582 and HB 570 will hurt responsible breeders!
Montana has always been one of the last best places to take a stand against the animal rights/anti-breeding groups that have swarmed the US like a plague of locusts. This year we are literally under attack. I can't even keep up with the anti-breeding bills coming through the House and Labor committee!
With every House Bill proposed, the words are identical, poorly written, unenforceable, never edited from year to year, only the title changes. Usually they are brought forth by an uniformed, anti-puppy mill (progressive?) Democrat who bought their irresponsibly bred mutt at the local shelter. (Yes, I actually ask elected legislators where they get their dogs!)
Wondering how it became a badge of honor to own a poorly bred, unwanted dog, sometimes with a dangerous/unstable DNA combination? Those PETA/HSUS TV and website campaigns have been powerful! I equate them to the campaign of lies and alternative facts that Breitbart and Fox News uses...and liberals lap it up off the floor in the exact same way, maybe even more, because doggies are cute.
I always breathe a sigh of relief when I count the Republican majority on legislative committees...and that is a sad admission coming from a Democrat! This year a Republican from Polson has brought forth the worst of them - HR 582. The hearing is March 23rd.
In 2015 we (responsible dog breeders from various dog clubs around Montana) battled both HSUS and PETA lobbyists and I was so proud of my common sense Montana legislators for utterly rejecting them.
These bills are so badly written that they can easily be interpreted to read that anyone who sells ONE dog or puppy a year, will be regulated as a commercial breeder. There is no exemption for reputable breeders and those of us who compete with our dogs. These bills would classify a person as a commercial breeder just for owning 8 intact competition quality dogs. Anything over 9 months old will be classified as a breeding dog, just because it is intact. Frankly, eight intact bitches is nothing to a person like me who is trying to manage two breeds...one of which is amongst the rarest in the world.
FACT: Every city and county in Montana has ordinances that deal directly with pet breeding, kennel requirements and licenses. If they have a problem with local pet breeders, they can change them easily enough to directly address it. Both HB 570 and HB 582 are unenforceable at the state level, if they cannot already be enforced at the local level. The waste of time, energy and state tax payer money chasing an AR/HSUS/PETA backed agenda is unacceptable.
Purebred Hobby and Preservation breeders pay the highest price by legislation like this, as we are left to fight a two sided front, battling an overreaching government as well as the viscous PR assault of misinformation and lies by those involved in the Rescue/Shelter/Animal Rights communities.
Make no mistake: THIS IS WAR. The goal of Animal Rights activists is to stop all pet breeding, showing no mercy to anyone. Most people don't realize that Shelters and Rescues have zero regulation, pay zero taxes and have access to an endless source of dogs, importing across state lines and even other countries when their supplies of locally bred puppies and dogs runs low. They will win and stay in business forever as more and more responsible, purebred dog breeders opt out of the war zone.
If they take us down in Montana there will be no place left to fight them...and you will be buying your next puppy from a highly regulated/high volume puppy mill, in a non-house environment, or a mutt puppy from the pound, that was probably imported from Asia.
HB 582 and HB 570 are still in play. Please, if you value purebred dogs and preservation breeders, take a stand against these BADLY WRITTEN, overreaching proposed breeder bills by using this easy form that can be sent to all of the BUSINESS and LABOR Committee members.
The American Kennel Club legislative alert breaks it down quite clearly.
March 28, 2017 UPDATE: Both HB 570 and HB582 failed in committee! Safe until 2019 when the legislature reconvenes. Hooray!