USSA Secures a Pair of Victories in Ohio

Two Bills Harming Sporting Dog Breeders Stopped

As 2008 drew to a close, the USSA added to its victories with two wins in Ohio. Two bills that represented threats to sporting dog breeders were stopped cold due to an intense lobbying and grassroots effort by the USSA.

The first bill, House Bill 223, was designed to regulate “puppy mills.” While the proponents of the measure claimed HB 223 would only affect “puppy mills, sporting dog breeders were directly impacted as there was no differentiation between them and those the bill was supposedly designed to go after, namely abusive commercial breeders. HB 223 was stopped in its tracks and never received a vote.

Meanwhile, the Senate was debating HB 446, which would have required that all rabies vaccines be administered by a veterinarian. The USSA spent weeks at the statehouse explaining that this would drastically increase the cost of vaccinating dogs, by mandating additional vet visits. The USSA also offered several alternatives that maintained a focus on public safety, but that would reduce the burden on responsible sporting breeders. The bill never received a vote and died at the end of session.

The USSA will continue to remain vigilant should these bills be introduced again in the new legislative session beginning in January.