Support legislation to stop the inhumane suffering of puppy mills

The United States Department of Agriculture is complicit in the suffering of dogs and puppies raised in federally licensed puppy mills, which is why I am asking our lawmakers to cosponsor and pass Goldie’s Act (H.R. 6100). This federal agency has responsibility for protecting dogs from cruelty in USDA-licensed commercial facilities, but they rarely take action to fulfill this mandate. Goldie’s Act would make this pattern a thing of the past and ensure that the USDA is properly enforcing the law. A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers introduced this  federal legislation in honor of Goldie — a golden retriever who suffered terribly before dying in an  Iowa puppy mill. The neglect that Goldie experienced is common in these facilities because the  USDA refuses to do its job. Goldie’s Act would require the USDA to intervene in cases of visible  neglect and to notify local law enforcement about documented Animal Welfare Association violations.  

 

Overall, this bill would help ensure that no more dogs suffer Goldie’s fate. I thank  Representative Nancy Mace for cosponsoring Goldie’s Act and urge my neighbors to ask their  Representatives to do the same to protect vulnerable dogs and puppies. 

 

Dave Parr is a Daniel Island resident and a volunteer legislative advocate for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.