News on the new APHIS Rules....

Can anyone say intentionally vague ???  

(APHIS is part of the United States Department of Agriculture. The acronym stands for "Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.")

Those of you who are "just pet owners", not breeders, may think this ruling has nothing to do with you and others like you, but it does. The intent of those behind the drive for these new rules is to eliminate dog breeders, not just "puppy mills"  but all breeders. Where  are you going to get your next dog when we're all gone? And if you enjoy competing , hunting, traveling or other activities with your dog, these new rules could ultimately impact your freedom to enjoy your four-legged friends.....

So, read on folks, and think about it...

no matter where you fall in the animal rights vs . animal welfare debate, if you love animals, there is a strong potential for the "ripple effect"  from these new regulations to have an impact on YOU. 

"Confusion" seems to be the key word when it comes to dog breeders—well actually cat and other animal breeders also—understanding the intricacies of the new APHIS rules that will go into effect in a couple of months.A recent conference call during which APHIS representatives attempted to answer sincere questions from breeders hoping to get some much needed clarification resulted in frustration, confusion, and more (unanswered) questions !---- If you go to http://tinyurl.com/nyb4s5g you can get a pdf of the actual transcript of the conference call. The September 18th "Read Between the lines - USDA Conference Call" posting on the Time 4 Dogs blog  is a clever and insightful read. 

The AKC website (akc.org) provides information in a FAQ format.

The Sportsmen's and Animal Owners'Voting Alliance (SAOVA) posted the following article to its blog: APHIS Final Rule Revising Pet Seller Exemptions and You

Intentionally vague rules and intentionally vague responses to concerned breeders' questions are scary. They leave a lot of issues open to "interpretation" that most of us are pretty sure will not be "interpreted" in favor of small hobby breeders who are NOT mass producing, breeding strictly for profit, or providing pet stores and unscrupulous people with animals simply because they meet the purchase price !