Bills would require pet breeders to be licensed, inspected
Legislation at the State Capitol would impose new requirements on dog and cat breeders in Minnesota. The bill would license operations with 10 or more breeding animals that produce more than five litters a year, and these breeders would be subject to annual inspections by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health.
"Animal breeders say Minnesota already has animal cruelty laws in place, and good breeders should not be punished," reports MPR News' Sasha Aslanian. "With that in mind, the Minnesota Pet Breeders Association and the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association, however, support a competing bill. The measure, sponsored by state Rep. Tim Faust, DFL-Hinckley, would leave it to veterinarians to inspect pet breeders."
"It's ironic, but sometimes it takes six years for people to really understand the bill and for the bill's authors, me included ... to find the sweet spot where that legislation is going to work," Lesch told MPR News.
Animal rights activists and the breeders are currently trying to come up with a compromise.
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