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Breeders Pressuring Missouri Dept of Agriculture into weakening “The Solution”

updated

This is an alert that was put out by the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation (MAAL) and the Humane Society of Missouri. We’ll get into “I told you so”s at some later time. Right now, we all have to pull together to prevent this abominable action.

One of the regulations agreed to with the “Missouri Solution” was that each dog at a breeder must be physically examined annually by a veterinarian. The Proposition B rules that would have required that injuries and illnesses be treated by a veterinarian were removed, but at least this one minimal requirement was left.

The dog breeders agreed to this. Their representatives signed on to this.

Now, they’ve changed their mind. They’re pressuring the Missouri Department of Agriculture to drop this requirement and return it to the much weaker “visual inspection” that we had before Proposition B or the Missouri Solution. This means that all a vet needs to do is visit the breeder, have a cup of coffee, maybe glance into the cages (if the dogs are lucky), and then be on his or her merry way.

After all, it costs so much money to actually physically care for the dogs.

The commercial dog breeders are now trying to pressure the Missouri Department of Agriculture to weaken this provision to require only a “visual inspection” of the dogs rather than a complete hands-on physical examination. Many breeders are even insisting that the dogs do not need to be removed from their cages for this required annual examination. Predictably, one of their main concerns appears to be the added expense of a hands-on exam vs. a visual inspection of their dogs.

This is what comes from expecting honorable behavior from dishonorable people. However, for Nixon and Hagler to even contemplate this weakening of a law they touted as a “wonderful compromise” just a few short months ago…well, so much for respecting the voters of the state of Missouri.

Right now, you need to send a letter. No, not an email. No, not a phone call—a letter.

You need to send a letter expressing your outrage of this underhanded move. However, don’t write like I do at this site. HSMO and MAAL are asking that you be “polite”. So be polite. Feel free to bitch on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+, but be polite in the letter.

The “official comment period”, which the Department of Agriculture didn’t deign to let the public know about, ends September 30th, so you need to hustle. You can express your opinion of this move, as well as provide other comments on the new rules.

Send letters to both Jon Hagler, Director of the Department of Agriculture, and Dr. Taylor Woods, State veterinarian. The addresses are:

Dr. Taylor H. Woods (now Dr. Linda Hickam)
State Veterinarian
PO Box 630
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0630

Dr. Jon Hagler
Director of Agriculture
Missouri Department of Agriculture
1616 Missouri Blvd.
Jefferson City, MO 65102

The only required letter is to the State Veterinarian, but I’d send a letter to both.

If you want me to publish your letter, please email me a copy.

Please also email all your Missouri friends and family, and ask them to write a letter, too.

The dogs need us.

updated

A new State Veterinarian has just been chosen: Linda Hickam. Address your letter to her directly.

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