Ref the so-called puppy mill bill things are not so simple as you make it sound.  The Ohio Farm Bureau has allegedly agreed to back the two bills currently in the state legislature one of which is SB 95.  The Ohio Farm Bureau has tremendous clout and could make it very difficult for us to get some very bad provisions dropped or revised.

While this bill is a great improvement over previous attempts it still has some very problematic provisions that would impact every citizen in the state of Ohio with an intact dog because the definition of a kennel of keep, maintain, dogs for breeding for a fee or other consideration combined with the definition of a breeding dog is an intact animal would force individuals to prove their intact dog is not being kept for breeding purposes. If the dog has ever produced a litter of puppies you’re in real trouble. Ever try to prove a negative?  Why force someone to get a kennel license even if they have just one dog?  To provide a database of intact dogs to enable the proposed kennel authority to execute the other clause that allows them to conduct a warrantless search of anyone’s property to include the privacy of their home solely on the basis of an inspector’s whim or anonymous tip. Want a warrant? No problem but you will have to pay for the costs of exercising your 5th amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures. 

The proponents of this bill are on record as saying they want ALL breeders to be licensed and the ability to make unannounced inspections at any time.

You know? I’m really disappointed that it appears that farmers are already offering up Ohio’s pet breeders as their scape goat. As a responsible dog breeder, I’m extremely disappointed by the concessions that were made regarding Ohio’s pets here. There’s already a breeder bill that they’re trying to ram through that limits breeders to 5 breeding animals (how long until it’s two? One?). I think that the Ohio Livestock Advisory Board needs to remember that lots and lots of pet loving people (especially dog breeders!!) voted for Ohio Issue 2 because we thought that it may help protect us as well. I’d appreciate it if they not sell us under the bus in their attempts to deflect attention away from themselves.

Why did the Ohio Farm Bureau negotiate with the HSUS by agreeing to sell out the pet industry in Ohio?

Sing To The Ohio State Fight Song:

Fight animal terrorists,
From Washington, DC.

Fight animal terrorists,
also Wayne Pa-Cell-ee

O-HI-O!

Fight animal terrorists
Rise up and fight them all
Our Farms, we’ll defend
We’ll fight to the end
For O-HI-O

“...A promise that the Governor will “push an administrative rule prohibiting citizens from keeping bears, lions, and chimpanzees as pets.” I didn’t know this was a huge problem. Honestly, how many Ohioans are hoarding Gentle Ben in the root cellar?”

I just wanted to make a comment about this. I have recently learned that exotic pets in Ohio ARE a problem. I feel just because people haven’t heard of it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. In just a short search I found that no permit is required for owning an exotic pet in Ohio and that in rural areas owning an exotic pet is not illegal.

http://www.bornfreeusa.org/b4a2_exotic_animals_summary.php
http://www.whiotv.com/news/16080722/detail.html

I feel that with the comment in this story anyone would shrug off the idea of exotic pets in Ohio, but it is important people do research and not just assume.

What you fail to note in your article may be the most important fact of all…all of those 500,000 signatures will remain valid and can be used to get this initiative on the ballot another year.  It is definitely not a clear win for the bureau - I would say, if anything, it is a truce for the time being.  If significant changes are not made to improve the conditions on factory farms (something the livestock care board will be considering) the initiative could be started up again next year.

MS,

You are misinformed. BornFree/the API is another radical animal rights outfit whose aims are in line with those of PETA and HSUS: outlawing all possession of reptiles and other exotic animals in captivity.

You cannot lump all species of wild and exotic animals into the same level of “danger” category as bears and the big cats for example. The vast majority of species commonly available in the pet industry are small, harmless, and easily kept and bred in many households settings given the individual has the knowledge or has conducted the basic research to do so.

Some species of reptiles, namely venomous reptiles and some species of large constrictors, can present some level of occupational risk to their owners. But however, there is no factual or statistical evidence to suggest that keeping those animals presents any more of a risk than interacting with many domesticated species such as cattle, pigs, and horses (which have been PROVEN statistically to contribute to far more human injuries and fatalities on a yearly basis).

Other objects and activities we encounter in our daily lives also kill and injure people. Every year, dozens drown in swimming pools, are stuck by lightning, injured by power tools, among many other things. But despite this there are no calls to have swimming pools or even going outside declared inherently dangerous and outlawed.

I’m not sure what Jessica Englund means by a “responsible dog breeder”... perhaps that means she operates a shelter? Because that is the only responsible thing to do, while unwanted dogs across the country are being killed due to pet overpopulation. Responsible for that, sure.

Here is yet another reason to push for social change rather than legislative change…

Ohio does have a huge problem/issue with exotic animals. We’ll have to see what comes from this but from someone who has investigated this issue for years any step forward would be a good one.

Exotic - who defines it.

Your examples citing an African parrot and Lhasa Apso are not that far of a stretch.  There was a time when certain breeds of dogs like salukis, once called Persian Greyhounds, were exhibits in zoos. The Canaan Dog, the ancient dog of the Israelites that went feral after the dispersion of the Israelites by the Romans over 2,000 years ago, was only recently re-domesticated circa late 1940s.  Would these breeds be considered an exotic? It most certainly is one of the rarest breeds recognized by the AKC with fewer than 200 registered in any given year.

And then there is the matter of the wild domestic hybrids such as Bengal cats and Savannahs.  Will all Bengals and Savannahs be outlawed or just the ones that are F1 crosses meaning one parent is in the case of a Bengal Cat an Asian Leopard Cat the other a domestic shorthair cat or in the case of a Savannah one parent is a Serval the other a domestic cat.  An F2 is a cat one generation removed from the wild cat, i.e. grandparent is the wild cat.  An F4 is 3 generations removed i.e. the great, great grandparent is the wild cat. F4’s are in all respects domesticated, the act and behave just like any other domesticated cat.

And as for the parrots, conures, etc part of the stated goal of the AR’s to include HSUS is the elimination of pet ownership.  It is not much of a stretch to believe the legislation will be written so as to make it as difficult as possible to continue breeding species of parrots that have been domesticated for decades by crafting a definition a vague definition that could be interpreted by authorities to mean birds such as Macaws, Cockatoos, Conures, African Greys, Falcons (falconry is a millennium-old sport) as exotics and therefore banned or further breeding of same after a certain date.  It should be noted that importation of wild caught members of these species was outlawed a good many years ago.

Forgot to mention the Basenji as well. Not the domestic ones but the ones that were brought back to the United States n the 1980s and a decade or so later from local tribes living deep in the forests of the Congo much as they have for centuries.  Would these dogs be considered exotic??  Arguably they most certainly could.

These dogs were brought into the United States to expand the gene pool to try to address Falconi syndrome that a good many Basenjis were in North America were either afflicted with or carriers for because virtually all North American basenjis went back to the original 20 or so dogs brought out of Africa.  AKC opened up the stud book and allowed the progeny of these dogs to be registered.  The bringing in of these new dogs from the Congo was successful in achieving its goal of reducing the incidence of Falconi’s in Basenji’s.  It also introduced the brindle color into the breed.

It should be pointed out that this was all financed and done by the serious fanciers and responsible Basenji breeders NOT HSUS or any other AR groups who by the way have not spent one thin dime on Animal Health research to find the causes and cures for the many diseases that afflict domestic animals.  The serious breeders and fanciers of the many dog breeds out their that HSUS/PeTA, et al villify with their don’t breed or by why shelter dogs die campain and try to regulate out of existence via their use of licensing, zoning, mandatory spay/neuter, strict limit laws, and anti-breeder legislation are the ones who have literally donated millions and provided blood and tissue samples of their dogs to help find cures to canine diseases etc.  What goes unsaid is that all of the pet owners and adopters of mixed breeds etc are benefactors of the dog fancy and sportsman’s largess.

a step"forward’ in exotics would be to stop trying to regulate them so strictly.. “exotics’ do little harm to anyone..the fact that they ARE “exotic” makes them and unknown to most people.. and unknown means “scary”.. to most..I hardly think Ohio has a “huge’ problem with “exotics”.. or any other animal..
I do think that dog breeders and ‘exotics” are being thrown under the HSUS bus.. so gather your forces Ohio.. vote out the troublemakers.. ( the Gov for one) and defend your rights…

@Mike,

Please explain to me how responsible breeders—people who take any dog that they’ve ever bred back for re-homing (should their new family ever decide the can no longer care for it)—should be held personally responsible for shelter dogs? Should I expect to hold you personally accountable for the childhood obesity epidemic if you’re not personally contributing to it? If not, why not? How is that any different?

Some people, like myself, just don’t want a mixed breed dog. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting predictability in appearance, temperament and health of our pets.

The press releases already have really determined the winners and losers here. This whole thing indicates that the farm community will give up gauges, in whatever form, for whatever animal.
  Farmers didn’t gain anything they just get to hold on a while longer. This generation of farmers get to wear out their investment but the future is questionable. 
  HSUS has more funds to fight the next time. We farmers go back out to the barn and keep our noses to the grindstone.
  Farmers must invest in their future by supporting business organizations that have the same concerns for staying in business as the farmers. Support your farm organizations first, but also join the business organizations such as NFIB or Chambers of Commerce. This will take money but look at the money resources of our adversaries.
  The fight is not over. The truce will give them more time to get more money and attack others to give the perception Ohio is an anomaly and must be brought into the present and they will define the present.

Yep, looks like Farm Bureau is slowing selling out to HSUS.
Like in Iowa, the Farm Bureau was on board with the dog people during the last legislative session.  As soon as the word animals in the bill was replaced with dogs/cats, they bailed faster that a lightning strike.
This compromise in OH is NOT a win for the livestock industry. Maybe temporarily, but HSUS was the big winner as they did get a concession.  Their toe is in the door. Ohio FB, what a disappointment.
Like USDA, another big organization that we thought would help to defend the dog breeder, can be kissed good bye.
Indications that USDA had sold out was evident a year ago when Dr. Gibbons testified at a legislative committee hearing in IA.
Dog breeders, we are in deep doodoo.
We’ll keep fighting.
We have to.

I keep hearing that “Ohio has a big problem with exotic animals”, but where are the facts and statistics to support that notion?

So Ohio farmers won HSUS got a draw.  Ohio pet breeders are losing.  Makes a great headline and if that’s all people Do is read the headline they will think it is all good.  We have to make sure it gets out how this affects the pet industry.  Too bad they sold out the pet breeders now.  Agriculture’s turn is coming because of it.

As far as Farm Bureau agreeing to back two bills already in the state legislature, they couldn’t unless the organization already had passed a resolution to support such actions. That’s how a grass-roots organization works.

The organization, as a whole, cannot support a measure or action that hasn’t been brought forth by a member and approved by the whole organization as a resolution and then set as policy.

According to Ohio Farm Bureau’s site…the policy positions set for this year on companion animals are:
“We support continued inspection and licensing of kennels and businesses engaged in the sale of pets.
We oppose placing more stringent regulations on the private sale of dogs.”

To me, it sounds as if Ohio Farm Bureau is against any further restrictions that aren’t already in place in the state. And those policies cannot be changed until after the Ohio Farm Bureau state convention (which is in December).

There is no mistaking that the Ohio Farm Bureau threw dog breeders and exotic animal owners under the bus in order to save their own interests.  The HSUS has had it sights on ending exotic animal ownership in OH for many years and so far we have been able to hold them off.  But once they get their foot in the door in OH, which they just did, the HSUS will come back around and kick the farmers in the rear.  Make no mistake about it, the HSUS got just what they wanted and even though Gov Strickland and the Ohio Farm Bureau may think they pulled one over the HSUS, they just dug all of us our own grave.  We have to unite as one voice.  Dog and cat breeders, exotic animal owners, farmers and anybody else who has an interest in or is a stake holder in the animal industry need to come together as a united front against the HSUS’s banning bills.

It seems very irresponsible to chalk this up as a win for the agriculture community- HSUS is truly the only group to gain ANYTHING from this agreement. Science-based animal care practices will be outlawed thanks to the political bullying of an out-of-state group.

This is disappointing- Ohio was truly the battleground to watch, but the agricultural community has seemingly shown the country that we have given up.

Don’t forget—agriculture provides the jobs of one in seven Ohioans. How many jobs or economic activity does HSUS generate? Zero.

It is all a bunch of crap….Ohio Farm Bureau gave in….I thought we were defending gestation crates and the reason for having them….I thought we were defending cages for chickens and the reason for having them…truly disappointed.

So far, HSUS has never compromised.  They take what they can get now, and come back next year to take more.  That’s what Wayne Pacelle said in his reaction to this.

I think we should be grateful they didn’t get more.  They are very good at spinning their story and enticing good people to support them.

I agree it sure looks like we hobby breeders have been thrown under the bus by the Farm Bureau.  But just because that’s happened doesn’t mean we should give up, or that they will continue to.  AKC has abandoned us in the past and we’ve won anyway.  And finally, I think, they’re beginning to see that compromise leads nowhere.

Sadly, the AR movement is not going away.  The good news is that more and more people are exposed to what they’re really after.  So if we all keep saying NO to HSUS, every time they try to advance their agenda, and talk, talk, talk to everyone who will listen.  It’s possible to hold them off.  I hope!

The next step is when producers in states that have sold out to HSUS try to level the playing field by requiring all food coming into the state meets the same guidelines. I thought we had a chance with a battle in Ohio, now it appears HSUS is clearly winning the war.. seems to me, foreign animal ag wins every time HSUS does.

Anytime the HSUS gets “50/50”, they’ve won!

Dog/cat owners, we need to stand up and be heard, or forever be silenced by those who want to control every facet of our lives and hobbies.

Go to hsussucks.com and read the article The Mob, HSUS and the Black Egg. It’s all a racketeering scheme and artifice to control the ag industry, the pet industry… it was a SELL OUT throwing exotic pet owners and dog breeders under the bus… thanks for being SO CHICKEN Farm Bureau! JUST SAY NO TO HSUS and get the Dept of Justice to investigate them. They are paying off politicians left and right.

Compromise means both sides have something to give up.  HSUS has nothing to give up to our side…..so we are the only ones who will have to give in a compromise.  We MUST NOT COMPROMISE!!

Not having read the specifics of the bill (yet) I can’t say for sure what it says regarding canines.  As a Farm Bureau member and, in fact, highly involved in the policy development process, I would caution those outside of the puppy business to do their research.  I’d put a lot of money on the table betting that, not unlike their treatment of the ag industry, HSUS would have the public believe that 98% of puppies come from thousands of terrible, horrible, very bad “puppy mills.” In fact, it is most likely just a few bad apples ruining it for everyone else. Remember, those familiar with farming, how HSUS would have the public think we all own “factory farms” and that to organize as a corporation is tantamount to killing your children.  Because many in the public arena do not go to the trouble of researching the truth, they’ll believe anything the nut cases from HSUS tell them.  We should know better and support the canine producers.  I for one will be researching this and will propose policy to back the kennels if it’s called for.  I might also add, however, that FB doesn’t have to wait for the annual meeting.  At least our county code allows our board to set policy anytime of year on behalf of our constituents.

mary Lou you hit the nail on the head.  You can not compromise with the HSUS.  to them that is a win as they have all the time and money in the world to get their laws passed.  As long as it happens it can take a year or five just as long as it happens.
I am so tired of being the sacrificial lamb (dog breeder)thrown to the wolves to appease HSUS to keep them off of everybody else’s case.  It only buys agriculture a few years and when they come to get you who will stand up to defend you? They will weed us out one at a time til we are not strong enough to fight back.  Dog breeders are the first step.  Is that so hard to see?

The media pic of the three men standing together, in agreement, is enough to turn one’s stomach. FB has no business bargaining away others’ rights, and expecting respect-from anyone. Specialty Serpent’s comments are spot-on. Grand-fathering is an eventual ban, since you cannot buy or replace. Thanks for n-o-t-h-i-n-g farm bureau, except for proof that evilness and selfishness is alive and well. The OLC board was FB’s brainchild but I keep being told not to blame FB for this display of utter ignorance. United unto themselves only. What a horrible day for Ohio, nothing to be proud of for anyone.

Nancy, it just is so very difficult for people to comprehend that.  WHY do WE “NEED” to COMPROMISE, most of us are INNOCENT and love our animals but the HSUS/PETA/ETC. all want us jailed for FELONIES and listed on a CRUELTY LIST when in truth THEY and many of the AC folks are the ones who should be listed and jailed.  They “believe” if anyone ever had a litter, they are criminals and they believe show people are ABUSIVE just because they walk the animals around the ring!  FURTHER, some of those sheeple that work “for them” haven’t a clue what is going on, they actually think GROOMING a dog is ABUSIVE.

HSUS is STILL a COMMIE organization and using the “progressive” politicians to help take animals from our lives and the animal products as well!

As an aminal/human rights activist… it saddens me to see so many people worried about being able to keep gestation crates and battery cages… When did we care more about a quick buck than making animals lives ok.  Farmers are the source of everything we need to live in this world.  I love farmers.  Most of the farmers i know love their animals and take care of them.  What this bill and HSUS is talking about is FACTORIES!  Animals shouldn’t be in a FACTORY.  They aren’t COMMODITIES!  They are living beings.  Let’s make a few dollars less per pound of meat, in order to let these animals have a decent life.

HSUS does not care about the price of protein unless it is in the form of soy or other plant based protein. Education, not legislation, gives people a choice. People should also have the choice of pet, not told to go to your local shelter. The wording of SB95 is why it, and previous bills, have not passed. They are a set up for failure, when people fail it’ll be the song and dance “see, we told you” and the enacted legislation will not be to blame in their eyes, just blame those not believing in immaculate conception of dogs.
I can’t locate stats anywhere to support a ban of exotics. Anyone saying “one death is too many” needs to consider race car, skydiving, the stairs in your home and even your bathtub. There are quite a few exotic owners in Ohio, you don’t hear about them- simply because they DON’T have the claimed “dangerous” label and are not media worthy. Education again, not legislation and banning. I’ve seen reports of horses and cattle killing people. Why choose exotics to throw under the bus? A smaller victory for HSUS and ignorant tactic by the “bureaus and bureaucrats”, only causing a divide amongst animal owners and animal industry. I honestly don’t know how some sleep at night when they show the ethical prowess of HSUS themselves. Ehhh, can’t keep ‘em all happy, throw ‘em under the HSUS bus. Too bad it’s a one-way street with no turn around. FB FAIL

James H- Yes, animals are commodities. Otherwise, you would be unable to purchase or own one or even any. Food, pet or anything. But the term ‘owner’ is trying to be usurped and replaced with ‘guardian’-now think about why.

If the HSUS gets an INCH then that is the camel’s nose under the tent and you can bet they will bulldoze on in, in a heartbeat.

I have to tell you that when Ohio decided to form that group, I was concerned that it was a bad move.  I just hate it when I’m right.

If the deal is not honored, the 500,000+ signatures are still good!  A ballot initiative could still occur based on those signatures.

James H, not to worry.  The types of reforms advocated by the HSUS have begun sweeping the entire country. Ohio will not be at a disadvantage.

@diad- so have meth labs. Disadvantage? Yes, we just won’t be alone. Just like other controlling substances.

Any of these rules the HSUS wants because the HSUS wants to use us for profit.  The HSUS is a fraudulent charity that should be shut down and its leaders jailed.  In general the fanatic followers of the HSUS just hate us and want us to either die or live short miserable lives.

A loud, nasty, foolish minority of pet owners have done this to us and too many pet owners have allowed it.  We seem to think that it’s safe to have “just a few regulations” and it’s not.  The same people who went after exotic animals are going after our pet dogs. 

To amplify on a point that Nancy N made, the HSUS will punish anyone who has cooperated with it.  It sees cooperation as a sign that someone wants to be robbed. 

Governor Strickland and the Farm Bureau need to be investigated.  You can bet there’s something in their closet here.

There is a rampant fallacy to claim that the welfare in hens not kept in cages is better than those in cages.  The welfare issues may have been shifted, but this doesn’t mean that non-cage systems are better.  For example, the mortality rate of non-caged hens is about twice as large as for those kept in cages.  If you are a hen, this means that you are twice as likely to die, and the death is in fact not a pretty one.  The bottom quarter in the hen hierarchy lives a terrible life when there is no cage to protect them from the “picking mass”.  The same issue has been studied for gestation crates.  Life is miserable for the bottom third of gestating sows kept in groups.  You have pregnant animals fed restricted amounts of feed (or they would get too fat): needless to say that feeding time is not a pretty sight.  Alternatives to these are being designed and studied, but it is very unclear as to whether the welfare of the animal is improved at all.  That’s what animal welfare science says right now.  So Ohio Farm Bureau compromised… with someone who had nothing to give up in the process.  Pretty sad…

The Ohio Farm Bureau “compromising” with the terrorists of the H$U$ will work out precisely as well in Ohio as the French government “compromising” with the terrorists of the Islamic Jihad worked out in France. When will you Lefties finally learn the lesson that you CAN’T COMPROMISE WITH FANATICS?

You can jail them, you can expunge them, or you can eliminate them. “Compromising” with them only makes them demand more and commit more evil acts of hatred and destruction.