Help educate Minnesota legislators about the need for dog and cat breeder regulation and inform them about S.F. 462 / H.F. 702.

Please call, write and/or email your State Senator and State Representative and urge their support of this legislation.

Be sure to mention both the bill numbers (S.F. 462/H.F. 702) and names of the chief authors (Senator Goodwin / Representative Lesch).

1. Find your State Senator and State Representative here

2. Call, email, or write both your State Senator and your State Representative.

3. You will likely speak with an aide who will relay your message. Sample messages:

State Senator: You can say, “As a constituent of Senator __________, I am contacting him/her to urge support of the Dog and Cat Breeder Regulation Bill, Senate File 462. This bill is authored by Senator Barb Goodwin. It will regulate the dog and cat breeding industry in Minnesota and help prevent inhumane breeding practices and conditions. Thank you.”

State Representative: You can say, “As a constituent of Representative ____________, I am contacting him/her to urge support of the Dog and Cat Breeder Regulation Bill, House File 702. This bill is authored by Representative John Lesch. It will regulate the dog and cat breeding industry in Minnesota and help prevent inhumane breeding practices and conditions. I would also appreciate it if you would sign onto the bill as a co-author. Thank you.”

Here are a few additional talking points:

THE SITUATION
The problem is inhumane dog and cat breeding practices in Minnesota by unscrupulous or negligent breeders, and a lack of oversight of this industry.

No state laws
Minnesota has no state laws to license, inspect or regulate the dog and cat breeding industry.

Top producers
Minnesota is among the top producers of puppies in the United States with some of the largest breeding kennels in the nation – housing 300, 600 or over 1,000 dogs and puppies. Kittens are also mass-produced in Minnesota.

Substandard and deplorable conditions
While many breeders in Minnesota act responsibly, there are unscrupulous or negligent breeders who have created deplorable breeding conditions. Adult dogs and cats live their entire lives in small, overcrowded cages and are bred repeatedly. Cages are often stacked, allowing feces and urine to fall onto the animals below. Animals may be malnourished from inadequate food and water, receive little of not veterinary care, are stressed from constant confinement and neglect, have fleas, worms, etc. Many have deformed paws, are severely matted, or are burned from sitting and standing in urine and feces. The animals are rarely, if at all, provided human interaction or socialization, resulting in behavioral problems (including aggression and anxiety).

Additional information on dog and cat breeding in Minnesota here

Thank you for taking action and speaking up for Minnesota’s dogs and cats!