Protections for Iowa’s dogs could become federal law if two bills reintroduced by Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa 3) pass.
Nunn, three other Republicans and two Democrats, reintroduced the old Rep. Cindy Axne’s (D) bipartisan bill, dubbed Goldie’s Act.
The bill would be repress the flaws to enforce the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and strengthen U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection requirements.
“Dogs are members of the family and they deserve the best defense against people who would harm them,” Nunn said in a news release. “These bipartisan bills are important to ensure better protections for dogs and to hold individuals accountable for their cruel behavior.”
In Memory of the Iowa Dog
Goldie’s Act was named in memory of one of the dogs abused in the Wayne County puppy mill owned by Daniel Gingerich. Goldie, a golden retriever, was suffering from extreme malnutrition, but his condition was never officially reported or considered a violation of the AWA.
She was ultimately euthanized by state veterinarians when she was found emaciated and without water during a 2021 rescue operation carried out by the Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
For years, Iowa’s puppy mill problem has made headlinesAnd Iowa Consistently Ranks High in Number of Puppy Mills with violations. In 2022, the Humane Society of the United States ranked Iowa second for breeder violations, with 17. Only Missouri, with 26, had more.
How new laws would change this
One of the biggest problems with regulating puppy mills, particularly in Iowa, is that inspectors fail to report violations by breeders. The breeders denounced are rarely punished or have their suffering animals removed. Violations are also not shared with local law enforcement.
Goldie’s Law would require the USDA to conduct more frequent inspections and require inspectors to document and report all violations, confiscate suffering animals, impose penalties for violations, and share information with law enforcement in a timely manner. timely.
Nunn also introduced the Puppy Protection Act, aimed at amending the AWA and codifying the operating procedures of places such as puppy mills, to ensure a healthy living environment, adequate housing, appointments regular veterinarians and a healthy diet.
Both parties like it
There was a time when Republicans actively mock animal cruelty lawsincluding this very bill, when Axne introduced it.
But this version of Goldie’s Act and the Puppy Protection Act now have bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, and they are endorsed by the ASPCA and Wayne County Sheriff Keith Davis, who helped prosecute Gingerich in 2021.
“It was a horrible case of abuse, with hundreds of dogs in distress and filthy conditions that should never happen again,” Davis said of Gingerich’s operation. “I am optimistic that under the bipartisan Goldie’s Act, we can prevent future animal abuse and also hold the USDA accountable.”
Both bills were referred to the House Agriculture Committee.
“Goldie’s Act, named after a dog who endured months of agony and pain under USDA watch and suffered a preventable death in an Iowa puppy mill, will prevent thousands of other vulnerable dogs to meet the same tragic and unacceptable fate at the hands of the federal agency obligated to protect them,” said Matt Bershadker, president and CEO of the ASPCA.
“We urge Congress to include Goldie’s Law in the next Farm Bill to ensure that USDA fulfills its responsibility under the law – and to taxpayers – to protect dogs raised and stored for the pet trade company,” Bershadker continued.
Nicolas Hytrek
03/30/23
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