Friday, August 24, 2012

Friction at the Celebration Between Local and USDA Inspectors

Another good article in today's Tennessean about what's happening at the Celebration in Shelbyville. According to the latest news, there is tension between the local group inspecting the horses and the USDA inspectors. An outside veterinarian from Lexington has been called in to offer his opinion but the only opinion that really matters is that of the USDA inspectors. If they reject a horse or trainer, they are immediately out of the Celebration.

We're glad to see that U.S. Representative Scott DesJarlais has become involved in the inspection issue:


It was the second night of the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, the biggest show since the local industry and the U.S. Department of Agriculture squared off in federal court over the fairness of new, standardized penalties for horse abuse.
The USDA, which certifies 12 local groups to perform inspections in its place, is threatening to decertify the one based in Shelbyville over its failure to adopt the new rules. The local group, known as SHOW, is arguing that the rules don’t allow an appeals process for trainers who are cited, denying them due process.
U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais waded into the fray with an Aug. 16 letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack that claimed USDA penalties against trainers have increased more than tenfold since SHOW joined a lawsuit against the USDA in June.
Vilsack hasn’t responded yet, but DesJarlais said he spoke to a USDA representative at the Celebration.
“Everybody seems to want the same thing,” he said. “SHOW wants a fair event; the USDA wants to prevent the abuse of animals.
“I’m making sure what both parties say makes sense.”

Representative DesJarlais, from Tennessee's 4th District, is a good person to tackle Secretary Vilsack and the USDA. He sits on the Committee on Agriculture and the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry in the U.S. House of Representatives. From a number of angles, horses in our state (and in the U.S.) are one of his concerns.

We'll see how things go today, but the Celebration is only getting started. There is still over a week to go. Things could get even more interesting.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Walking horse event helps fuel economy

6:57 PM, Aug 21, 2012   |  
Written by
state Rep. Pat Marsh 
 
Today, Middle Tennessee kicks off the 74th annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. The Celebration is one of Tennessee’s most treasured, age-old tributes to one of the state’s most valuable assets: the Tennessee Walking Horse.
Founded in 1939 by Henry Davis, a walking horse enthusiast from Wartrace, the 11-day annual summer festival takes place in Shelbyville. More than 1,500 horses compete in 171 classes and the event names 39 world champions. The Celebration’s culminating event is the crowning of the world grand champion on the Saturday night before Labor Day, a momentous occasion filled with a multitude of festivities.
For more than 70 years, this tradition has exalted the rich history of the sport and at the same time left an indelible mark on the state that is both economic and civic. The Celebration brings in nearly $40 million annually to the Middle Tennessee economy in direct spending, and provides a venue for local civic clubs to raise funds to support their chosen charities. The well-being of the horses is a top priority. The Celebration partners with the strictest Horse Industry Organization in the business to ensure that the treatment of all the animals complies with regulations, and that they are safe and content. The event is truly a celebration of one of Tennessee’s richest cultural traditions, as well as a means of bringing revenue back to the state and giving back to the community.
Drawing more than 170,000 fans from more than 40 states, the Celebration’s impact on Middle Tennessee’s economy is undeniable. The festival is one of the top revenue generating events in Middle Tennessee. Many of the area’s local civic clubs and charities depend on the 11-day event each year to ensure that they raise the funds needed to serve their community. Last year 17 civic clubs, such as the American Legion, the Quarterback Club and the Kiwanis Club used the Celebration as their annual fundraiser. The groups raise funds through the sale of food, concessions and other services at the event. The proceeds are donated to various initiatives throughout the county, including youth programs, sports leagues, scholarship funds, schools, veterans, impoverished children and many other notable causes.
The Celebration is not merely a sporting event, but a means for founding organizations such as the Shelbyville Lions Club and the Shelbyville Rotary Club to raise awareness about new community initiatives. This year, their theme for the Celebration is “Civic Pride,” and they are using the festival as an opportunity to involve more young people in helping to build and strengthen their local community.
Most importantly, the Celebration seeks to preserve the integrity of the Tennessee Walking Horse tradition, which has become such an integral part of the state’s culture as well as a regional pastime. The safety of the horses is an unquestionable priority for the organization. Their inspection process is the strictest, their penalties the strongest, and their compliance rating the highest, at 98.5 percent.
The organization is deeply invested in ensuring that its greatest assets, the horses, are trained safely and humanely. After all, the Celebration centers on the unique Tennessee tradition of the walking horse, one that we hope endures for years to come.
I encourage everyone in Middle Tennessee to head over to Shelbyville and visit the Celebration! It runs from Aug. 22-Sept. 1 and is a great way to spend a day with friends or family immersed in Tennessee tradition.
Pat Marsh, R-Shelbyville, represents District 62 in the state House of Representatives.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration opens with intense scrutiny

Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration opens with intense scrutiny


Jordan Howell rides Gi Gi's Majestic, winning first place in the Trail Pleasure English Class on the first day of The Celebration, Tennessee's largest walking horse event, August 22, 2012 in Shelbyville, Tenn. / Dipti Vaidya/The Tennessean
 
 
 
 Written by 
Heidi Hall
The Tennessean
10:33 AM, Aug 22, 2012

The Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration opened this morning with the most intense horse inspections in its 74-year history.

Trainers took their horses through a chemical swabbing station sponsored by their own professional association. The results will be posted on the Walking Horse Trainers Association website in 24 hours.

If trainers are found to have chemically sored the horses -- burned them to induce their gait -- they will be stripped of their ribbons and prize money and immediately suspended.

Inspectors checked 144 horses by noon and found no evidence of soring.

The show will attract an estimated 200,000 fans and runs through Sept. 1.

HSUS Goes After Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration

This story has a lot of twists and turns so please bear with me. I love horses but I'm not a Tennessee Walking Horse aficionado.

Earlier this year HSUS came out with video that showed a well-known, big-winning Tennessee Walking Horse trainer abusing his horses. As usual, HSUS had this video in its possession for quite some time and did nothing with it. They sat on it until it could be most useful to them. In this case, that was when the Tennessee legislature was considering an Ag-gag bill that would have made it illegal for such groups to go undercover on farms or agricultural businesses under false pretenses and videotape. Similar bills have been passed in other states. The reason for these bills is because some animal rights groups have used deception in editing and making these films to accuse farmers and agricultural businesses of cruelty, which can be fairly easy to do with film.

However, in this particular case, the video of the trainer, Mr. Jackie McConnell, appears to have been accurate. Mr. McConnell subsequently pleaded guilty to the charges in court. The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration took the following action:


In a precedent setting move, the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration took decisive action today, both denouncing and condemning the actions of trainer Jackie McConnell, who was both videotaped abusing a horse and admitted to a Horse Protection Act violation in federal court today.

The TWHNC Board of Directors voted to suspend McConnell for life and also took the following action:

(1) suspended McConnell for life from entering the TWHNC grounds for any and all events, regardless of the event's affiliation or ownership.

(2) voted to permanently remove Mr. McConnell's name from the list of Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration Hall of Fame inductees. Any picture, plaque, image or other mention of his name from Hall of Fame data will be permanently removed from this day forward and his name will be forever erased from Hall of Fame rolls.

(3) voted to permanently remove any and all pictures and signage on the Celebration grounds carrying either the name of Jackie McConnell or the likeness.

(4) banned from entry onto the TWHNC grounds any horse under the custodianship or presumed to be under the custodianship of Mr. McConnell.

"This action is the strongest we can take and it clearly reflects our disgust with the actions of Mr. McConnell,"said Dr. Doyle Meadows, TWHNC CEO. "His actions are not reflective of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry, and we in no way want him associated with our show."

Sounds reasonable, right? But HSUS was not satisfied. This was a huge opportunity for them. They have been bashing and complaining about Tennessee Walking Horses and "soring" for a long time, so finding a high profile trainer guilty of this bad practice was just what they had been hoping for.

Soring is the use of painful chemicals to cause the horse to lift his hooves higher in the show ring and it is illegal under the Horse Protection Act. Tennessee Walking Horses have a natural running walk which is flashy and can be quite spectacular to watch. Some horses naturally have a higher action than others. Training can teach the horses to move out. Length of hoof, pads under the hooves, and some training devices are also used to encourage higher action. Most people who follow Tennessee Walking Horses know what is legal and what is illegal to do.

APHIS inspectors (yes, they do something besides harass dog breeders) are on hand at Tennessee Walking Horse shows to check for the use of foreign substances on the horse's hooves and legs and for prohibited devices.

And, yet, HSUS is still hounding the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration this year. They sent a letter this summer to the Celebration calling for reforms. The Celebration board replied:


TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE NATIONAL CELEBRATION RESPONSE TO HUMANE SOCIETY’S OUTDATED DEMANDS
(Shelbyville, TN) – The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is coming late to the game on this one. Rather than working to reform the industry to rid it of soring trainers, the HSUS is going after the very people who have led the reform effort.
SHOW HIO, which does the inspections at The Celebration, has the strictest inspections and the harshest penalties in the business. In fact our process goes above and beyond what is required by federal regulations. If the HSUS looked at The Celebration’s record it would see that we are doing much of what the organization proposes, and have been for years, and the things we are not doing have nothing to do with protecting the horse but everything to do with the HSUS’s sensationalistic media tactics.
In terms of the HSUS’ requests:
1. We don’t allow soring horses in the ring. We have the strictest inspection business and the harshest penalties in the business. Already being done.
2. Already being done.
3. It would not make sense to do something that could harm the horse when there are a number of things we already do to ensure that the horse has not been sored.
4. This is a ridiculous request as the USDA and The Celebration inspectors are allowed to enter anywhere at anytime.
The HSUS can keep talking about caring for horses but we are actually doing it. The difference between The Celebration and the HSUS is when inspectors at The Celebration see evidence of soring they send the trainer home and punish him or her severely. When the HSUS sees evidence of soring, they send a film crew, spend six months watching abuse, a few more editing a video and use it as a fundraising tool.
When the HSUS becomes more interested in stopping abuse when they see it than watching enough that they can make money off it, maybe someone will listen.


Nice reply.


One part of HSUS's letter is interesting. It's the PS.



P.S. We have become aware that you will be hosting a meeting with a commercial dog breeding advocate on the Celebration grounds. Associating with an individual hostile to animal welfare will not help the process of dialogue. It will only align the industry with puppy mills, animal fighters, and others where this individual has a following. It is an example of a looming public relations threat for the industry, and I hope you will take action before that occurs.

hehehe  If you are on the Petlaw list you know who this is. If not, I'll fill you in. Mr. Pacelle is referring to Mr. Frank Losey, who seems to be a constant thorn in his side. Here's Mr. Losey's confession:

I CONFESS!!!!!!!!!

I am the the "advocate" who Mr. Pacelle was referring to, and I was
permitted to give my presentation, as scheduled, on July 28, 2012 to
270 Attendees who traveled from not only all over Tennessee, but also from NC, FL, GA, AL and KY to hear me speak. My presentation lasted for about an hour. If anyone wishes to watch the video, it may be found on the following link:

http://www.walkinghorseclubky.com/frank-losey-seminar/#comments


Frank



If you will take a look at the link above, you can enjoy Frank's presentation to the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration and see why he drives Wayne Pacelle nuts.

The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration begins today, August 22, and runs through September 1, in Shelbyville, Tennessee.  There's a huge billboard across from the Celebration grounds this year as HSUS tries to encourage people to report anyone who sores or abuses horse by calling their tipline. I believe they're offering $10,000 for tips that lead to convictions. They even sent out a press release in Spanish yesterday to try to get Spanish-speakers to report anything they see. They REALLY want to get something on somebody at the Celebration.

The Celebration folks came out with their own news this week:


Celebration changes testing to detect horse abuse

SHELBVYVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration is changing procedures at its annual competition that are used to detect signs that a trainer has applied painful chemicals to the horses' legs in a banned practice known as soring.

The celebration's board of directors on Monday announced the changes that will, for the first time, make the results of chemical tests public and result in trainers immediately losing their trophies and prize money if caught abusing horses.

In the past, chemical test results were delayed, but this year the show is expediting the results so they will be available during the event that begins Wednesday and runs through Sept. 1 in Shelbyville.

Soring is a banned practice that exaggerates the breed's high-stepping gait in competitions.

Really, between instantly testing for chemicals and announcing the results, and APHIS inspectors on site, it sounds like it would be hard to do any soring but, as I said, I'm not a Tennessee Walking Horse person. I do know that I wouldn't trust HSUS or their supporters as far as I could throw them so anyone with a horse at the Celebration should be on guard. Do not allow HSUS to tamper with your animals. If possible, keep video cameras handy and have someone in your horse's stall area at all times so no one unauthorized can come near your horses.  HSUS can and will fake evidence. It would be nice if the Celebration has video monitoring on site so they can see who is coming and going and what they are doing.

I don't ever want any horses to be harmed in any way but HSUS will never be satisfied when it comes to horses or any other animals. It's Tennessee Walking Horses right now, but it could be eventing next, or racing (which already draws AR criticism), cutting horses, jumping, or dressage. HSUS and ARs will always find something to criticize about riding and using horses. They go through one industry at a time criticizing it, offering their "reforms" and suggestions, and trying to take over until they can eliminate it. Don't let them do it.

If you love Tennessee Walkers or you're a fan of saddle seat equitation, I hope you can go to the Celebration in Shelbyville over the next few days. These are beautiful, gentle, wonderful horses and their running walk is glorious. Go out and enjoy them. Send a message to HSUS that they aren't going to get rid of Tennessee Walkers. Tennesseans and many others love these horses and they're not going away.


Monday, August 20, 2012

Our Tennessee State Reptile

Official Tennessee State Reptile
The Eastern Box Turtle, Terrapene carolina, was designated official state reptile by Public Chapter 367 of the 99th General Assembly in 1995. This peaceful creature usually reaches a length of less than six inches and has a shell of black or brown with spots of yellow, orange and red. This reptile usually lives between 30 to 60 years and never ventures far from its place of birth.

LETHAL According to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
 

Sunday, August 19, 2012

If You LIve In Tennessee, Hide Your Turtles

It's been an eventful few weeks while pet breeders and owners have been occupied with the APHIS comment period and trying to explain to the USDA why raising pets as a hobby should not require the same federal regulation as commercial breeding.  Not only has HSUS been excoriating the Tennessee Walking Horse people and offering bounties on them with the Celebration coming up in Shelbyville (more on that in another post), but it's now illegal to own a turtle in Tennessee.  Yes, you read that right.  Better hide your turtles lest the gub'mint comes to take them away from you.

Oh, it's for our own good, of course.  It always is.

The first we knew about this new edict came from an article in The Tennessean on August 7:

Turtles outlawed as pets in Tennessee because of harmful bacteria


Turtles might be cute to look at, but they also can harbor deadly bacteria, including salmonella.
For that reason, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will not issue permits for pet stores to sell turtles or for people to own turtles. That means it’s illegal to keep them as pets in the state — regardless of whether people find them in their front yard or bring them back as souvenirs from vacation.

As it turns out, it's been illegal to purchase those cute little slider turtles in pet shops in Tennessee for years, but now, courtesy of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, you can't even keep a box turtle that wanders into your yard.

And I have to ask, seriously, has anyone ever, in their wildest imaginings, ever considered getting a permit to keep a turtle?  I didn't think so.

But here's what the TWRA, an organization that I once respected because they gave me some advice about searching for and humanely trapping a missing dog, says on the subject:

Walter Cook, captive wildlife coordinator for the TWRA, says: “It’s common sense.”
“It’s a public health concern and we have to be responsible,” he says. “Being able to pull the skin and legs back into a shell creates a moist environment that aids bacteria growth. And you can’t remove animals from the wild alive because they have a purpose and provide a necessary component to the ecosystem. We don’t know what the population of these animals is or how many could be removed before jeopardizing the population.”

So, if you decipher this statement, Mr. Cook doesn't actually have any data and they haven't done any research, but, by golly, the government is going to protect something or somebody.

Seriously, he makes it sound like millions of Tennesseans are abducting turtles from the wild and I kind of doubt that's happening.  Don't get me wrong.  Turtles are nice and I had some as pets when I was a kid, but without exception, every single one of them was released back where it came from.  My brothers and I always figured out that they weren't too exciting so we let them go.

If Mr. Cook and others say turtles carry salmonella, I will accept that.  But no one I know has ever become ill from handling a turtle.  Maybe they actually washed their hands after playing with the turtle the way their parents taught them.  I know we may have more people with compromised immune systems now, but this whole idea just seems over the top.  They're turtles!  Get a grip.

I've been finding it hard to accept this change myself.  I keep wandering around the house muttering, "I can't own a turtle.  I can't own a turtle in Tennessee."  It boggles my mind.  Not that I wanted to own a turtle, but now I kind of do.  It's just one more thing the government is interfering in, it seems to me.  And it's so silly.

The TWRA says they aren't interested in prosecuting anyone.  Mr. Cook hopes people will donate their current turtles to one of Tennessee's wildlife education facilities.  That just strikes me as funny.  They should go out and get their own turtles, you know?  And turtles are so common in Tennessee who is going to want to see them at an education facility?  Do they really think people are going to surrender their turtles?  Will they have a turtle amnesty period?

Oh, they also say that turtles donated to the wildlife education facilities "will be kept in a closed habitat to reduce the risk of spreading the deadly bacteria."  According to Mr. Cook, "We just don't want anybody to get sick."  THEY'RE TURTLES!  THEY'RE FRICKING TURTLES!  Sorry, but he makes it sounds like they are aliens from another planet.  They live here.  They are a normal, natural part of life in Tennessee and most people who live in suburban and rural areas have no doubt encountered a turtle, with no harm to either side.

Mr. Cook sounds like a fruitcake, if you ask me.  I'm not sure he should be doing this job if he's so scared of animals.

The fact is, all of our pets, our kids, and just about everything around us is full of germs and deadly bacteria.  It's a normal part of life.  If your cat or dog snuggles up to you, you're taking a risk.  When your kids kiss you, you're exposed to germs.  The government cannot protect us from everything.  The more they try, the more of our freedoms they are taking away from us.  There are always people who see danger in everyday things. You can't protect people from every danger they could encounter, including bacteria from pets.

I think if you live in Tennessee and you want to have a turtle, you should go right ahead and have one.  Just wash your hands after you pet him and keep him away from people who have a compromised immune system.

The TWRA can be reached at 615-781-6500 or visit them online at www.tn.gov/twra. Send Mr. Cook some pictures of your turtles, too.  They could hold little signs that say, "Don't Tread On Me."



Saturday, August 11, 2012

The End Is Near

The APHIS comment period closes on WEDNESDAY, August 15!!!!!  If you haven't made a comment, you're running out of time.  PLEASE make your comments now!  Even if you have made comments, you still have this short amount of time to make a couple more.  Urge your friends to make comments.  Ask your puppy/kitten or other buyers to make a comment.  Tell your fellow club members to comment.  These proposed rules will affect all of us:  how we breed and keep our animals, how people buy pets, the whole future of pets, show dogs, working dogs, and other animals in this country.

If you have some question or subject in your mind, this is the last chance you'll have to tell APHIS about it, so write them!

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0003-0001

And, if you haven't signed AKC's petition, you only have until MONDAY, August 13 to sign it.


http://www.akc.org/petition/

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Deception from APHIS

This article first appeared in the July 27, 2012 issue of DOG NEWS and is posted here by permission of the author.

Deception from APHIS
Carlotta Cooper

I recently had the pleasure of attending a meeting of many of the people in my state involved in dog legislation. Of course, the proposed APHIS rule changes were one of the topics. It was a very productive meeting but one point mentioned by more than one person was that there were still many people in their clubs who didn't know what APHIS was about. And, when they tried to present legislative reports to their clubs, they were often told to shorten them or they said that club members expressed no interest in legislation that would affect them.

I've heard these same complaints from legislative liaisons with parent clubs, specialty clubs, and local kennel clubs. There are a lot of good legislative liaisons working their tails off, to put it bluntly, trying to keep club members informed about important issues that affect dogs and dog breeding, and a lot of people don't want to hear about the issues. Unless animal control is actually at the door, ready to take their dogs, they aren't interested. When things reach that point, it's usually too late for a legislative liaison to help you. You're just a story on the Internet then, and a lot of people still won't believe it can happen to them. Many dog people will conclude that you must have done something to deserve what happened to you instead of understanding that we have serious problems with dog laws right now and we all need to be paying attention to what's going on.

I hate to compare the situation to the Titanic, but if someone is conducting a lifeboat drill, you would be well-advised to pay attention.

APHIS Proposed Changes
The most important issue for all of us who breed dogs at the moment is the proposed changes to the APHIS rules. Under the proposed changes, anyone who has more than four “breeding females” will have to be USDA licensed and allow unannounced inspections of their facilities. You can be exempt from USDA-licensure if each puppy is sold “face to face.” That means for each puppy sold, the buyer has to make at least one visit to your home to see it, either at the time of purchase or sometime before the purchase. However, if you ship even one puppy to a buyer without the buyer visiting your premises, you would loose your exemption.

You can be exempt if you have four or fewer breeding females. However, you cannot sell any puppies or dogs that were not born on your premises. So, if you get a puppy back from a bitch or a stud fee puppy, you can't sell it. If you buy a show prospect and it doesn't work out, you cannot sell him. If you do any of these things, you would lose your exemptions and have to become USDA licensed.

It's also very important for people to realize that co-owned bitches DO count toward their total number of breeding females. If you take in an occasional bitch as a rescue, she counts, even if you get her spayed later. Do you have bitches come in to visit your stud dog? They count. Also, if you have three bitches and three intact cats, for example, you are also over the limit. “Breeding females” is not restricted to dogs. It refers to any of the species covered under the APHIS regulations, such as rabbits, guinea pigs, and others. It doesn't matter that you never intend to breed these animals. If you have them, they count toward your total number of “breeding females.” If they are intact females on your premises, or you have an ownership interest in them, they count.

USDA-Compliant Facilities
One of the worst and most contentious changes for hobby breeders would affect all of their dogs, not just how they sell puppies. It goes to the heart of hobby dog breeding and how we love and care for our dogs. It concerns kennels vs. keeping dogs in the home.

USDA licensed breeders are required to keep their dogs in primary enclosures that meet the following requirements (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 9 - Animals and Animal ProductsVolume: 1 Date: 2009-01-01Original Date: 2009-01-01Title: SUBCHAPTER A - ANIMAL WELFARE Context: Title 9 - Animals and Animal Products.)
§ 3.6
Primary enclosures.

            Primary enclosures for dogs and cats must meet the following minimum requirements:
            (a) General requirements. (1) Primary enclosures must be designed and constructed of suitable materials so that they are structurally sound. The primary enclosures must be kept in good repair.
            (2) Primary enclosures must be constructed and maintained so that they:
            (i) Have no sharp points or edges that could injure the dogs and cats;
            (ii) Protect the dogs and cats from injury;
            (iii) Contain the dogs and cats securely;
            (iv) Keep other animals from entering the enclosure;
            (v) Enable the dogs and cats to remain dry and clean;
            (vi) Provide shelter and protection from extreme temperatures and weather conditions that may be uncomfortable or hazardous to all the dogs and cats;
            (vii) Provide sufficient shade to shelter all the dogs and cats housed in the primary enclosure at one time;
            (viii) Provide all the dogs and cats with easy and convenient access to clean food and water;
            (ix) Enable all surfaces in contact with the dogs and cats to be readily cleaned and sanitized in accordance with § 3.11(b) of this subpart, or be replaceable when worn or soiled;
            (x) Have floors that are constructed in a manner that protects the dogs' and cats' feet and legs from injury, and that, if of mesh or slatted construction, do not allow the dogs' and cats' feet to pass through any openings in the floor;
            (xi) Provide sufficient space to allow each dog and cat to turn about freely, to stand, sit, and lie in a comfortable, normal position, and to walk in a normal manner; and
            (xii) Primary enclosures constructed on or after February 20, 1998 and floors replaced on or after that date, must comply with the requirements in this paragraph (a)(2). On or after January 21, 2000, all primary enclosures must be in compliance with the requirements in this paragraph (a)(2). If the suspended floor of a primary enclosure is constructed of metal strands, the strands must either be greater than 1/8 of an inch in diameter (9 gauge) or coated with a material such as plastic or fiberglass. The suspended floor of any primary enclosure must be strong enough so that the floor does not sag or bend between the structural supports.
            (b) Additional requirements for cats.—(1)Space. Each cat, including weaned kittens, that is housed in any primary enclosure must be provided minimum vertical space and floor space as follows:
            (i) Prior to February 15, 1994 each cat housed in any primary enclosure shall be provided a minimum of 21/2 square feet of floor space;
            (ii) On and after February 15, 1994:
            (A) Each primary enclosure housing cats must be at least 24 in. high (60.96 cm);
            (B) Cats up to and including 8.8 lbs (4 kg) must be provided with at least 3.0 ft2 (0.28 m2);
            (C) Cats over 8.8 lbs (4 kg) must be provided with at least 4.0 ft2 (0.37 m2);
            (iii) Each queen with nursing kittens must be provided with an additional amount of floor space, based on her breed and behavioral characteristics, and in accordance with generally accepted husbandry practices. If the additional amount of floor space for each nursing kitten is equivalent to less than 5 percent of the minimum requirement for the queen, such housing must be approved by the attending veterinarian in the case of a research facility, and, in the case of dealers and exhibitors, such housing must be approved by the Administrator; and
            (iv) The minimum floor space required by this section is exclusive of any food or water pans. The litter pan may be considered part of the floor space if properly cleaned and sanitized.
            (2) Compatibility. All cats housed in the same primary enclosure must be compatible, as determined by observation. Not more than 12 adult nonconditioned cats may be housed in the same primary enclosure. Queens in heat may not be housed in the same primary enclosure with sexually mature males, except for breeding. Except when maintained in breeding colonies, queens with litters may not be housed in the same primary enclosure with other adult cats, and kittens under 4 months of age may not be housed in the same primary enclosure with adult cats, other than the dam or foster dam. Cats with a vicious or aggressive disposition must be housed separately.
            (3) Litter. In all primary enclosures, a receptacle containing sufficient clean litter must be provided to contain excreta and body wastes.
            (4) Resting surfaces. Each primary enclosure housing cats must contain a resting surface or surfaces that, in the aggregate, are large enough to hold all the occupants of the primary enclosure at the same time comfortably. The resting surfaces must be elevated, impervious to moisture, and be able to be easily cleaned and sanitized, or easily replaced when soiled or worn. Low resting surfaces that do not allow the space under them to be comfortably occupied by the animal will be counted as part of the floor space.
            (5) Cats in mobile or traveling shows or acts. Cats that are part of a mobile or traveling show or act may be kept, while the show or act is traveling from one temporary location to another, in transport containers that comply with all requirements of § 3.14 of this subpart other than the marking requirements in § 3.14(a)(6) of this subpart. When the show or act is not traveling, the cats must be placed in primary enclosures that meet the minimum requirements of this section.
            (c) Additional requirements for dogs—(1) Space. (i) Each dog housed in a primary enclosure (including weaned puppies) must be provided a minimum amount of floor space, calculated as follows: Find the mathematical square of the sum of the length of the dog in inches (measured from the tip of its nose to the base of its tail) plus 6 inches; then divide the product by 144. The calculation is: (length of dog in inches + 6) × (length of dog in inches + 6) = required floor space in square inches. Required floor space in inches/144 = required floor space in square feet.

            (ii) Each bitch with nursing puppies must be provided with an additional amount of floor space, based on her breed and behavioral characteristics, and in accordance with generally accepted husbandry practices as determined by the attending veterinarian. If the additional amount of floor space for each nursing puppy is less than 5 percent of the minimum requirement for the bitch, such housing must be approved by the attending veterinarian in the case of a research facility, and, in the case of dealers and exhibitors, such housing must be approved by the Administrator.

            (iii) The interior height of a primary enclosure must be at least 6 inches higher than the head of the tallest dog in the enclosure when it is in a normal standing position: Provided That, prior to February 15, 1994, each dog must be able to stand in a comfortable normal position.
            (2) Compatibility. All dogs housed in the same primary enclosure must be compatible, as determined by observation. Not more than 12 adult nonconditioned dogs may be housed in the same primary enclosure. Bitches in heat may not be housed in the same primary enclosure with sexually mature males, except for breeding. Except when maintained in breeding colonies, bitches with litters may not be housed in the same primary enclosure with other adult dogs, and puppies under 4 months of age may not be housed in the same primary enclosure with adult dogs, other than the dam or foster dam. Dogs with a vicious or aggressive disposition must be housed separately.
            (3) Dogs in mobile or traveling shows or acts. Dogs that are part of a mobile or traveling show or act may be kept, while the show or act is traveling from one temporary location to another, in transport containers that comply with all requirements of § 3.14 of this subpart other than the marking requirements in § 3.14(a)(6) of this subpart. When the show or act is not traveling, the dogs must be placed in primary enclosures that meet the minimum requirements of this section.
            (4) Prohibited means of primary enclosure. Permanent tethering of dogs is prohibited for use as primary enclosure. Temporary tethering of dogs is prohibited for use as primary enclosure unless approval is obtained from APHIS.
            (d) Innovative primary enclosures not precisely meeting the floor area and height requirements provided in paragraphs (b)(1) and (c)(1) of this section, but that provide the dogs or cats with a sufficient volume of space and the opportunity to express species-typical behavior, may be used at research facilities when approved by the Committee, and by dealers and exhibitors when approved by the Administrator.
            (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 0579-0093)
            [56 FR 6486, Feb. 15, 1991, as amended at 62 FR 43275, Aug. 13, 1997; 63 FR 3023, Jan. 21, 1998; 63 FR 37482, July 13, 1998]
         
       
       
          Animal Health and Husbandry Standards
         
            § 3.7

            Compatible grouping.
            Dogs and cats that are housed in the same primary enclosure must be compatible, with the following restrictions:
            (a) Females in heat (estrus) may not be housed in the same primary enclosure with males, except for breeding purposes;
            (b) Any dog or cat exhibiting a vicious or overly aggressive disposition must be housed separately;
            (c) Puppies or kittens 4 months of age or less may not be housed in the same primary enclosure with adult dogs or cats other than their dams or foster dams, except when permanently maintained in breeding colonies;
            (d) Dogs or cats may not be housed in the same primary enclosure with any other species of animals, unless they are compatible; and
            (e) Dogs and cats that have or are suspected of having a contagious disease must be isolated from healthy animals in the colony, as directed by the attending veterinarian. When an entire group or room of dogs and cats is known to have or believed to be exposed to an infectious agent, the group may be kept intact during the process of diagnosis, treatment, and control.

(You can find more details about how to keep dogs under USDA licensing and the Animal Welfare Act at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2009-title9-vol1/xml/CFR-2009-title9-vol1-chapI-subchapA.xml#seqnum3.2)

As you can see, these are very precise engineering standards which give instructions, down to the inch, of how dogs are to be kept. They are obviously designed for commercial breeders and people who breed dogs on a large scale for wholesale purposes. They are clearly not appropriate for hobby dog breeders and people who keep dogs in their home.

And, yet, when hobby breeders began objecting in large numbers in their APHIS comments that they could not and would not be able to keep their dogs under these conditions, APHIS issued the following response in a revised fact sheet (July 2012):

Q. If this proposal is adopted, would breeders who
come under regulation and allow their dogs to
roam free in their homes have to put their animals
in a kennel?
A. No. The AWA regulations define a primary
enclosure broadly to mean any structure or device
used to restrict an animal or animals to a limited
amount of space. As such, a home can be considered
a dog’s primary enclosure. If a room of a house is used
as a dog’s primary enclosure (e.g., a whelping room or
nursery), APHIS will apply the applicable regulations
and standards to the room.
If, however, a dog breeder allows their dogs to have
free run of the entire house, APHIS will assess whether
the home can house animals within the health and
humane standards contemplated by the AWA. If the
breeder has a kennel or cages that the dogs can stay
in inside the home that meet AWA standards, we would
consider that compliance with the primary enclosure
requirements has been achieved.

Can anyone see how you could possibly keep your dogs in the house and follow APHIS regulations? I can't. And neither can anyone we've checked with on this issue. That includes people who have been involved with commercial dog breeders and the USDA for decades. Dr. Gerald Rushin of the USDA claims that the USDA is currently inspecting some USDA dog breeders who raise dogs in their home but it's hard to see how they do it. They certainly can't have any kind of normal home if they do. It might be possible to meet the requirements listed above if you had a Toy breed and kept the dogs confined to one room, in small crates. You would have to be able to have extremely large crates for the little dogs, much larger than we normally use for dogs for crating purposes (for safety, for sleeping, for potty training purposes, for traveling). The room and all its contents would have to be capable of withstanding sterilization on a regular basis and be able to pass all of the other inspection points. But this is hardly the same as allowing your dogs to roam freely in the house. And it would seem to be impossible to provide this kind of situation for larger dogs. The cost alone of providing super size crates for large dogs would be prohibitive as they would probably have to be custom-made, and no one would want to keep their dogs confined to a crate in the home continually in this manner.

It's ludicrous that APHIS would try to provide this kind of answer to the critical comments they have been receiving from hobby breeders about putting their house dogs in kennels. Not just ludicrous. It appears to be an attempt to deceive. They appear to be trying to allay breeder criticism to try to get us to go along with the proposed changes. But I don't think any of us want to keep our dogs in the house under these conditions! APHIS needs to get some comments on this issue.

There are other items in the fact sheet which are questionable. The fact sheet claims that breeders will be able to meet buyers off their premises to make a sale instead of requiring a face to face meeting. However, this is not in the proposed rules. Call me skeptical, but it's what's in the rules that matter, not what's in some non-binding fact sheet. If an inspector comes to your home, they will follow the rules and regulations. They won't care what was promised in a fact sheet. And the fact sheet doesn't improve anything for breeders who need to ship a puppy occasionally.

I could go on but you see the problems. Please make sure that everyone in your clubs knows what is in the proposed APHIS changes. They would affect ALL of us. You have until August 15 to comment. Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0003-0001http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0003-0001. You can make a comment of 2000 characters (not words). If you need more space you can attach a document such as a PDF or Word document. It's best to have your comment pre-written so you can simply copy and paste it into the text window.

The proposed APHIS changes would be a disaster for hobby dog breeders. Tell everyone you know and get them to comment!