On December 7 or 8, the Texas Sunset Commission will consider whether to maintain the Texas Licensed Breeders Program. The Commission is holding hearings on several state agencies currently under review. On the agenda is the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, under which the Licensed Breeders Program is housed.
The Licensed Breeders Program, which protects animals by regulating commercial breeders, is at risk of being abolished after the Sunset Commission staff included that recommendation in their report earlier this year.
The program establishes basic standards of care in large-scale breeding facilities. It prevents animal cruelty by allowing the state to inspect breeding facilities prior to opening and conduct out-of-cycle inspections. The Texas Humane Legislation Network (THLN) has been working hard over the past few months to raise awareness about the program and the possibility of its abolishment through a letter-writing campaign to Sunset Commission Members.
“If there’s one thing most Texans can agree on, it’s protecting both animals and consumers from the cruel and unethical practices of puppy mills,” said Shelby Bobosky, Executive Director of the THLN. “Our letter-writing campaign has generated thousands of letters to Texas lawmakers in support of the Licensed Breeders Program. Texans do not want to see puppy mills make a comeback in our state.”
In 2011, THLN helped establish and implement the Licensed Breeders Program to provide state oversight on breeders in Texas, many of whom operate outside of broad USDA regulations. The Program also prevents bad actors with animal cruelty charges from legally running a commercial breeding operation.
“This Program must be preserved at all costs. If we remove this piece of the total safety net for Texas dogs and cats, it will be the sole responsibility of law enforcement to intervene only after horrible cruelty has taken place,” Bobosky concluded. “We implore the Sunset Commission to do the right thing and preserve the Program in their final report,” concluded Bobosky.
