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WISCONSIN PUPPY MILL PROJECT

Existing WI "Crimes Against Animals" Statutes


 Mama Corgi and pups in cage barely big enough for her to turn around in.
(Click on photo for a larger view)

 pawprint bullet point   Download "Chapter 951: Crimes Against Animals"   pawprint bullet point

 pawprint bullet point   Download Acrobat Reader   pawprint bullet point

       Many people in Wisconsin, including too many of our lawmakers, feel that our existing state animal cruelty statutes, in conjunction with the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), are sufficient to regulate pet breeding and selling facilities. Unfortunately, as we have shown in our Interview with a WI "Puppy Farmer", there are many vagueries, loopholes, and difficulties in enforcement that allow this type of "institutionalized cruelty" to continue.

Wisconsin Statutes: Crimes Against Animals

       Please take a moment to download and read "Chapter 951: Crimes Against Animals," using the links above. (This is a pdf document, so you will need the Acrobat Reader to read it, but the reader is a free download.) As you read, you will discover:

 Red means beware     

Briefly, existing laws state that "no person may treat any animal...in a cruel manner." What constitutes "cruel" is not specified.

 Red means beware     

Later sections state that "adequate" or "sufficient" food, water, shelter, space, and "sanitation" shall be provided. However, there is no specific definition of "adequate" or "sufficient."

       All of these sections are open to interpretation, making enforcement difficult, if not impossible — frustrating citizens and law enforcement investigators alike. The existing statutes are why millers like the one profiled in Interview with a WI "Puppy Farmer" cannot be put out of business. By the existing statutes, they aren't breaking any laws!

The Federal Animal Welfare Act

       You can find out more about the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) on the US Dept. of Agriculture/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) website, or download a 16-page pdf of the Animal Welfare Act here.

 Red means beware     

Briefly, the AWA licenses and oversees facilities in the United States which deal in animals for commerce. Types of licensed facilities range from cattle ranches to research labs, as well as pet breeders. As for those pet breeders — only those who sell pets wholesale (to pet stores, research facilities, etc.) are covered — once again bypassing our friend the puppy miller mentioned above and any others who only sell retail, directly to customers through ads in newspapers, classified papers, etc.

 Red means beware     

The AWA does have specific rules and regulations, and they do try to enforce them. One such regulation is that each licensed facility should be inspected at least once a year. However, there are just over 100 inspectors tasked with overseeing those 10,000 facilities!

       That does not mean that it's impossible to secure a conviction within the current laws. It just means that investigations have to be thorough, painstaking, and well-documented. Unfortunately, in many cases, it also means that animals have to be gravely injured, deathly ill, or already past help for the abuser to be successfully prosecuted.

       Currently in Wisconsin, there are over 150 certified Humane Officers who are conversant with both the law and what needs to be done to enforce and prosecute. If you see neglect or abuse, please check to see if there is a Humane Officer in your area!

 
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