Senator Santorum in Chester County to Discuss Legislation to End Puppy Mill Abuse and in Philadelphia to Give Keynote Address

Senator Santorum in Chester County to Discuss Legislation to End Puppy Mill Abuse and in Philadelphia to Give Keynote Address

U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today was in Chester County at Eagle Farms Kennel and in Philadelphia to deliver the keynote address to the first graduating class of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity Workforce Development Project.

In Chester Springs today Senator Santorum was joined by U.S. Representative Jim Gerlach (R-PA-6); Dennis Sprung, President and CEO of the American Kennel Club (AKC); members of local kennel clubs, and dog breeders to discuss the Pet Animal Welfare Statute (PAWS). Senator Santorum introduced the legislation in the Senate to address the lack of regulatory oversight that has allowed some in the pet industry to operate below the acceptable care standards for pets. Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) is an original cosponsor of the legislation and Representative Gerlach has introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

"I want to thank the Representative Gerlach, the American Kennel Club, and dog breeders for joining me today to express support for the PAWS legislation," said Senator Santorum. "As the proud owner of a two-year-old German Shepard named Schatzie, it is disturbing to see the number of breeders who are careless in their responsibilities of breeding dogs in a healthy and humane environment. Breeding and raising dogs without respect to the animal's welfare guarantees bad results for the unknowing owner, and for the health of the dog and her puppies."

Wholesale dog and cat breeding facilities are licensed to operate by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and are required to comply with the rules and regulations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) which sets standards for the humane handling and treatment of animals. However, under current law only breeders and others who sell animals at wholesale are regulated, allowing some commercial breeders and brokers to avoid regulation by selling directly to the consumer. The USDA has very limited ability to oversee the care and condition of animals in these facilities.

This legislation provides an exemption for hobby breeders and pet owners. Currently hobby breeders and pet owners that sell at retail, as well as retail pet stores are exempt from the AWA because the USDA considers them to be retail pet stores. The PAWS legislation also sets out two exemptions for hobbyist and pet owners who sell at retail. Persons who whelp six or less litters per year or persons who sell less then 25 dogs per year are exempted. A person only needs to satisfy one of the two provisions to be exempted from the AWA. According to the AKC, this provision will exempt more than ninety-six percent of breeders who register litters with the AKC, and of the less than four percent, which it covers, more than half of them are already covered by the existing Act.

Senator Santorum is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Research, Nutrition and General Legislation, which has jurisdiction over this issue.

Following the event in Chester Springs, Senator Santorum traveled to Philadelphia. He delivered the keynote address to the first graduating class of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity Workforce Development Program.

The Workforce Development Program is a training program facilitated by Orbit Educational Group whose primary objective is to provide training to 400 underemployed or unemployed individuals in various services and programs including, high-end technology as well as providing various services and programs such as GED, Life Skills, Mentoring, Youth Enrichment Programs, and Adult Basic Education. This is the first year for the program and tonight marks the first group of students to graduate from the training program.

"I want to thank the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity and Orbit Educational Group for sponsoring and facilitating programs like the Workforce Development Program. This is an excellent example of the armies of compassion at work," said Senator Santorum. "Participants in this program have access to training and services that will make them more marketable to employers."

"On behalf of Bishop Morris, The Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity and Orbit Educational Group, I want to thank Senator Santorum for his tireless support for the faith based workforce development project. This high tech training project has been extremely successful and we are changing communities one student at a time," Brent L. Wright, President of Orbit Educational Group, Inc.

http://santorum.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.View&ContentRecord_id=1290&Region_id=0&Issue_id=0&CFID=6802519&CFTOKEN=63480384