Urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to work with Governor Rendell in his efforts to end Pennsylvania's reputation as the puppy-mill capital of the East.

WHEREAS, Governor Rendell has taken a pro-active stance to eradicate the problem of puppy-mills in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by convening a special task force to address the issue. This task force will soon issue a report on their findings; and

WHEREAS, In 2005 the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture licensed approximately three thousand facilities for dog breeding, boarding, and research making Pennsylvania the second largest state for puppy production; and

WHEREAS, Puppy-mills are cramped, crude facilities where unhealthy dogs are bred solely for profit. Dogs are bred from the first time they come into heat until they die. Cages are often stacked on top of each other with nothing in between, allowing urine and feces to fall through onto whatever lies below, usually other dogs, causing most mill dogs to suffer from acid burns, lesions and blindness; and

WHEREAS, Puppy-mills supply ninety-nine percent of companion dogs to pet stores, making this disturbing practice of dog milling a multi-billion dollar industry mirrored in deception, especially to consumers who unknowingly purchase pure-bred dogs born in filthy, inhumane puppy mills from pet stores; and

WHEREAS, While most puppy-mills operate outside of Philadelphia, we suffer the consequences of the problems of over population of companion animals. This year, nearly ten million companion animals will be needlessly euthanized in this country, in Philadelphia alone over twenty thousand companion animals will be killed; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That this Council calls upon the Pennsylvania General Assembly to work closely with the governor to eradicate the disturbing practice of puppy-milling, ending the national embarrassment of Pennsylvania being the puppy-mill capital of the East, and further showing the nation that Pennsylvania is a compassionate state to both its human and animal citizenry.

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