Pet store bill could fish out puppy mills

MISHAWAKA -- Indiana lawmakers set their sights on puppy mills, with a new bill that would let you see what you're getting when you buy a pet. The Indiana House has approved the bill that would require retail pet stores to give the customer information about a pet's background before selling a dog or cat. That information includes posting the animal's medical history, including congenital disorders, right on its cage. The store would also have to put the name of the breeder on the cage and, when requested, disclose the address and size of the breeding operation. "You need to know where your dog came from and you need to be able to talk to the individual where you got your dog from. That's mandatory," said Linda Candler, owner of Camp K9. Candler also volunteers for Pet Refuge and helps rescue dogs from puppy mills. She said the bill is another step toward getting rid of puppy mills. "Finally they're (lawmakers) starting to know that we're standing up," she said, "We're looking out for these animals." Still, some others have questions about the bill. Dr. Kathleen Neuhoff is the owner of Magrane Pet Medical Center. She said it is good to protect consumers, but the bill could backfire. It could conflict with existing health privacy laws for animals and hurt pet store sales. "If all of the breeder information is right there on the cage they could just directly contact the breeder and bypass the pet store entirely," Neuhoff said. She added that the animals she sees from pet stores are usually in good health. Still, Neuhoff does think the bill could improve the health of animals and help buyers, but she thinks there is a better way. "I would be more in favor of having that information available to the pet owner once they have purchased the pet, rather than having it out for everyone wandering by to read and take a look," Neuhoff said.