40years of Puppys, (4/21/2009 11:27:03 AM)

Vets money bill--This bill is made by the Vets to make more money. I have noticed the last few years that vets care more about money than animals & this bill proves it! Lawyers,Doctors & now Vets don't care about us, just our money. If you want to stop unlicened puppy breeders just report them to the IRS as they pay no taxes on income. USDA has a strong control on licened breeders like me.

The Oracle, Tulsa (11/7/2007 5:20:00 AM)

Micro chips and a puppy lemon law are great ideas and should be implemented.The ever present problem in the USDA inspectors.They go to great lengths to look and look until they find even the most minor infraction so they can justify their huge federal salaries and their huge retirement benefits.They do not try to help the pet breeders but consider them guilty of something....The inspectors are part of the problem.....What kind of attitude will the State inspectors have if another government regulation is imposed.

a, tulsa (11/7/2007 6:48:03 AM)

My goodness, Oracle, were you raised in a closet and abused as a child? I don't think I've ever met anyone with such a constitently sour attitude.

CL, (11/7/2007 11:09:06 AM)

USDA agents ( agency understaffed, by the way) going to great lengths to find a minor infraction??? In what state and what century has that ever happened?

Woof, Tulsa (11/7/2007 11:55:38 AM)

"They do not try to help the pet breeders..." (The Oracle). Since when has the purpose of the USDA been to help pet breeders??? It is their job to be skeptical, to find any infraction that does exist.

Unfortunately for the pets, imposing a fee is unlikely to help this situation. Breeders need strict regulations and inspections, after all lives of animals are at stake here.

MH, Tulsa (11/7/2007 2:00:56 PM)

Poor Oracle. We appreciate that you're branching out, but you might be better off sticking with your conspiracy theories and 9/11.

Tom Phillips, Hominy (11/7/2007 4:15:56 PM)

Read the story agian guys. Lets go after the 75 percent that are not Licensed by USDA and fix the problem. The current laws need to be inforced.

The Truth, (1/28/2008 12:57:16 PM)

Does anyone else find it interesting that Secretary of State Susan Savage spoke in favor of this bill, and the TW left it completely out of the story? Former mayor Savage has a long history of ties with the Animal Rights groups.

Debbie, San Diego (3/8/2008 7:37:09 AM)

I feel that more money and effort would be better spent on our children. The abused, the abanded, the children in orphanages, the children that are left in garbage bins. Why not order mandatory spay/neuter for the people that are to blame here.Why not....because we have rights or do we? Will this be the next law to pass?

SS, (11/7/2007 4:21:20 PM)

Backyard breeders do need to be regualated in some way, but don't punish the breeders who are cooperating and are licensed by the USDA. It sounds like to me the licensed USDA breeders who are following the rules will be used to fund this law. With these breeders money "licensing fees" everything will get started and that is just not right.

A backyard breeder, (11/7/2007 4:58:57 PM)

Who defines who is what? I own 6 dogs, I will breed 2 of my females next year. One female will be bred to my male, and the other i will be paying a stud fee to have her bred. I also own third female that is 11 and she is not doing real great. She still has the heart to go hunt, but her body just isn't holding up. When the time comes that I loose her, I will be buying a dog to replace her. There is a chance that I could break this new law next year.

Although this is being pushed as a "puppy mill" bill, in reality it has very little to do with shutting down puppy mills. Please read the draft by Rep. Denny.

10. Out of State dealer/breeders shall on or before December 31 of each year apply to the Director for an out-of-state license. The fee for such license shall be established by the Board by rule. Out-of-State dealer/breeders shall comply with all provisions of this act. Out-of State dealer/breeders inspections shall be preformed by a Veterinarian licensed in the state in which the breeder resides. It shall be unlawful for out-of state dealer/breeders to transport animals into or within the State of Oklahoma or to operate or maintain or to deal in any manner with animals without first obtaining an out-of-state dealer/breeders license.

This section from the bill has absolutly nothing to do with shutting down Oklahoma puppy mills. This would make it against the law for a person from out of state to sell a dog in the state of Oklahoma. It would also be against the law for the same person to drive from Joplin. MO to Tulsa International airport to ship a dog on an airline. If I remember from my old civics class the state has no authority to regulate inter-state commerce.

No Quality Assurance licensee shall transport for sale any animal, unless it is at least eight weeks of age. All Quality Assurance dogs and cats shall be accompanied by a health record and shall be microchipped for identification purposes pursuant to this Act. A consumer or retail pet store shall be entitled to review the information contained in the health record prior to purchase of the dogs and cats(s) from a quality assurance licensee.

What does this provesion have to do with shutting down puppy mills in Oklahoma?

and finally< what does this have to do with puppy mills?

After Jan 1, 2010, 15% of the license fees and 50% of all fines collected shall go to the Oklahoma Pet Overpopulation Fund administered by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Animal Industry Division. If at the end of each year, additional money remains in the fund above the agency reserve it shall be made available to other non-profit spay/neuter groups in the state of Oklahoma selected by the AC and approved by the Board.

Cont:, A backyard breeder, (11/7/2007 8:24:16 PM)

In conclusion: This draft is not about ridding the state of puppy mills, but a law about licenses and fees. We have a veterinarian writing a bill that directly benefits the veterinary industry. We have a vet heading the committee reviewing the process, and the head of the advisory committee created by this law will be a vet also. Every dog sold from a person/kennel that has to be licensed must be micro-chipped, who pays the cost? Your application maybe expedited if you have a vet come do the inspection. After 2010 excess money from fees and fines will be dispersed to organizations that pay to have dogs/cats spayed/neutered, that money will end up in the hands of a vet. Who does this bill really benefit, the veterinary industry, thats who. This is "pork" in it's purest form. Thats why, I was told by a small town vet, that this pending legislation was presented and discussed at the veterinarian association meeting. Rep. Denny's offering does not eliminate puppy mills, but lines her own pocket!

American Proud to be a Breeder, (11/10/2007 3:23:03 PM)

Tax Poem

At first I thought this was funny...then I realized the awful truth of it. Be sure to read all the way to the end!

Tax his land,

Tax his bed,

Tax the table

At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,

Tax his mule,

Teach him taxes

Are the rule.

Tax his work,

Tax h is pay ,

He works for peanuts

Anyway!

Tax his cow,

Tax his goat,

Tax his pants,

Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,

Tax his shirt,

Tax his work,

Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,

Tax his drink,

Tax him if he

Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,

Tax his beers,

If he cries

Tax his tears.

Tax his car,

Tax his gas,

Find other ways

To tax his ass.

Tax all he has

Then let him know

That you won't be done

Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers,

&nbs p;Then tax him some more,

Tax him till

He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,

Tax his grave,

Tax the sod in

Which he's laid.

Put these words

upon his tomb,

" Taxes drove me to my doom..."

When he's gone,

Do not relax,

Its time to apply

The inheritance tax.

Accounts Receivable Tax

Building Permit Tax

CDL license Tax

Cigarette Tax

& nbsp;C orporate Income Tax

Dog License Tax

Excise Taxes

Federal Income Tax

Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)

Fishing License Tax

Food License Tax

Fuel Permit Tax

Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon)

Gross Receipts Tax

Hunting License Tax

Inheritance Tax

Inventory Tax

IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)

Liquor Tax

Luxury Taxes

Marriage License Tax

Medicare Tax

Personal Property Tax

Property Tax

Real Estate Tax

Service Charge Tax

Social Security Tax

Road UsageTax

Sales Tax

Recreational Vehicle Tax

School Tax

State Income Tax

State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)

Telephone Federal Excise Tax

Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax

Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes

Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax

Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax

Telephone State and Local Tax

Telephone Usage Charge Tax

Utility Taxes

Vehicle Lic ense R egistration Tax

Vehicle Sales Tax

Watercraft Registration Tax

Well Permit Tax

Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our

nation

was the most prosperous in the world.

We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest

middle

class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the

kids.

What in the hell happened? Can you spell "politicians!"

And I still have to "pres s 1" for English!?!?!?!?

I hope this goes around THE USA at least 100 times!!!!!

YOU can help it get there!!!!

GO AHEAD - - - BE AN MERICAN !!!!!!

Queen Creek AZ, (11/11/2007 6:04:29 PM)

I hear a lot of debate, money being raised and generally a lot of ridiculous invasive measures trying to be passed in the name of shutting down "puppy mills". These laws of course have a much deeper purpose, make the state and county money. IT IS QUITE SIMPLE TO SHUT DOWN PUPPY MILLS, SHUT DOWN COMMERCIAL PET STORES!! PUPPY MILLS ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO WILL SELL TO A PET STORE!!!! Reputable breeders do not sell to them, and everytime a well meaning puppy owner goes into a pet store anf buys a puppy, it creates an opening or need to replace that puppy with a new one. That new pup will come from a puppy mill!! Why do law makers never mention the local pet store as part of the problem? Just a thought.....

tiredofstraydogs, (12/30/2007 2:35:31 PM)

We don't need any more laws! It's been said way too many times. All that needs to be done is to enforce the laws we already have! If veterinarians want to make more money. Try reducing the cost of having stray cats and dogs spayed/neutered. They might have to work a little more but they could make twice the money on pure volume alone. Most working people can't afford to fix the pets they have. So, they try to sale the puppies at Walmart parking lot on any weekend. If the USDA inspectors would just do their job and check it out. They would see the same people time after time. Down in Sulphur Ok. they have a swap meet every Sunday to trade and sale dogs. Where are the USDA inspectors?