Here’s How You Can Urge DeSantis to Veto Bill That Protects Puppy Mills

If signed into law, the measure could benefit puppy mills, the commercial breeding operations that abuse animals for profit.

“The question is not can they reason, nor can they talk, but rather, can they suffer?”, wrote the English philosopher Jeremy Bentham. Fortunately, animal lovers need no persuading when it comes to protecting our “furever” companions.

This is why many Floridians are getting ready to fight a bill that, if signed into law, could protect cruel puppy mills, the for-profit breeding operations that the Humane Society of the United States calls “a betrayal of pets and the families who love them.”

There are many reasons for calling these operations cruel: Commercial dog breeding facilities look to profit over the wellbeing of animals in order to keep costs low. Sadly, mother dogs spend their entire lives in cramped cages, and when the mother and father dogs can no longer breed, they are abandoned or killed. Because of a lack of care, dogs from puppy mills are often sick and unsocialized.

Now the Humane Society is urging people to tell Gov. Ron DeSantis that they want SB 620 vetoed.

What Is It?

The so-called Local Business Protection Act seeks to stop cities and counties from enacting additional regulations on businesses, preventing any new local ordinances that could stop the sale of puppy mill puppies in pet stores. In fact, this bill would require cities and counties to reimburse businesses for lost revenue that they claim is the result of a local ordinance, in this way protecting those that abuse animals for profit.

How You Can Help

SB 620 passed the state Senate, 22-14, and the House, 69-45, but it must still be reviewed by the governor. The Humane Society is asking Floridians to make a call to DeSantis at (850) 488-7146 to speak to his staff or leave a voicemail asking him to veto SB 620.

The message should be brief and polite, such as: “As a Florida resident, I’m calling to urge Gov. DeSantis to veto SB 620 because it protects puppy mills and other businesses that abuse animals for profit.”

After making the call, it is crucial to fill out and submit this form to send a follow-up message, making sure to personalize it so the message stands out.

Buy From Responsible Breeders

Puppy mills commonly sell through internet sales, online classified ads, flea markets and pet stores, according to the Humane Society. In fact, the majority of puppies sold in pet stores and online are from puppy mills. On the other hand, “responsible breeders will be happy to meet you in person and show you where the puppy was born and raised—and where their mom lives too.”