TN- Brownie Troop Lobbies Lawmakers over Puppy Mill Bill

Brownie Troop Lobbies over Puppy Mills
Sixteen Tennessee citizens, most of them about four feet tall, lobbied lawmakers this week to require that dog breeding kennels be inspected. Brownie Troop 550 from St. Edward’s school in Nashville asked lawmakers to back a bill which targets “puppy mills” – mass producers of dogs.

Members of the troop say breeders should provide a specific level of basic care.

“We want them to have bigger cages so that they can move around and stretch, no wire bottoms so their feet don’t get stuck, let them visit a vet when they’re sick (have clean air!)…and have clean air to breathe.”

Last month, Sheriff’s deputies raided an alleged “puppy mill” in White County, seizing nearly 300 small breed dogs. It was the sixth such raid in a year.

Troop Leader Renata Dash says the Brownies usually are drawn to animal issues and commit not just their time but also proceeds from cookie sales to their causes. This bill, in particular, caught their attention.

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The bill is the “Commercial Breeder Act,” HB 386 Sontany/SB 258 Jackson. You can read it here.

Troop Leader Renata Dash said the girls chose the cause themselves.

“We’re currently working on a new Brownie program, called Brownie Quest, and to earn our third key, we need to try to make some change in our community, and they chose, like they typically do, an animal effort.”

Dash says this bill caught their attention.

“They thought that the meaning behind it was so important, just trying to set some basic standard of care for the animals, and have people be responsible for them, and they asked if we could work on it. So we have been working hard on it for several months and they’re very excited to be here.”

WPLN covered the February raid on a White County “puppy mill”.” Click here to see the story.