Missourians for the Protection of Dogs

Just last November, nearly one million Missouri voters joined with us to say our laws should protect dogs -- and that they should be treated like loving pets, not some commodity on a production line. These puppies deserve better than a lifetime of confinement in small, wire cages -- some that don’t even allow these animals to stretch their legs or touch solid ground. Yet, now, bills have been introduced into the Missouri state legislature to weaken, amend, or repeal the will of the people and Prop B, threatening these important protections for puppies.

What you can do

1. Contact your legislators:  Call and send emails to your legislators. Check out our list of the House and Senate districts that passed Prop B to know where your district stands.
2. Contact the Governor:  Call the Governor's office and tell him to protect the will of the people and intervene to uphold Proposition B.
3. Write a letter to the editor:  Compose a letter and deliver it to your local papers.
4. Donate:  We're gearing up for a real battle, and we need your help to get the resources we need to win.
5. Spread the Word:  Let your friends, family, and neighbors know about the attack on the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act and how they can help. Download and print our 'Stop the Repeal' flyer, or click here to spread the word.

The Facts

When you're writing letters or discussing the issue with your friends and family, know these facts:

• Elected officials should respect the will of the people. Subverting the judgment of voters is not right, and it is anti-democratic. Our system is built on majority rule, and a majority of Missouri citizens—including majorities in most House and Senate legislative districts—favored Prop B. The voters acted precisely because the legislature has failed to stop puppy mill abuses. It is undemocratic, and would be wrong of lawmakers to usurp the power of the people and ignore their expressed will.


• Prop B was a simple measure, dealing only with setting standards for commercial dog breeding, and has no connection whatsoever to Missouri’s important agriculture and livestock economy. The opponents’ campaign was based entirely on falsehoods and misrepresentations in an attempt to confuse voters. The truth is, Prop B dealt only with dogs. It does not deal with cattle, chickens, or pigs.


• Some people who voted against the measure were wrongly told that existing regulations on dog breeding are adequate. They are not. Under pre-Prop B rules, a dog can be in a cage just six inches longer than her body, she can be confined in that cage and never let out, she need not ever see a veterinarian, and a dog can be huddled in a wire cage in the middle of winter—exposed to freezing temperatures. All of that is legal under existing rules, and that’s why we needed Prop B.


• The new regulations—requiring adequate and clean food and water, exercise, properly sized and sanitary cages, veterinary care, protection from extreme heat and cold and adequate time between breeding cycles—are very reasonable, as Missourians of good will—including responsible breeders—know. Prop B also provides a one-year phase-in so breeders have plenty of time to comply with these new standards.