Welcome to the
Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation

Puppy Mill Initiative Certified for
November Ballot as Prop "B"!

Josiah Voegtli 2010 Face of the Alliance

Puppy Mills: For all information about the Missouri Puppy Mill Ballot Initiative and general information about puppy mills in Missouri, please see Missouri's Puppy Mill Problem. Our Mission: The Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation protects animals from abuse, neglect and exploitation by monitoring and facilitating the passage of animal welfare laws, thereby enhancing the quality of life for people and animals in Missouri. Our Position Statement expands on this mission by describing the Alliance's position on animal welfare in Missouri.

Animal Welfare Legislation

The 2010 legislative session in Jefferson City has now ended. It was a tumultuous 4-1/2 months with many animal welfare bills being affected and, often overshadowed, by the puppy mill ballot initiative. The following is a short summary of the bills that were Alliance priorities and of most concern to our supporters this year. A more detailed report will be forthcoming in our Spring/Summer newsletter due out in June.

THANK YOU to everyone who called or wrote to their State Senator/Representative about these issues. We are deeply grateful for your interest and continued support. The Alliance could not be effective in Jefferson City without your participation!

HJR 86 - FAILED. This highly charged resolution was intended to place a proposed constitutional amendment on the November 2010 ballot primarily to negate the entire Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act and create confusion and mislead voters about the puppy mill initiative. HJR 86 also had the potential to repeal other laws passed by the voters including the current law banning cockfighting. After several attempts to pass this resolution were met with determined filibusters, HJR 86 failed to pass the Senate. Your calls and letters made a difference!

Exotic Animals - PASSED. Known as the Large Carnivore bill, this proposal has been an Alliance priority for many years. The bill's language was eventually attached to SB 795, the omnibus agriculture bill, and was retained in the final version during the last two days of session. The legislation creates a comprehensive set of standards for owning certain dangerous exotic animals by requiring liability insurance, micro-chipping, caging restrictions, and other protections to ensure that these animals are well treated and the public safety is protected.

Horse Slaughter - HB 1747 - FAILED. This bill attempted to circumvent the current federal ban in the United States against horse slaughter for the purpose of selling horse meat for human consumption. The bill's language was attached to SB 795, the omnibus agriculture bill, but was taken out of SB 795 in the final days of the session and failed to pass.

Dog Fighting - SB 632 and SB 664 - FAILED. These bills were once again introduced to strengthen Missouri's dog fighting statute. Unfortunately, neither bill was ever given a hearing in the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee and they failed to advance this session.

For more information on the outcome of other bills that the Alliance was tracking, please see Animal Welfare Legislation.

BARK Alert

The Alliance welcomes announcement of Prosecution BARK Alert, the second phase of Operation BARK Alert, to crack down on puppy mills in Missouri. Operation Bark Alert was announced by Governor Nixon on April 9, 2009. Related links:

• Press Release
  
  
• Report an unlicensed puppy mill at Operation Bark Alert.
  
  

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