Oklahoma House Passes Puppy Mill Bill

The Oklahoma House has passed legislation to create a voluntary program for registering and inspecting breeders of puppies and kittens in the state.

The House voted 63-30 for the measure Monday. It now goes to the Senate, where a similar pet-breeding bill was approved 38-8 on Monday.

The author of the House measure, Rep. Lee Denney of Cushing, says it would help assure that Oklahoma-bred pets are healthy by allowing breeders to voluntarily open their operations for inspection.

Denney says Oklahoma is the nation’s second-largest exporter of puppies, behind Missouri.

The program would cost about $400,000 a year. Denney says money is not available this year and it could be several years before the program is funded.