Follow Up Report: Puppy Mill Investigation

Our latest undercover Fact Finder investigation into puppy mills took us to two local counties where puppies are being bred and sold in conditions that animal cruelty experts call abusive -- but is still legal under current New York State law.

As neighboring states toughen their animal cruelty laws, more and more puppy mills from those states move across the border into New York -- including right here in the Capital Region.

After seeing a huge response to our last Fact Finder report on puppy mills, we decided to hold a forum and gather those closest to the problem -- and those with the power to change the law. 

"We should not be able to raise dogs like we raise chickens," said downstate Assemblyman Greg Ball.

Assemblyman Ball was referring to some of the conditions our undercover cameras found: dogs unable to walk,some living in the dark, which is what CBS 6 News uncovered at Happy Apple Kennel in Sloansville in February.

And on a recent trip to Country Run Pups in Fultonville, we found dogs living in cages outside -- a doghouse, their shelter.

Shockingly, police tell us none of this is illegal. In Oneonta, our cameras caught dogs vomiting and having diarrhea. The reason, according to the owners? New food.

Regardless, all of these conditions are legal, and even though the owners had some unsatisfactory inspections by the Department of Agriculture and Markets, these businesses are open and thriving.

"You really have to nail down a law in black and white about what you can do and what you can't do," said Montgomery County Undersheriff Jeff Smith at our animal cruelty panel.

Brad Shear from the Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society added, "One of the problems we have is how pet dealer is defined in our current law is pretty narrow." 

Holly Cheever from the Humane Society of New York State said: " I'm not speaking for Ag and Markets but I know they're desperately understaffed. They need much more budget to be able to investigate or inspect any of the facilities around the state."

The Department of Ag and Markets was invited to the forum, but did not show. Instead, it released a statement saying: "We welcome these kinds of discussions aimed at improving the program.

"Since the Legislative branch of our government bears the responsibility for creating and modifying our state's laws, the department looks forward to seeing the positive outcomes of this unprecedented meeting."

Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco responded, "I have to tell you, I've seen agencies send us pieces of legislation to get passed and to suggest that they're not part of or recommending legislation. I have to call that a cop out."

Stacy Wolf, the Director of Legislative Services at the ASPCA, works closely with Ag and Markets because she wrote much of the pet dealer law that's now on the books. She added, "We have some confusion about who enforces what and then there are some gaps with respect to with what Ag and markets can do with respect to the pet dealer law as written."

 Assemblyman Ball has drafted a bill that, if passed, would stop the excessive breeding of dogs and prohibit the sale of animals from any facility that breeds or maintains animals under inhumane conditions. Tedisco, too, vowed to make some changes.

"We're going to contact Ag and Markets we're not gonna ask them for legislation, if they don't think they should write it, but for recommendations for how we can make it better for them. If they make recommendations, then we can turn it into legislation."