Petition calls for crackdown on backyard breeders on P.E.I.

Nearly 2,000 people have signed a petition calling on the PEI government to regulate the breeding of companion animals, like dogs and cats. The province's Animal Welfare Act covers some standards of care, but doesn't regulate breeding. It calls for regulation of breeding, so bringing people who breed dogs for profit some checks and balances. for You know, having licenses, having checks of the breeding facilities, making sure that there are some guidelines for breeding of companion animals for people who are doing it for profit. Before we created this petition, we had a pretty thorough look through the Animal Protection Act on the island, and it's pretty lacking in a lot of different ways, so we thought this is a pretty targeted approach because what we see often is a fallout from breeding. The petition calls for mandatory licensing, enforceable standards of care, routine inspections and clear record keeping to crack down on breeders. Presenting a petition. Green Party MLA Peter Bevan-Baker, who presented the petition, says something needs to change. I know many dog breeders and the vast majority of them do a great job. They love animals. Breeders for the most part love animals. I think it probably upsets them as deeply as it upsets the 2,000 islanders who signed that petition and it upsets me that these sorts of things happen. This comes after a couple of high-profiled animal seizures. In February, 43 dogs were seized. Then just this month, the PEI Humane Society seized 84 dogs. Both cases are under investigation, and the society hasn't confirmed that these dogs were from breeders. Although these big seizures are in the news, we see small situations on a daily basis of whether or not it be abuse, neglect. People can't take care of their animals, et cetera, et cetera. So we see it regularly. Unfortunately, we see the big seizures now that are happening, and it just seems to be happening more often. PEI's Minister of Agriculture says what he's seeing is concerning. But Hilda McLennan didn't make any commitment to change the law. He says his staff will look at it, and if they feel changes are needed, he'd be more than willing to bring that forward. Wayne Thibodeau, CBC News, Charlottetown.