Ag Deputy Secretary, Bucks County Breeder, State Representative Call for Action to Prevent Puppy Mills from Resurfacing
05/13/2021
Quakertown, PA - Today, Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Fred Strathmeyer was at Willow Spring Kennels in Bucks County to discuss the sad situation facing Pennsylvania dogs due to inaction to raise dog license fees. State Representative Frank Farry, scheduled to join the event was unfortunately unable to attend, but expressed his support for legislative action.
Dog wardens of the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement inspect commercial kennels at least twice a year. Since its inception in 1893, the bureau has been funded mostly with the sale of dog licenses. While the nominal license fee has not been increased in 25 years, the duties of dog wardens have been greatly broadened. Now the bureau is understaffed and barely able to keep up with the minimum required inspections. That is going to lead to the return of puppy mills in Pennsylvania.
Ag Secretary, Dauphin County Treasurer Call for Practical Solution to Crisis Impacting PA Dogs, Local Government Finances pa.gov - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pa.gov Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
But the fate of the project is up in the air.
Berks County Conservation District officials fear they have lost state funding to help control the pest that threatens agricultural industries and businesses like M&E, a shooting range at the 185-acre Wing Pointe hunting preserve.Â
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If funding is found, it will be too late for a large-scale attack this year, said Evan Corrondi, conservation district outreach specialist.
The bugs are more than an inconvenience to M&E s roughly 150 customers a week, said Jen Biegler, co-owner of the business. The lanternfly excrement gets all over our machines. Customers are smacking them with clipboards. They are killing our trees, Biegler said. We are just having a blast with them, let me tell you.