The celebrity pooch Susie wore a collar of pearls to a photo-op with the governor last week in Raleigh. Does she have coattails to match? A stalled bill that would regulate puppy breeders in North Carolina stirred to life again last week after being stuck in committee for a year. At the same time, Susie's Law, named for the now-famous pit bull mix from Greensboro, was being signed.
Susie fought for her life after being severely beaten and burned by her former owner. The law named for her stiffens penalties for animal abuse. The so-called "Puppy Mill Bill" would prevent abuse by licensing and regulating dog breeders. But it has encountered fierce resistance from hunters, "hobby" breeders, the NRA and the American Kennel Club.
These organizations seem not so much to fear what's actually in the bill as what they suspect is a hidden agenda -- that it's a backdoor attempt to attack hunting even though it explicitly excludes hunters.
Other efforts to legislate better conditions for animals in the state have encountered similar growls and bared teeth from opponents. A modest surcharge on pet food to benefit overcrowded animal shelters would have added 10 cents in price to each 20-pound bag of pet food and a 2-cent surcharge on each can -- or about $3 extra each year to feed a small dog. It went nowhere in 2004.
Was it a coincidence that the primary sponsor of the breeding bill held a news conference last week, as Susie continued to touch the public's heart? The breeding bill could benefit from Susie's help. Maybe it already has.
