INDIANAPOLIS – Commercial dog breeders would register with the state, pay fees and follow federal standards of care under an amended bill passed unanimously by a Senate committee Tuesday.

But animal welfare advocates who testified, including several veterinarians, say the new version of House Bill 1468 doesn’t go far enough to make sure dogs receive proper medical care, exercise opportunities and shelter.

The hearing drew about 100 passionate Hoosiers on an issue that has brought voluminous amounts of mail and other correspondence to legislators.

Rep. Linda Lawson, D-Hammond, filed the bill to crack down on “puppy mills” around the state that have been accused of neglecting animals and producing dogs with varying health problems.

But law enforcement officials have had trouble shutting down some operations because Indiana’s current animal cruelty law requires only that owners provide food and water for dogs.

Dog breeders have strongly objected to being regulated for the first time, saying state lawmakers are throwing a net over reputable breeders while trying to catch bad ones.

As passed by the House, the legislation would have required breeders and pet dealers to register with the state; placed caps on the number of unaltered (not spayed) adult female dogs a breeder could own; limited how often a female dog could have puppies; required veterinary care; and regulated exercise opportunities and cage specifications.

Sen. Brent Steele, R-Bedford, chairman of the Senate Corrections Committee, offered the amendment because he said the House version of the bill would over-regulate the industry and be detrimental to breeders.

He said the amended bill, which now moves to the full Senate, gives tools to law enforcement for fighting animal cruelty while sending a message to breeders “that Indiana will not be a safe harbor for those who mistreat dogs.”

The bill does the following:

•Establishes a registry of commercial dog breeders with the Board of Animal Health and defines commercial dog breeders as having more than 20 unaltered adult female dogs. There is no cap on the number of unaltered female adult dogs a breeder can have.

•Requires breeders to pay a fee based on the number of adult unaltered female dogs, with a maximum of $500 for those having more than 250.

•Requires breeders to abide by U.S. Department of Agriculture standards of care and to keep veterinary records.

•Tightens Indiana’s animal cruelty law.

“To a city boy like me, that almost seems like a dog farm,” Sen. Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, said of the large number of dogs the bill allows.

Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Lakeville, said the legislation has been caught up in a philosophical discussion about the farming of domestic animals. But she supports the amended bill because it gives the state an infrastructure to make sure dogs are cared for and that taxes are paid without harming the businesses.

“There need to be regulations on substandard kennels,” said Nikole Weber, a Kosciusko County breeder of poodles and Pomeranians.

But she said she and others operate professional facilities where the dogs frolic outside and get good medical care. She has 35 dogs, of which 30 are unaltered female adult dogs.

Dr. Michael Staub, a Terre Haute veterinarian, said the USDA regulations in the bill relate more directly to livestock production than domestic animals such as dogs. He told the committee that some dogs live in cages year after year, never seeing the light of day, touching grass and interacting with humans.

And animal welfare advocate Diane Richards of Indianapolis brought in a cage with a stuffed animal dog inside, showing legislators how small of an area is required by federal code.

“I am a concerned taxpayer sick and tired of seeing all these reports on abuse and neglect cases and inhumane dog breeding facilities,” she said.

nkelly@jg.net