Ohio lawmakers to vote on dog breeder, puppy mill crackdown

CINCINNATI - An Ohio legislative committee is nearing a decision on a bill that would crack down on high-volume dog breeding operations, dubbed puppy mills.

The proposal was scheduled for a House committee vote Tuesday. It could head to the floor as soon as Wednesday.

The bill would beef up regulations on the care and treatment of animals housed in large-scale establishments and distinguish the facilities from traditional dog kennels. It also requires those considered "dog retailers" to be licensed.

The Humane Society of the United States is among groups supporting puppy mill limits. The organization included restrictions on the facilities among policy priorities it wanted in exchange for keeping an anti-animal cruelty measure off the 2010 statewide ballot.

That measure would have affected care standards for Ohio livestock.