Breeders of the Australian Labradoodles would like to bring attention and objections to the California legislation bill AB702 which aims to limit the ability for breeders in California to do business. The bill was brought on to prevent so-called “puppy mills” which are already in violation of the law and will hurt law abiding, responsible breeders and family pets. If passed, AB702 will also prohibit the use of guardian homes (breeding dogs placed with families) and will restrict the breeding of dogs and cats to only once per year rather than the animal's natural heat cycle.  We aim to create awareness and educate people in order to protect California pets and breeders as this Bill will hinder the ability for legitimate and responsible breeders from producing healthy, health-guaranteed, well-tempered companion pets, therapy and service dogs.

Negative effects of passing of California Legislation Bill AB702 include:

• Targets and forces law-abiding, qualified breeders out of business and/or move operations out of California.

• Increases the demand for puppies produced by illegally run kennels and backyard breeders.

• Promotes the shipping of puppies from locations outside of California with little or no regulation.

• Forces unhealthy and harmful breeding practices.

• Invades the privacy of dog and cat owners.

• Promotes similar legislation in other states.

Benefits of the current CA breeding regulations:

• Legitimate breeders of all breeds must qualify under strict criteria for responsible breeding including high quality physical and mental treatment of breeder’s dogs and puppies.

• According to reproductive veterinarians, breeding female dogs are healthier when there are multiple pregnancy cycles back-to-back. Restricting breeding to once a year may cause infection and advanced maternal age pregnancies later in a female dog’s life.  This would hinder the ability of reproductive veterinarians to guide breeders on the best medical care of their dogs.

• Guardian home advantages: The guardian dog visits the breeder’s home during breeding events and when they have puppies. The guardian home system drastically reduces the number of dogs on a breeder's property, making it better for disease control, eliminating kennels and allowing the dog to live in a normal, family supportive environment.

About The ILA/ALAA: 

The International Labradoodle Association, Inc, dba Australian Labradoodle Association of America, consists of approximately 300 breeders and approaching 5000 pet members while maintaining a database of nearly 100,000 dog registrations and verified pedigrees dating back to its founding in 2004. The organization requires strict guidelines to become a breeder member including: health testing requirements, registration of all dogs and puppies, pedigree verification and DNA profile submission. One of the most important goals of the ILA/ALAA is to promote the responsible breeding of healthy pets. For more information, please visit alaa-labradoodles.com.