Opinion: Don’t end Texas’ regulations against puppy mills. Make the rules stronger.

Ending cruel puppy mill practices is an issue most Texans want to get behind — and enthusiastically did when the state passed a law in 2011 outlawing such abuse. Bad commercial breeding facilities, or “puppy mills,” can lead to overbreeding, inhumane conditions and the poor health of puppies and kittens.

However, the very program established to prevent this cycle of cruelty and regulate such breeders is in jeopardy. Last month the Sunset Advisory Commission recommended the Legislature defund and eliminate the Licensed Breeder Program. Commission staffers called the program “resource-intensive but ineffective.”

The program is not perfect. But it has succeeded in providing some oversight to large-scale breeding facilities. As a law enforcement officer, I want to ensure that people and animals are protected. I also know that if the program is revoked, the job of stopping puppy mills will be thrust completely on law enforcement across the state. Simply put, law enforcement does not have the resources necessary for this undertaking. Worse yet, we are unable to step in until after cruelty has taken place, which can be too late for many animals.

The Licensed Breeders Program ensures basic standards for these operations. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation inspects each applicant’s facility, which prevents any unethical breeder from getting a license at all. Well-meaning breeders with violations are given a chance to remedy any issue and be in compliance with the minimum standards required by law. Additionally, the 2011 law requires the state to conduct out-of-cycle inspections throughout the year to ensure breeders are following humane practices.

Without these standards and the review of a breeder’s adherence by state regulators, these animals are left completely unprotected. Their best-case scenario becomes a civilian knowing what to look for and getting the attention of law enforcement, who are dealing with countless other demands on limited resources. The Licensed Breeders Program is a critical component to the total safety net of Texas dogs and cats and is not a type of oversight law enforcement can provide if the program were to be revoked.

In a future without state oversight of these facilities, law enforcement will be forced to conduct large-scale seizures of animals in cruel breeding facilities. Such operations come at a huge cost to local taxpayers, and only if a local shelter or animal rescue is able to assist. Law enforcement relies on nonprofits to help after a seizure to house, feed and rehabilitate these animals, making these seizures possible only if local shelters have the capacity and funds to care for the animals.

The Licensed Breeders Program needs improvements, though. Two loopholes, put into law at the insistence of bad actors, allow them to sidestep regulation. As a result, we see many bad breeders are able to operate without a license: From 2013-16, the state received more than 400 complaints about unlicensed breeders and only 20 against licensed breeders.

To identify more bad actors, we must remove the requirement that someone must sell more than 20 puppies or kittens to be considered a “breeder.” This number is meaningless, as many breeders operate with unrecorded and untraceable cash transactions to avoid being regulated. Secondly, we must lower the threshold for licensure from 11 breeding females to five. No other state has as high a threshold. Texas’ current standard has allowed large-scale breeders to masquerade as mom-and-pop operations.

Maintaining and improving the Licensed Breeders Program supports law enforcement, saves taxpayer dollars, and is an essential tool to stop puppy mill practices and animal suffering before they begin. Who can’t get behind that?

Jantzen is a sergeant with the Harris County Constable’s Office, Precinct 5.