Too many puppies arrive at Vicki Davis' doorstep with the same sad backstory.

Davis is executive director of the Tri-County Humane Society in St. Cloud. She said many puppies that end up at the humane society were born in huge breeding operations where they weren't properly socialized.

Such puppies often have health or behavioral problems that make it tough to co-exist with their owners, Davis said.

"People put tons of money into those puppies that they get from those locations, and they still don't have a pet that fits into the family," Davis said.

Davis and other advocates hope a new state law will improve the conditions into which many dogs and cats are born.

The law, which took effect July 1, requires large commercial dog and cat breeders to be licensed and inspected annually by the state Board of Animal Health. Previously, there was no state process in place to license or inspect such operations.

Proponents view the law as an overdue step to ensure a minimum standard of care for dogs and cats, especially in huge dog-breeding operations that critics call puppy mills. They say Minnesota is a hotspot for such operations, in part because there has been so little regulation until now.

Some breeders aren't thrilled with the new law. A Little Falls breeder said it will unnecessarily burden reputable breeders while encouraging unsavory ones to operate under the radar.

The House lawmaker who sponsored the measure, state Rep. John Lesch, said it enables Minnesota to join the majority of states that already have such requirements. Lesch, DFL-St. Paul, said the law will deter maltreatment of dogs and cats by the handful of breeders who are bad actors, while giving greater peace of mind to pet buyers.

"It's going to make life better for Minnesota families who adopt a puppy or a kitten," said Lesch, DFL-St. Paul.

'A proactive law'

Nancy Minion has spent much of the last two decades advocating measures to regulate Minnesota dog and cat breeders.

Minion is president of Second Chance Animal Rescue in White Bear Lake, which rescues, cares for and finds new homes for dogs and cats.

Until now, Minion said, breeder compliance with Minnesota's animal cruelty laws was basically an honor system. Enforcement only came when problems were reported to local law enforcement agencies.

"It's a proactive law," Minion said. "The way Minnesota worked before, it was complaint-based.

"If you saw a sick pup or a bad situation in a breeding facility, you'd report it if you so chose, and the police would decide whether they're going to get involved."

Lesch said stomach-churning stories about bad breeders was part of what motivated his sponsorship of the bill. The one that stuck with him the most was a Northfield woman, Dayna Bell, convicted of 13 counts of felony animal cruelty in 2013.

Three former employees of Bell's kennel allegedly saw her drown puppies in a bucket of water or by tying a cinder block to the animals' necks and throwing them in a swimming pool, according to a St. Paul Pioneer Press report.

Standards of care

The new law gives Minnesota dog and cat breeders until July 1, 2015, to register with and obtain a license from the Board of Animal Health. The board will annually inspect breeding facilities as part of the licensing process.

Inspection reports and other data collected by the board will not be public, due to a provision in the law. The only data that will be public are a list of licensed breeders, according to Paul Anderson, a veterinarian and assistant director of the Board of Animal Health.

The new law also establishes standards of care for dogs and cats in breeding facilities.

Anderson said those standards don't differ much from requirements already in statute. The big difference the law makes is giving the board a means to enforce the rules through inspections, he said.

Anderson said the board views the next 12 months as an opportunity to educate breeders on the new requirements and help them comply.

"Our mission this year is really to help folks meet these requirements," Anderson said.

Anderson said as many as 500 Minnesota breeders may be subject to the new requirements. Small breeders will be exempt from the law, which applies to operations with10 or more sexually intact adults and that produce more than five litters a year.

Already inspected

Bonnie Schaeffel is among the breeders who may be affected. She and her husband, Steve, own Liberty Siberians near Little Falls. They breed Siberian huskies for show and sale, and have bred and shown several champion dogs.

Schaeffel said her and her husband's passion for Siberian huskies is why they breed them. Schaeffel said she helps raise the puppies in her home and extensively vets potential buyers, sometimes turning them away if she thinks they're a bad fit.

Schaeffel said she's no defender of breeders who treat animals shoddily. But she said the new law likely won't have the effect its supporters expect.

"People that do things in puppy mills will just stop registering dogs and sell them under the table, and they'll do the same crappy job that they always did," Schaeffel said. "The only people that it will impact is the people who are doing things responsibly."

Schaeffel said her breeding operation is inspected through the American Kennel Club and is regulated by Morrison County. She's concerned that local, state and federal regulations could create a labyrinth of requirements and fees with which breeders must contend.

Some breeders and agricultural groups have opposed various versions of the law each year when they were introduced at the Legislature. This year, Lesch said stakeholder groups were able to reach a compromise. He credited the support of Gov. Mark Dayton as critical to the law's passage.

Animal-welfare groups throughout the state, including Tri-County Humane Society, mobilized support by urging supporters to contact lawmakers, Davis said.

Davis said dog and cat breeders who take good care of their animals have nothing to fear from the measure.

"Those who are doing it responsibly should have no concern over this bill," Davis said. "It's a good day for animals."

Follow Mark Sommerhauser on Twitter @msommerhauser.

Want to learn more?

A new law requires Minnesota dog and cat breeders to be licensed and inspected by the state Board of Animal Health. The board has a website for the public to read the new law and learn more about how it will be enforced.

Visit http://mn.gov/bah/dogs-cats.html to learn more.