Missouri dog breeder law mandates annual veterinary exams

ST. LOUIS — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon allocated $1.1 million in the 2012 state budget to crack down on substandard commercial dog breeders.

Nixon signed Senate Bill 161 in April, which was a compromise to Prop B—a puppy-mill reform law passed by voters last November.

The new law, dubbed the Missouri Solution, seeks to improve the welfare of dogs in commercial breeding operations by requiring annual examinations by a veterinarian, access to food and water at least twice a day and a specified amount of kennel space.

Nixon says the $1.1 million allocation will help Missouri increase the number of veterinarians, inspectors and enforcement agents tasked with putting the Missouri Solution in motion.