Washington DC — Republican Congressman Zach Nunn of Bondurant is leading a bipartisan group that’s sponsoring two bills to crack down on so-called puppy mills.
Nunn says responsible dog breeders support closing the legal loopholes that have allowed Iowa to be ranked by the Humane Society as the second worst state in the country for puppy mills.
One of the bills, called the Puppy Protection Act, would set standards of care for federally licensed dog breeders — requiring that animals get regular check-ups with a vet, adequate housing, and a healthy diet. Nunn points to the case of Daniel Gingerich, who was charged with 120 violations of the Animal Welfare Act after USDA inspectors found dead and malnourished dogs on a property near Seymour.
The other bill Nunn is co-sponsoring, called Goldie’s Law, was introduced two years ago by Democratic Congresswoman Cindy Axne, who Nunn defeated last November and Nunn is trying to advance it this year. The bill is named for a golden retriever that USDA inspectors saw was emaciated, but the agency did not order the removal of animals from the Wayne County property until months later, when it was too late to save Goldie. Nunn says the local sheriff, who wanted to act sooner, supports the bill.
Nunn made his comments on a taping of “Iowa Press” on Iowa PBS. More than 500 animals were removed from the Gingerich property in Wayne County in September of 2021. Gingerich, who now lives in Ohio, pleaded guilty to two counts of animal neglect last year.
