Dog auction opponents to continue ballot measure campaign despite Humane Society deal

A coalition of groups working to end dog auctions in Ohio announced that it will proceed with its campaign for a 2011 ballot initiative that would ban dog auctions and raffles—the Ohio Dog Auctions Act—despite the decision by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to drop its own animal welfare ballot measure.

In return for a “historic” set of reforms promised by the governor and agricultural interests, HSUS decided to halt its campaign for an “Ohioans for Humane Farms” ballot measure that sought to curb intensive confinement practices on factory farms.

“It is important to note that SB 95 [a Ohio "puppy mill bill" supported by HSUS] does NOT include a component to ban Ohio dog auctions and raffles,” said Mary O’Connor Shaver of the Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions.

“As many of you are already aware, the Ohio dog auctions serve as a major distribution channel for buyers and sellers from 15 states, many of whom have long standing, repeated violations of the Animal Welfare Act and/or animal cruelty. Because of this, we will continue to move forward with our 2011 ballot initiative, Ohio Dog Auctions Act,” said Shaver.

Katerina Lorenzatos Makris is the author of 17 novels for publishers including Avon, E.P. Dutton, and Simon & Schuster, and hundreds of articles for publications such as National Geographic Traveler, San Francisco Chronicle, and Veggie Life. She wrote a teleplay for CBS and short fiction for The Bark magazine. With coauthor Shelley Frost, she wrote Your Adopted Dog  (The Lyons Press). Holding a B.A. in Environmental Science Studies and a lifelong interest in animal issues, she spends a lot of her time battling a severe addiction to dogs.