Dog facilities in Iowa. Photos courtesy of Mary LaHay.

Each year in Iowa, dog breeders must obtain a license through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and this year an organization is advocating for a bill to ensure the dogs’ welfare at these facilities. Mary LaHay, founder of the Iowa Friends of Companion Animals, explains the state would need to hire more people to do the inspections, but LaHay explains they’ve built that money into the bill with license fees. Currently licensed dog breeders in Iowa pay $175 annually regardless of how many dogs they have in their operation. Under the proposed legislation there would be license fee increases on a tiered system for the number of breeding dogs.

The Iowa Friends of Companion Animals will have a lobby day with the legislature on Wednesday, February 3rd, a bus picks people up in Coralville and takes them to Des Moines.