I'm doing an internship this semester at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture in their Press Office. It's mostly interesting as many topics relate to animals. I got the internship through my very good friend, Jessie Smith, who was appointed Special Deputy Secretary of Dog Law Enforcement, two years ago by Governor Rendell. Jessie knew of my passion for animals and my desire to get employment once I graduate! Needless to say, I'm happy she offered me the internship.
One of my projects has been to create an Excel file of all the different types of kennels in Pennslvania. I had no idea there were more than 1000 kennels in this state alone! There are many types of kennels: breeder kennels, hobby/show breeders, research kennels, non-profit shelter, rescue, for profit pet stores, sporting dog kennels and more. The number of breeder kennels is staggering. With such a huge overpopulation of dogs in Pennsylvania it's hard to believe we still allow dogs to be bred and sold. Although Jessie can't divulge everything about the survey, I can only presume it may be to find out how many are actual breeder's. Since Governor Rendell is committed to cracking down on puppy mills and to changing the current dog law. I hope this information serves a valuable purpose in helping to address the needs of dogs who are bred and kept under inhumane conditions.
To learn more about kennels in Pennsylvania, or to look up a kennel to see if it has met current inspection standards please visit the Kennel Inspection Database.
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