Report: Pa. failing to enforce puppy-mill law

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania advisory board says thousands of breeding dogs are languishing because the state Dog Law Enforcement Office has not enforced regulations meant to eliminate substandard commercial kennels known as puppy mills.

A panel of the Dog Law Advisory Board says its investigation found disturbingly lax enforcement of a 2008 law that had been hailed as a nationwide model.

It says scores of kennels have been skirting tough new rules on ventilation, humidity, lighting, flooring and ammonia levels and that many of the protections contained in the law “largely exist only on paper.”

The panel’s analysis of records shows that inspections are down and the enforcement office has all but stopped issuing citations. The report says that regulators have not revoked any licenses since 2010.