Nationwide group petitions local and state leaders to regulate the Dog Breeding industry

Lexington, SC 04/09/2025 (Paul Kirby) – A group named change.org is trying to upgrade animal welfare reforms in Lexington County. Change.org works on projects such as this across the country.

A short while ago, Shanna Murphy who works with the program here locally, launched a petition urging local leaders to implement mandatory certification and stronger enforcement for dog breeders in Lexington County. Now, more than 250 petition signers have expressed their desire for unregulated breeders to have to register their operations and be subjected to inspections.

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In many cases, unregulated dog breeders contribute to an area's dog overpopulation crisis. It leads to area shelters being overwhelmed and contributes to a rise in euthanasia rates. Detractors of this unregulated industry argue that the absence of breeder oversight enables reckless, profit-driven behavior at the expense of animal welfare and taxpayer dollars.

Shanna Murphy says that a countywide certification system would hold breeders to basic standards of care and ensure that only trained, accountable individuals can operate this business. Murphy developed a petition that calls on state and local officials, including the Governor and Agriculture Commissioner, to support a framework that would protect animals, reduce shelter strain, and prevent abuse.

You can find Shanna’s petition by following this link: Regulate the Dog breeding business.