ST. LOUIS — Volunteers for the Humane Society of Missouri are pushing for a ballot measure seeking stronger regulations on dog breeding facilities, or so-called "puppy mills."
STLtoday.com, the Web site for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, reported Monday that the initiative would require Missouri's estimated 1,500 commercial dog breeding facilities to provide food, clean water, exercise, veterinary care and "adequate rest between breeding cycles."
The proposal would also prohibit the facilities from having more than 50 dogs for the purpose of selling them as pets.
Backers need at least 92,000 petition signatures by May 2 to get the initiative on the November ballot.