Proposition B opposition

Don't be fooled by the slick television ads or the Hollywood celebrities. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is not your local pet shelter but an east coast fundraising organization. Very little (less that one-half of 1 percent) of the money it raises is used to rescue dogs and cats but rather to finance an extremist agenda that is targeting pet breeders, livestock producers and hunters.

As a livestock producer, hunter and dog breeder, I am very concerned about the threat posed by HSUS and other extremist organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

On Nov. 2, Missourians will have a chance to vote on HSUS' latest pet project. Proposition B is specifically aimed at eliminating legal and licensed professional dog breeders in Missouri. It targets commercial pet breeders who are already licensed and inspected by the Missouri Department of Agriculture and who are in compliance with state and federal laws. It will provide no additional resources to enhance existing inspection programs or target unlicensed dog breeders. According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, not one of the state's 1,400 current licensed breeders can comply with the regulations put forth in Proposition B.

This ballot initiative is the top of the iceberg. I encourage you to learn more about HSUS and its agenda by going to www.thealliancefortruth.com or www.mofb.org. If Proposition B passes, it will only be a matter of time before HSUS is back in the state with both farmers and hunters in its sights. Enough is enough; we do not need new rules and regulations. Vote no on Proposition B.

DALE E. STEFFENS, President,

Cape Girardeau County Farm Bureau, Jackson