ohmidog!

It took two years, but the Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions  says it has acquired and submitted enough signatures to bring an end to the annual flesh markets known as dog auctions.

The sales — similar to what you might see at an auction of livestock, or trafficked humans — are revolting affairs that seem out of kilter with the times. 

“It’s a major distribution channel for puppy-mill breeding, and it’s a form of commerce that has not been good for the dogs or Ohio voters or taxpayers,” says Mary O’Connor-Shaver, leader of the coalition.

The group submitted 150,000 signatures last week to the secretary of state’s office. If at least 115,570 are proven legitimate, the General Assembly has four months to either pass a ban or pass a modified version approved by the coalition, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

About six dog auctions a year are held in Ohio, with an average of 350 dogs bought and sold at each by breeders from Ohio and nearby states.

The proposal would ban the auction of dogs in Ohio and the sale or trade of dogs acquired through an auction.

Violations would be misdemeanors, punishable by fines of as much as $250 and jail sentences of as long as 30 days. 

O’Connor-Shaver said she expects to know by Jan.6 whether enough signatures have been certified.

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the auctions are now held only in Holmes County and involve about 2,500 dogs and puppies a year, with most of the dogs sold destined for pet stores or lives as breeders.

Activists say many of the animals sold are sick, injured, and genetically-flawed. Cameras and cell phones are not permitted at the auctions. The video above was taken five years ago during an undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States.

(Photo: Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions)