Ohio is one of seven states that allows dog auctions.
Mahoning County's dog warden said those operations are an outlet for larger-scale dog breeding operations that critics call puppy mills. On Wednesday, the Ohio Senate passed a measure designed to crack down on puppy mills.
Although organized puppy mills aren't as much of a problem here, it doesn't make them any less important.
"It's about just common decency toward these animals and we already have too many homeless dogs as it is, and there's no reason to create more, and in many cases they're so mistreated and it's just not right," said Mahoning County Dog Warden Matt Ditchey. "We should always care about how animals are mistreated and just because it's not happening right in front of us doesn't mean we should allow it to happen in our state somewhere else."
The legislation now goes to the Ohio House. If the state legislature doesn't come up with its own bill outlawing dog auctions, there will be an initiative on November's ballot for people to vote on.
