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ber of mom-and-pop breeders in Florida. One reason for the growth in mom- and-pop breeding operations is that pet stores and websites that sell dogs sup- plied by large, commercial breeders are coming under increased pressure from animal activists. The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires breeders big- ger than a mom and pop to be licensed and inspected, but a USDA license is no guarantee that a breeder is humane or honest, says John Goodwin, senior director of the Humane Society's Stop Puppy Mills Campaign. "USDA regula- tions are abysmal," he says. A breeding dog might spend most of its life in "a cage only six inches longer than its body, and that's legal," he says. During the past decade, dozens of Florida cities, including Fort Lauder- dale, Miami Beach and St. Petersburg, have moved to close down puppy mills by banning pet stores from selling dogs obtained from commercial breeders. Five Florida counties -also have banned or curtailed retail dog sales ("A Leash on Sales," page 79). Some now hope to pass a statewide ban on sales of dogs from commercial breeders. In 2017, California became the first state to limit pet store sales of dogs and cats to shelter or rescue animals only. photo: Norma Lopez Molina The legislation doesn't ban private dog sales, however, meaning people can still buy canine pets directly from small, home-based breeders like the delaPazes. By all appearances, the delaPazes are caring, responsible breeders. They talk openly about their breeding practices and treat their, dogs as pets — the dogs sleep inside, eat homemade food and have their run of a large fenced -in back yard, Brandie says. Because she makes a side income from breeding, she's regis- tered as a business with the state. She says she screens buyers to make sure they're prepared for a new dog, both financially and emotionally. Buy- ers must fill out an application form that asks about the type of place they live in, household size, allergies, other pets, work schedules and plans for caring for a new puppy. "I turn down people all the time," she says. She has her buyers sign a contract agreeing to return a dog to her if they become unable to care for it. She says she stays in contact with each buyer and withholds breeding rights so that the dogs can't be used for breeding, while buyers could breed without her knowing, they wouldn't have the papers to register a litter with AKC. She says the problem with some mom-and-pop breeders is that Brandie delaPaz'.s puppies are registered as purebred with the American Kennel Club. DelaPaz markets online through AKC's website and usually has a waiting list. they don't know what they're doing. "We once talked to a breeder who was like `Yeah, we just had a litter. Two puppies died, and we don't know why? Come to find out, they were freezing" from being left out in the cold, she says. "Thankfully, we've never had a puppy pass on us." The delaPazes say they've learned to regio p'in when a mother dog is about to go into labor and have conquered their' squeamishness about birthing. "We have the puppies in our bathroom because it's a small area, it's quiet and we can dim the lights, Brandie says. "We stay there until the last puppy is out." The eight- week period after a litter is born (but before the puppies go home with their new families) is the most labor-inten- sive, she says. She potty -trains the pup- pies, teaches them basic obedience and gets them vaccinated, micro -chipped and checked out by a veterinarian. She says dog breeding allows her to supplement the family's, income and still be available for her children while Matt studies for a bachelor's degree at Indian River State College. He has post- traumatic stress disorder from multiple tours of combat duty overseas, and they live primarily off his military pension and VA disability benefits. FLORIDATREND.COM MARCH 2019 77 130