L.A. County supervisors get tough on sick puppies

L.A. County supervisors get tough on sick puppies The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is taking on a new and terrifying issue: Sick puppies.
   The Board of Supervisors is urging the federal government to take measures to strengthen border enforcement against dog breeders who each year import thousands of immature and sometimes sick puppies into the United States, and specifically Southern California.
   The board agreed in a Tuesday vote to send a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture asking the agency to investigate ways to provide stricter enforcement against the breeders.
   The puppies are susceptible to diseases that could cause serious illnesses due to their underdeveloped immune systems.
   Central and South America, Eastern Europe, Russia and Asia are main source for the puppies, according to Supervisor Mike Antonovich.
   Michelle Roache, deputy director of the county Department of Animal Control, told the board that while the animals could come in through the airport or ports, the entry point of choice is the U.S./Mexico border.
   Roache said existing laws regarding vaccination and quarantine of imported puppies are adequate, but under-enforced.