reimbursement to the price of the dog or a different amount based on the price of the dog, except 

 for Connecticut, which sets a limit of $200. Most states also allow the purchaser to elect to 

 exchange the sick dog for another dog, if one is available, in lieu of a refund. 



These laws differ considerably in detail. For example, the older laws apply only to pet 

 shop sales, apparently because, as reported to the Commission, pet shops used to be the primary 

 sales outlet for puppy mills. Reportedly, puppy mills now sell puppies directly to the public, and 

 newer laws tend to include large-scale or commercial breeders or both. There is; however, no 

 uniformity in defining which breeders are covered by puppy lemon laws. 



Some states have additional features in their laws. For example, California, Delaware, 

 New York, and Pennsylvania include a remedy for the seller's failure to deliver promised 

 registration paperwork for a purebred dog. 



Hard evidence on the extent of a puppy mill problem in this State is difficult to obtain. In 

 the survey of counties done by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners in 

 2003, as more fully reported in the Interim Report , 18 counties reported having puppy mills, 

 while 34 did not, and one did not know whether it had any. The Commission's staff reported that 

 local newspapers frequently carry advertisements for puppies of different breeds at the same 

 telephone number. As described more fully in the Interim Report , this circumstance was 

 previously reported to the Commission as an indication that the seller is a puppy mill. The 

 Attorney General's Consumer Protection Section informed the Commission's staff that the 

 section received 19 complaints about defective dogs during calendar year 2004 and that the 

 section estimates that only about one in ten persons who have a complaint contact it. 



The Commission asked its staff to prepare a draft proposal for a puppy lemon law based 

 on other states' laws. It decided, however, that anyone, not just pet shops or large breeders, who 

 sold a sick dog should allow the purchaser to return the dog for a refund or to exchange it, 

 although any reimbursement for veterinary fees should be limited to pet shops and larger 

 breeders. 



The Commission reviewed a draft proposal for' a puppy lemon law at its January 6, 2006, 

 and March 3, 2006, meetings. In addition, at the January 6, 2006, meeting, the Commission's 

 staff reported that the SPCA of Wake County expressed willingness to see if it could, for a 

 limited time, keep some sort of record of dogs at the Wake County animal shelter that appeared 

 to be from puppy mills. 



At the Commission's March 3, 2006, meeting, it concluded that it would not be able to 

 complete work on a legislative proposal in time to circulate the proposal for comments from 

 interested individuals and groups before the deadline for introduction of bills in the 2006 

 legislative session. The Commission also concluded that it was important to seek such comment 

 before making a final recommendation on a legislative proposal. It decided to continue work on 



