http://www.whotv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4882569&nav=2HAB

Des Moines, May 9, 2006 - Dairy, poultry, grains all common farm products in Iowa. Now a new controversial product could be added to the list.

Is your family pet about to become classified as livestock? Iowa dog breeders want to add puppies to the list of farm products. The measure passed through the legislature this past session. Governor Vilsack has yet to sign the bill. Animal rights groups are doing what they can to talk him out.

Say the word livestock and cows and pigs are what most people think of, but soon dogs could be considered livestock. Legislation on the governor's desk would put cattle and canines in the same category. "Dogs should not be raised as hogs in the state of Iowa and should not be considered livestock," said Tom Colvin of the Animal Rescue League is an outspoken critic of reclassifying dogs as "farm products". If that happens he's worried that dogs being bred won't be as protected since abuse and cruelty laws for animals classified as livestock aren't as strict.

Rob Hurd is a driving force behind the bill. He and his wife run a pet shop out of their home in carlisle. Hurd believes the legislation would benefit the more than 400 dog breeders...represented on this map. Reclassifying dogs as farm products would give each breeder a tax break."We're taxed on two ends. If we were raising any other product that has "farm product" status- we would not have to pay sales tax on inputs," said Hurd.

Both men do agree on one thing, that dogs and livestock aren't the same. But while one says he's looking out for the interests of breeders, the other says he's more interested in protecting puppies. The reclassifcation of dogs as farm products is attached to a bill that would, among other things, overhaul the mental health care system. The governor's office says because of that Governor Vilsack will most likely sign it. Groups like the Animal Rescue League are pushing for Governor Vilsack to line item veto the section of the bill