As a resident of Maine Senate District 15 (Poland), I recently received a legislative update from Sen. Lois Snowe-Mello. In it, she writes about “Stopping puppy mills” and the Act to Ensure Ethical and Humane Dog Breeding.

It appears that she is trying to convince her constituents that she has been a supporter of ridding the state of puppy mills. In reality, Sen. Snowe-Mello was a staunch supporter of the owners of the notorious Buxton puppy mill – the worst puppy mill the animal welfare program has ever had to shut down.

In an article published by the Sun Journal in September 2007, she referred to the actions of Maine’s Animal Welfare Program to seize the abused dogs in Buxton as, “Like Gestapo methods of controlling people and kennels …”

Recently, the animal welfare program has conducted numerous seizures throughout the state to prevent dog and cat abuse by puppy mill breeders and animal collectors.

It is misleading for Sen. Snowe-Mello to present herself as a lover of animals when she regularly delays and thwarts meaningful legislation to stop dog and cat abuse in the state of Maine.

Those of us in her district who care about animal welfare need to think long and hard before we send Sen. Snowe-Mello back to the Maine Senate.

John S. Rozos, Poland Spring