Protecting Puppies

I referenced “irony” about state legislators in my last email. With politicians, it seems there’s an endless supply.
Here’s more.

Mary Ann Smith, the owner of a puppy mill in Salem, Missouri, filed a defamation lawsuit in 2011 against the Humane
Society. She was included in a list of Missouri’s “dirty dozen”- where the Humane Society identifies our state’s
most egregious puppy mills. The list can be viewed here.

Her son, Jason Smith, is a U.S. Representative of Missouri’s 8th congressional district and has fought
against protecting dogs from abusive puppy mills. Jason Smith was a lead proponent for gutting the Missouri Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act which became law in early 2011. The conflict of interest
was well set out in this article in Pitch.

The Missouri Supreme Court ruled on April 25, 2017, that Mary Ann Smith had not alleged sufficient facts to make a
case for defamation and her case was consequently tossed. The HSUS successfully argued that Smith had merely stated
opinions which were protected by free speech. The opinion can be viewed here.

Gary Burger

Founder | Injury Attorney
Gary Burger has dedicated his career to standing up against bullies. The founder and principal attorney of Burger Law | St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer has helped hundreds of Missouri and Illinois individuals and families recover th …
Years of experience: 30 years
Location: St. Louis, MO

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