Officials issue warning about bacteria in farm's goat cheese

AP-PA--Pennsylvania News Digest, PA

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania court has sided with animal-rights activists and struck down state regulations that permitted nursing dogs to be kept in cages with wire floors and limited their access to exercise. Commonwealth Court said Friday that the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture regulations conflicted with state dog law. The law prohibits the use of metal strand flooring for dogs in commercial breeding kennels and requires unfettered access to an exercise area. The state regulations allowed the nursing mothers to be kept in cages with 50 percent wire flooring and only required breeders to provide them with daily access to exercise. The court sided with three Pennsylvania dog owners who filed suit against the agriculture department. The plaintiffs are members of the Animal Legal Defense Fund. The department declined comment on the ruling.

Court: Kennels can't keep nursing dogs on wire floors