HARRISBURG - All eyes turned to the cute German Shepherd touring the halls of the State Capitol on Monday in her wagon. Victoria greeted animal lovers with the wag of her tail and a gentle smile, but many people wouldn't know what she has been through. The 11-year-old dog spent the first 10 years of her life confined to a cage on a Lancaster County puppy mill.

Victoria spent the first 10 years of her life in a cage on a Lancaster County puppy mill.

Victoria is blind, paralyzed, and suffers from canine degenerative myelopathy, similar to Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) in humans. She most likely passed the genetic disorder onto the 150 to 200 puppies she bred. Victoria is the poster dog for one of two bills that animal advocates hope to see the Legislature pass this week.

Senate Bill 1154 Puppy Mill Retail Sales Bill would require pet stores to get dogs, cats, and rabbits from shelters and rescues instead of puppy mills. It would also require license numbers to be posted with all puppies for sale in hopes of making their history more transparent.

"This will do two things. One, it will find homes for all those animals and, two, it will kill all those puppy mills," said Sen. Guy Reschenthaler (R-37), who's one of the bill's sponsors.

Pennsylvania has nine puppy mills listed on the Humane Society of the United States' Horrible 100 List. Seven of the operations are listed as repeat offenders. Ninety-nine percent of dogs in pet stores come from puppy mills, according to the Humane Society of the United States.

Animal advocates and lawmakers gather Monday for a press conference inside the Capitol.

"Unfortunately, there's a lot of people involved in puppy mill activity in Pennsylvania, so we want to kill that market here in Pennsylvania to really put a dent in horrific trade in puppy mills," Reschenthaler said.

"This bill would protect consumers as well as animals. A lot of times the animals are inbred or have genetic conditions they pass onto their offspring, and consumers often aren't aware of this. Reputable breeders aren't going to sell to pet stores," said Kristen Tullo, Pennsylvania director of the Humane Society of the United States.

Advocates are also pushing for the passage of HB 1216 Motor Vehicle Extreme Protection Act. It would allow public safety officials to rescue cats and dogs from hot vehicles without being liable for damages.

"In those hot summer days where a dog is in distress and has been left in its vehicle, police, fire [and] EMS [would] be able to break the window and do whatever they need to do to get that animal out to be taken to a vet and be properly treated," said Rep. Frank Farry (R-142), who's one of the bill's sponsors.

Victoria the German Shepherd lobbied legislators Monday at the Capitol.

HB 1216 has already passed in the House and is scheduled for a vote Monday, although some legislators believe it might not be heard. Advocates pushed for both of the bills to pass with the session scheduled to end on Wednesday. They held a press conference, had lunch with legislators and handed out informational materials in the Capitol Rotunda on Monday.

"Governor Wolf signed Libre's Law last year. Advocates have become engaged and feel empowered in the state over the past two years," K.C. Wenger, with the Justice for Libre Animal Advocacy Action Group, said. "We are becoming more aware of the importance of advocacy in getting bills passed. We are the constituents, and our lawmakers want to hear from us."

Gov.Tom Wolf has also called for passage of these two bills and says he will sign them into law if they're passed.

Victoria the puppy mill survivor is not expected to live much longer and has a bucket list. You can learn more about her story by clicking here.