[ SHOWGSD-L ] FW: save congo alert
- From: "Diane Beckman" <d.beckman@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2007 16:42:03 -0600
_____
From: savecongo@xxxxxxx [mailto:savecongo@xxxxxxx]
Sent: Saturday, December 15, 2007 4:36 PM
To: Groomer76@xxxxxxx; pshovlin@xxxxxxxxx; d.beckman@xxxxxxxxxxx;
ebrand@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; gigfay6@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; weightbumm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx;
dnarara@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; tac@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; b.schwarz1@xxxxxxxxxxx;
LEWTERLAW@xxxxxxx; Jjrc229@xxxxxxx; adrienn_vanriper@xxxxxxxxxxx;
info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; CPATCH49@xxxxxxx; stylishpet4@xxxxxxx;
alldogsgo2helen@xxxxxxxxx; hum211@xxxxxxxxxxx; warren.thebaers@xxxxxxxxxxx;
sringlers@xxxxxxxxxxxx; sbrown@xxxxxxxxxxx;
glenn.forde@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; LovedCreatures@xxxxxxx;
donnalwalker@xxxxxxxxxxx; TEREMARC1@xxxxxxx; jab1004@xxxxxxxxxxx;
bbandme8@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: save congo alert
CONGO'S LAW ALERT!!!! We need to step it up folks!
Congo's Law needs your help immediately..please we need your support of
Congo's Law. Especially from the Princeton Community & surrounding areas!!!!
Please CALL....... Rally via phone calls, in addition...
write letters and email ..
New <http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/RepEmail.asp> Jersey Legislature -
Electronic Coorespondence to your State Representative
District 15
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER - Democrat
District Office: 1440 Pennington Rd., 1st Floor, Ewing, NJ 08618
(609)-530-3277
Assemblyman REED GUSCIORA - Democrat
District Office: 226 W. State St., Trenton, NJ 08608 (609)-292-0500
Assemblywoman BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN - Democrat
District Office: 226 W. State St., Trenton, NJ 08608 (609)-292-0500
________________________________________________________________
Congo's Law opponents lead in calls to local Assemblyman
Friday, December 14, 2007 7:09 AM EST
By Nick Norlen, Staff Writer
Though Congo's owners have said thousands are contacting the governor
to support the dog and the bill that bears his name, one local Assemblyman
said the majority of the feedback directed to his office has been from those
opposed to the bill.
According to the office of state Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Princeton),
approximately 60 percent of the correspondences he has received oppose the
bill - and the bulk of those are coming from Princeton.
The calls and e-mails in support of the bill have come from all over the
state, according to Assemblyman Gusciora's legislative aide, Michael
DeLoreto, who said the office has received approximately 60 comments on the
bill.
A state Assembly vote on the so-called "Congo's Law" - named for the
German shepherd ordered to be euthanized after it attacked a landscaper in
Princeton Township in June - has not yet been scheduled.
In a telephone interview Tuesday - during which he said he received at
least five more e-mails about the bill - Assemblyman Gusciora said people's
views on the proposed law are "all over the map."
Its supporters "are animal welfare people who e-mail that Congo should be
saved," he said.
Opponents, on the other hand, have questioned whether the legislature
could be spending its time on what they see as more important issues, such
as property taxes.
Others have said the law should not include a "beyond a reasonable doubt
standard," he said, noting that he has the same reservations.
"Particularly when you can't get testimony from a dog, it would be very
difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt what the dog's intentions
were," he said, noting that he has concerns about the potential difficulty
of euthanizing dogs raised to be vicious.
Despite the approximately 30 amendments made during the committee session
on the bill, Assemblyman Gusciora said he won't support the bill as it is
currently written.
The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Neil Cohen (D-Union), was successfully
approved for a floor vote by the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources
Committee last week.
Assemblyman Cohen introduced the bill to amend the current state statutes
that govern consequences and requirements for dogs labeled as "vicious" and
"potentially dangerous" after he heard about Congo's case.
That ruling is currently being appealed to the Superior Court by the
James family.
If passed, the legislation could have the same result - it would apply to
current and pending cases and retroactively to dogs facing euthanasia by
court orders back to Jan. 1.
Among other changes, the bill provides an alternative for the euthanizing
of dogs declared "vicious" by allowing their owners to comply with the same
precautions mandated for keeping a "potentially dangerous" dog, which
include posting signs and restricting the dog's contact with people and
other animals.
In addition, the bill would hold prosecutors to stricter standards for
proving that dogs were not provoked during attacks.
Provocation will be among the primary issues raised during the appeal,
according to the James family's attorney, Robert Lytle.
It has also been a source of debate among those who have joined the
widespread discussion of the case since the ruling.
In an e-mail response to a constituent requesting her support for Congo's
Law - which was later forwarded to The Packet - state Sen. Shirley Turner
(D-Lawrence) noted that she has "been informed that this was an unprovoked
attack."
That claim, she said, has been substantiated by Princeton's animal
control officer and the police report from the incident.
However, Sen. Turner did not mention in the e-mail whether she will
support the bill if it in fact reaches the Senate.
Neither Sen. Turner nor Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman could be
reached for comment.
A member of the legislature's Democratic press office said a vote on
Congo's Law is possible before the end of the year, but declined to
speculate on when it might be scheduled.
_____
More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail
<http://o.aolcdn.com/cdn.webmail.aol.com/mailtour/aol/en-us/text.htm?ncid=ao
lcmp00050000000003> !
============================================================================
POST is Copyrighted 2007. All material remains the property of the original
author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind
are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the
Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY
MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS
PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY
FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE
PROSECUTED.
For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxxx
VISIT OUR WEBSITE - www.showgsd.org
============================================================================
Other related posts:
- » [ SHOWGSD-L ] FW: save congo alert
