Tuesday, March 22, 2022
https://www.akc.org/legislative-alerts/new-jersey-forfeiture-dogs-bill-s-981-scheduled-vote-contact-state-senators-oppose/
<https://www.akc.org/legislative-alerts/new-jersey-forfeiture-dogs-bill-s-981-scheduled-vote-contact-state-senators-oppose/>
Please share this alert with all dog owners in New Jersey.
New Jersey Senate Bill 981
<https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/HSih94M_k9bE46Y9XMXUig> has been
scheduled for consideration by the full Senate on Thursday, March 24, 2022. It
is crucial that responsible New Jersey dog owners contact their state senator
now and urge them to not approve S.981 until the bill is amended to protect
owners’ due process rights and ownership interests.
As previously reported
<https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/kKSSO5D_vpBf8g6tDO-yzQ> by the
American Kennel Club (AKC), S.981 seeks to establish problematic, extensive
cost of care laws in New Jersey. Click here to read a summary of S.981.
<https://www.akc.org/legislative-alerts/nj-alert-bills-fail-protect-ownership-interests-scheduled-march-14-hearing-express-opposition-today/>
CONCERNS AND TALKING POINTS
AKC shares concerns about the need to assure that local animal control agencies
receive adequate public funding to achieve their public mandate. However, such
funding mechanisms must not undermine dog owners’ due process rights. S.981
must:
Be amended to protect the interests of non-possessory co-owners. As currently
worded, S.981 would allow an animal care agency to take full ownership of an
animal regardless of whether the animal is co-owned by an individual who was
not in possession of the animal at the time of the alleged offense and
therefore not responsible for the alleged treatment.
Ensure that dog owners are not forced to forfeit ownership of their animals if
they are unable to pay for mandated costs without regard of whether they are
ultimately found not guilty. As currently worded, S. 981 creates a significant
risk that individuals will be erroneously deprived of their property without
appropriate due process protections. Additionally, the bill could incentivize
agencies to be motivated by financial self-interest in seeking forfeiture.
Explicitly limit assessed costs to those based on a daily public—not
private—care rate and directly related to the basic care of the animals. The
bill currently provides for extensive costs to be claimed by an animal care
agency.
Be amended to ensure that only medically-necessary surgical procedures are
permitted to be performed on a seized animal. Optional permanent alternation,
such as spay/neuter surgeries, without the owner’s consent should not be
permitted.
Please note that S.981 features updates to the state’s tethering laws. AKC is
not opposed to those changes.
NEW JERSEY DOG OWNERS: TAKE ACTION TODAY!
AKC strongly encourages all New Jersey dog owners to contact Senate President
Nicolas Scutari and their state Senator and respectfully urge them to vote
against S.981 unless and until the bill is amended to address the ownership and
due process concerns noted above.
Senator Nicholas P. Scutari, Senate President
Ph: (908) 587-0404
SENSCUTARI@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:senscutari@xxxxxxxxx>
To find who serves as your New Jersey state senator, go to
https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/#findLegislator ;
<https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/#findLegislator>.
Senator James Beach, Asst. Maj. Leader - (856) 429-1572, SENBEACH@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENBEACH@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Jon Bramnick - (908) 232-2073, SENBRAMNICK@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENBRAMNICK@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Anthony “Tony” M. Bucco - (973) 627-9700, SENBUCCO@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENBUCCO@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Richard Codey - (973) 535-5017, SENCODEY@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENCODEY@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Chris Connors - (609) 693-6700, SENCONNORS@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENCONNORS@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Kristin Corrado - (973) 237-1360, SENCORRADO@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENCORRADO@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Nilsa Cruz-Pérez - (856) 541-1251, SENCRUZPEREZ@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENCRUZPEREZ@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Joseph Cryan - (908) 624-0880, SENCRYAN@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENCRYAN@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Sandra Cunningham, Pres. Pro Temp - (201) 451-100,
SENCUNNINGHAM@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:SENCUNNINGHAM@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr. (S.981 Sponsor) - (908) 757-1677,
SENDIEGNAN@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:SENDIEGNAN@xxxxxxxxx> Senator Michael Doherty -
(908) 835-0552, SENDOHERTY@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:SENDOHERTY@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Edward Durr - (856) 443-7391, SENDURR@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENDURR@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Nia H. Gill - (973) 509-0388, SENGILL@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENGILL@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Vin Gopal, Dem. Conf. Chair (S.981 Sponsor) - (732) 695-3371,
SENGOPAL@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:SENGOPAL@xxxxxxxxx> Senator Linda Greenstein, Asst.
Maj. Leader - (609) 395-9911, SENGREENSTEIN@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENGREENSTEIN@xxxxxxxxx> Senator Jim Holzapfel - (732) 840-9028,
SENHOLZAPFEL@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:SENHOLZAPFEL@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Joseph Lagana - (201) 576-9199, SENLAGANA@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENLAGANA@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Fred H. Madden, Jr. - (856) 232-6700, SENMADDEN@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENMADDEN@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Oroho, Rep. Leader - (973) 300-0200, SENOROHO@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENOROHO@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Declan O’Scanlon - (732) 444-1838, SENOSCANLON@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENOSCANLON@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Joe Pennacchio - (973) 227-4012, SENPENNACCHIO@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENPENNACCHIO@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Vince Polistina - (609) 677-8266, SENPOLISTINA@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENPOLISTINA@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Nellie Pou, Maj. Caucus Chair - (973) 247-1555, SENPOU@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENPOU@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Ronald L. Rice - (973) 371-5665, SENRICE@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENRICE@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator M. Teresa Ruiz, Majority Leader - (973) 484-1000, SENRUIZ@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENRUIZ@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Nicholas J. Sacco - (201) 295-0200, SENSACCO@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENSACCO@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Paul A. Sarlo, Dep. Maj. Leader - (201) 804-8118, SENSARLO@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENSARLO@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Holly Schepisi - (201) 666-0881, SENSCHEPISI@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENSCHEPISI@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Robert Singer - (732) 987-5669, SENSINGER@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENSINGER@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Troy Singleton, Maj. Whip - (856) 234-2790, SENSINGLETON@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENSINGLETON@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Bob Smith - (732) 752-0770, SENBSMITH@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENBSMITH@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Brian P. Stack - (201) 721-5263, SENSTACK@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENSTACK@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Jean Stanfield - (609) 667-7360, SENSTANFIELD@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENSTANFIELD@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Michael Testa - (609) 778-2012, SENTESTA@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENTESTA@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Samuel Thompson - (732) 607-7580, SENTHOMPSON@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENTHOMPSON@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Shirley K. Turner - (609) 323-7239, SENTURNER@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENTURNER@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Joseph F. Vitale - (732) 855-7441, SENVITALE@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENVITALE@xxxxxxxxx>
Senator Andrew Zwicker- (732) 823-1684, SENZWICKER@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:SENZWICKER@xxxxxxxxx>
AKC GOVERNMENT RELATIONS ADVOCACY RESOURCES (www.akcgr.org
<http://www.akcgr.org/>)
Click here
<https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/iCJ0MV6Fmk0xb8MvJX3o3Q>to read AKC’s
Due Process Protections for Dog Owners position statement.
Click here <https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/WIQ2h33Qbop3Lbfy5l9z7A>
to view our new brief animated explainer video on “cost of care” legislation.
Click here <https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/ZEkH---flPqLuanNxxXD1g>
to view talking points in AKC’s new one-page flyer on “cost of care”
legislation.
Recent Legislative & Informational Alerts
<https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/zwmPmbyiR8KCrPPnyBVJ-g>
Recent Blogs & Articles
<https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/34QXLnrBteGpgnMBBBHCaA>
State & Federal Legislation Tracking Map
<https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/get_FZYUaCh3EEfi_XTYEw>
Key Issues <https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/MLbuEkqpYLxThxy9IuTYYA>
Toolbox (with downloadable materials)
<https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/E1VTYCsuEcLkzd9xOw7m9w>
AKC Government Relations will continue to provide updates on S.981 and other
pending New Jersey Legislation as developments warrant. For more information,
email doglaw@xxxxxxx <mailto:doglaw@xxxxxxx>.
<https://www.votervoice.net/>
Stormy Hope
NAIATrust, Trustee
NAIATrust-CA on Facebook!
GSDCA Legislative Liaison to AKC
California Responsible Pet Owners
