[ SHOWGSD-L ] Maryland... Dog breeding, 10 or more, criminal code
- From: stormy435 <stormy435@xxxxxxx>
- To: "showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:45:20 -0800
75, 40, 25, 20, now TEN intact dogs. For those who said regulating 75, 40,
25, 20 was fine?..... how about 10... that includes bitches and males.
S
Begin forwarded message:
From: "John Yates" <jtyates@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: February 11, 2009 5:42:24 AM PST
To: <"Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@smtp.csonline.net>
Subject: Maryland Dog Law Update
Maryland Hearings Feb. 12 & 18
New Maryland legislation takes the dangerous step of including dog breeding in
the criminal code, and snags up anyone who owns or possesses 10 or more intact
dogs over age four months in the requirements for housing, care and exercise.
A hearing has been set on this legislation before the House Judiciary Committee
on February 12 at 1 p.m., and a Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee has been
set for February 18 at 1 p.m.
House Bill 495 is sponsored by several legislators and appears to be gaining
dangerously widespread support: The sponsors are Delegates Michael Smigiel,
Saqib Ali, Charles Barkley, Joseph Bartlett, Kumar Barve, Pamela Beidle,
William Bronrott, John Cardin, Kathleen Dumais, Barbara Frush, Jim Gilchrist,
Cheryl Glenn, James Hubbard, Tom Hucker, Rick Impallaria, Kevin Kelly, Nicholas
Kipke, Benjamin Kramer, Susan Lee, Roger Manno, James Mathias, Susan McComas,
Tony McConkey, Pat McDonough, Joseph Minnick, Karen Montgomery, Victor Ramirez,
Tanya Shewell, Dana Stein, Kriselda Valderrama, and Jeff Waldstreicher.
Senate Bill 318, sponsored by Senators Lisa Gladden (District 41), George Della
(District 46), Richard Madaleno (District 18), and Norman Stone (District 6).
Both bills prohibit anyone in Maryland from owning, controlling or having
custody and charge of more than 50 dogs that have not been spayed or neutered.
Violation of this provision would be a criminal offense.
While that provision will affect hunt clubs and some professional trainers or
handlers, the bill?s greatest impact will be on people who raise dogs as a
hobby.
For anyone who owns, controls or possesses 10 or more sexually intact dogs over
the age of four months, HB 495 and SB 318 impose rules for dog housing, care
and exercising in the criminal code. However, the legislation does not specify
who will enforce this provision or make inspections, or how a kennel owner can
prove compliance.
A ´breeding dog¡ is defined as any dog that is sexually intact and older than
four months. This definition includes all field trial, show and competition
dogs in this age category, and also many hunting, herding, farm and companion
dogs, even though they are not used for breeding, or may be only bred once in
their lifetimes.
The American Sporting Dog Alliance sees this as a step to include all intact
dogs in a commercial breeding category to impose much more stringent
regulations. In the Maryland bill, however, it takes it a step further by
criminalizing the breeding of dogs, even on a hobby level.
The housing and space requirements are minimal, although they might be
construed to prohibit the common practice of having household dogs sleep in
crates, or using crates for housebreaking.
But the exercise requirements are vague, in that they require every dog to be
removed from its ´primary enclosure¡ for two hours of exercise a day at a
walking pace. ´Primary enclosure¡ is not defined, but in many states it means a
dog?s entire kennel run and, for dogs kept in a home, the entire part of the
house that is accessible to a dog.
The legislation provides no means for a dog owner to prove that exercise
requirements are being met, if challenged by an animal control officer, animal
cruelty police officer or policeman. No standards of proof are specified.
Violations would be classified as misdemeanors under the criminal code, subject
to a fine of up to $1,000.
Here is a link to the text of the Senate
legislation: http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/bills/sb/sb0318f.pdf ;; and its
House counterpart: http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/billfile/HB0495.htm.
HB 495 is before the Judiciary Committee. Which meets in the House Office
Building, Room 101, 6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401; 1-800-492-7122, ext.
3488 (toll free); fax (410) 841-3850 or (301) 858-3850.
Here is a link to the contact pages of the members of the House
committee:http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/com/05jud.html.
SB 318 has been sent to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, 2 East,
Miller Senate Building, Annapolis, MD 21401 (410-841-3623 Annapolis/Baltimore
or 301-858-3623 Washington, D.C.).
Here are the Senate committee members. Chair: Sen. Brian E. Frosh, Vice Chair:
Sen. Lisa A. Gladden, and Senators James Brochin, C. Anthony Muse, Jennie M.
Forehand, Jamie Raskin, Larry E. Haines, Bryan W. Simonaire, Nancy Jacobs,
Norman R. Stone, Jr. and Alexander X. Mooney. The committee staff members are
Susan H. Russell and Shirleen M. Pilgrim, Dept. of Legislative Services,
Telephone: 410-946-5510/5350 or 301-970-5510/5350. The assistant to the Chair
is Lynn Hudson.
The American Sporting Dog Alliance is asking all Maryland dog owners to contact
the members of these committee before the February 12 and 18 hearing. Please
object strongly to this intrusive and potentially dangerous legislation, and
ask the senators to vote against it. Please note that Sen. Gladden and Sen.
Stone, who sit on the Senate committee, are sponsors of the legislation.
The link to each senator?s email address requires scrolling down alphabetically
to the correct name:http://mlis.state.md.us/mgaweb/mail32.aspx. The
legislature?s website provides no other contact information.
The American Sporting Dog Alliance
http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org
__._,_.___
--
Stormy Hope
carpoc.org
GSDCA Member
And more clubs
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