[ SHOWGSD-L ] NAIA...CapWiz... OREGON <long>
- From: stormy435 <stormy435@xxxxxxx>
- To: "showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:01:08 -0800
*******Please Crosspost*******
Follow this link to the latest Capwiz alert on Oregon's anti-breeder
bill HB 2470:
http://capwiz.com/naiatrust/issues/alert/?alertid725481&type=CT&show_alert=1
http://tinyurl.com/b4pg3h
Oregon HB 2470 Scheduled for Hearing Monday
Help us educate the Committee!
February 19, 2009
Legislation that would dramatically transform the landscape for
breeding dogs in Oregon has been scheduled for a hearing in the House
Consumer Protection Committee on Monday, February 23 at 3:00 p.m.
HB 2470 contains heavy handed new regulations that threaten to
seriously undermine the ability to responsibly breed dogs in our
state. Not surprisingly, it closely resembles HSUS anti-breeder
legislation that has shown up in several other states, including
neighboring Washington, so far this year. HB 2470 is sponsored by
Representatives Paul Holvey and Sara Gelser and Senators Peter
Courtney and Vicki Walker. Please note that chief sponsor Holvey is
also Chairman of the committee set to hear the bill.
NAIA supports laws that improve animal welfare and protect consumers,
but HB 2470 takes a uneccesarily punitive approach that is misdirected
at law abiding breeders. Furthermore, it will not ultimately solve the
problems it seeks to address.
The bill includes the following provisions:
* Defines any breeder who sells more than 20 dogs, or 3 litters in
a year as "pet dealer".
* Prohibits anyone from owning, possessing controlling or
otherwise having charge of more than 25 intact dogs over 4 months of age..
* Imposes care and facility engineering requirements above and
beyond current minimum standards of care for anyone who owns,
possesses, controls or otherwise has charge of 10 or more intact dogs
over 4 months of age.
* Mandates record-keeping requirements and certain disclosures at
time of sale.
* Provides �lemon law� remedies for consumers.
* Exempts shelters, veterinarians, pet stores and research
facilities from new standards of care.
Click Here to read the full text of HB 2470.
Although we disagree fundamentally with the overall approach taken by
HB 2470, the provisions we find particularly unreasonable and harmful
are its arbitrary number limits and excessive kennel standards.
Now is the time for all responsible animal owners in Oregon to contact
the House Consumer Protection Committee with the message that HB 2470
is unnecessary and misguided, and there are better solutions available
that won't have uinintended consequences.
While we believe that steps should be taken to identify and eliminate
substandard kennels, this bill stretches way beyond that goal and
targets all breeders, commercial and hobby, good and bad, large and
small. It inadvertently profiles and punishes responsible breeders who
provide the best source of healthy pets to the community.
There are more effective solutions available to help eliminate
substandard kennels, from greater enforcement of Oregon�s strong
anti-acruelty and nuisance laws to educating consumers about how to
seek out responsible and humane sources of healthy pets.
We need your voice at the hearing on Monday, so please contact
Kristine Phillips at 503-227-8450 or executivedirector@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
if you can make time to attend. She will gladly provide directions to
the Capitol, talking points and advice on testifying to help you
prepare. Patti Strand is available at 503-761-1139.
Please also use the talking points below to write a courteous email to
Committee members today, educating them about this bill before it
receives formal consideration.
Politely explain that, at a time of budget deficits, this bill is
unnecessary. Offer your expertise as a constituent with hands-on
animal experience who they can rely on instead of an out of state
organization for their information about dog issues. Let them know
that responsible Oregon breeders -- dedicated dog lovers with great
subect matter expertise and experience raising, breeding, placing,
rescuing and training dogs -- were not consulted in the drafting of
this bill. We are ready to share our knowledge and offer NAIA's
alternative solutions to more effectively and reasonably address
concerns about animal welfare.
Thank you for TAKING ACTION on behalf of pets and pet owners!
If you received this email from a friend, be sure to sign up HERE to
receive NAIA Trust alerts in the future about important animal
legislation in your state -- and nationally.
JOIN OUR 17 YEAR MOVEMENT
DONATE TO NAIA TRUST TODAY
TALKING POINTS:
I am writing to you as an Oregonian who is very concerned about animal
legislation. I recently learned that HB 2470 has been introduced,
which imposes heavy-handed new regulations on dog breeders. I urge you
to consider a different approach.
HB 2470 is unnecessary, unfair and misdirected.
Eliminating substandard kennels is a worthwhile goal, but this bill
stretches way beyond that goal and targets all breeders, good and bad,
large and small.
In its quest to crack down on the bad actors, HB 2470 would discourage
those breeders who are providing the best care available and serving
as the most dependable source of healthy pets to their communities.
Oregon already has one of the strongest and best animal cruelty laws
in the nation, making this bill unnecessary. Better enforcement is the
key.
Effective and enforceable animal laws strike a reasonable balance
between protecting the welfare of animals and the privacy of citizens
who keep animals in their homes.
Most breeders do what they do out of a genuine love of dogs, and a
desire to improve the breed, often going above and beyond to provide
the best care and treatment, and carefully place their puppies in the
right homes.
This bill infringes on privacy without conveying any meaningful
benefits for dogs or consumers.
Many of the facility engineering requirements (mandated exercise and
kennel sizes) in HB 2470 would be extremely difficult if not
impossible to enforce.
The new kennel standards would be inappropriate for hobby breeders who
raise their dogs as house pets to meet and would actually mean
lowering the conditions under which they keep their dogs.
If the bill's aim is to create minimum standards of animal care, why
shouldn't they also apply to shelters, pet stores and any other
facility that houses and places dogs with the public?
Responsible breeders should be treated as partners in helping to
improve kennel standards and eliminate bad breeders, but this bill
threatens to alienate the very community that can help most.
Animal organizations differ in their recommendations about the best
source of pets -- whether that should be a breeder, shelter, pet
store, rescue or even foreign country. It is important to recognize
these biases and not mistake ideology and marketing hype for facts.
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) the national
fundraising and lobbying organization promoting this bill is pushing
similar legislation all over the U.S. HSUS, which is not affiliated
with local shelters, opposes the breeding of dogs. When seeking advice
on how to regulate an activity or industry, it is dangerous to rely on
a group that would prefer that it be abolished rather than improved.
Local kennel clubs, whose members are the ones this bill would impact
most, were not consulted in the drafting of HB 2470.
When it comes to proper animal care, number limits are not the answer:
it is the quality of care and the conditions that matters, not quantity.
Limit laws like the 25 dog limit contained in HB 2470 are usually
based on an arbitrary number and have been found to be unenforceable
and vulnerable to court challenges.
Number limit laws have never been successful in addressing
irresponsible breeding or negligent rescue operations.
People who maintain dogs responsibly and humanely and do not present a
nuisance to their neighbors should not be prevented from keeping them
because other animal owners might not be as responsible.
The goal should be to limit specific negative behavior, property
destruction, neighborhood degradation and abuse by focusing on actual
nuisances and confirmed reports of negligence or abuse.
What is needed is greater enforcement of existing cruelty and nuisance
laws to crack down on those who disobey the law, not more regulation
for law abiding citizens.
A positive step would be to educate consumers about how to research
the source of their pets and distinguish the good breeders from the
bad. In that way we shut down substandard kennels by cutting off their
customer base.
Please be fair and thoughtful as you consider this bill. I hope I can
count on you to oppose HB 2470.
--
Stormy Hope
carpoc.org
GSDCA Member
And more clubs
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