[ SHOWGSD-L ] Please help defeat HR 669
- From: "Kevin & Kelly Miller" <mokomagsd@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 9 Apr 2009 10:19:29 -0400
Wide cross posting of this email is requested in its entirety.
ACTION ALERT - FROM AFA, ASA, and NAIA, with additional information from
PIJAC
WE NEED YOUR HELP - WHETHER YOU OWN AN "EXOTIC" ANIMAL OR ANY OTHER ANIMAL.
HR 669 IS SET FOR HEARING ON 4/23/09.
WE ALL NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO KILL HR 669 NOW.
THE ISSUE - WHAT IS HR 669? - WHAT WILL IT DO?
"ONE GENERATION AND OUT" is not just limited to purebred dogs and cats. Now
our "non-native" species" are targets of the animal prohibitionist agenda.
Under HR 669, "non-native" basically means if a species of animal didn't
live in the US before the arrival of Columbus it is "non-native", and if HR
669 passes, most non-native species of animal (i.e., exotic animals) won't
remain in the US much longer. That means your exotic pet bird, reptile,
fish, or mammal.
HR 669 is a very serious and harmful animal prohibition proposal. HR 669 is
not needed to protect our environment. HR 699 is the legislative equivalent
of a nuclear bomb that is aimed at the entire US exotic pet industry, all US
exotic pet owners, and all exotic animals in the US.
HR 669 is an "anti-animal bill". There is no amendment that can fix this
bill. HR 669 will hurt everyone who owns an animal, and it will hurt our
animals. Breeder, pet owner, rescuer, rehabilitator, zoo, service or product
provider - it doesn't matter - we will all be hurt by this bill. HR 669
needs to be killed at the April 23rd hearing - not amended, not "made
better" - HR 669 NEEDS TO BE KILLED. Please contact the Representatives
hearing this bill NOW and ask them to KILL HR 669 (see below for contact
information).
All import, export, transport across State lines, selling, buying,
bartering, or offering to sell, buy or barter, and all breeding, and
release, of all non-native species not on the "approved list" will be
prohibited - even by zoos, sanctuaries, and licensed breeders. Permits
authorizing only "importation" may be issued to "zoos, scientific research,
medical, accredited zoological or aquarium display purposes, or for
educational purposes that are specifically reviewed, approved, and verified
by the Secretary". There is no requirement that any permits be granted. Even
if these institutions are able to obtain the required permits, where will
they obtain their imported animals? Habitat for many species is declining
worldwide, many species are endangered or threatened in the wild, and many
species cannot be imported to the US under the CITES treaty. The result of
this bill will be to put a stop domestic breeding of most endangered or
threatened species in the US for zoos, conservation, or reintroduction
programs. Zoos are not immune from the animal prohibitionist agenda.
If you "possess" a non-approved species "legally" prior to enactment of the
law, you will be allowed to keep it, but all of the other restrictions pf HR
669 will still apply to your species - you will not be allowed to sell,
transfer, transport across State lines, export, barter, trade, breed, or
give that animal to anyone else.
Pet owners will not be allowed to take their non-approved pets with them if
they move to another state, and they will not be allowed to transfer them to
anyone else who can care for them. Those pets will be euthanized when their
owners move, die, or can no longer keep their pets for whatever reason. Pet
owners and their pets are not immune from the animal prohibitionist agenda.
"Rescue" and "sanctuary" will not be available for any non-approved species
unless the rescue or sanctuary keeps only species found within their
respective States. That result has been contemplated for years. Rescues and
Sanctuaries are not immune from the animal prohibitionist agenda.
Any person or company manufacturing or selling food or products for
non-native (exotic) species will be affected by this act. If non-native
(exotic) species cannot be legally possessed, bought, sold, or transferred,
there will be no incentive for manufacturers of food, caging, and supplies
for these animals to remain in business. Where will non-native (exotic)
animal owners obtain the food and materials needed to keep their animals?
THE LEGAL DETAILS OF THIS BILL
Under existing federal law, it must be shown that a species is harmful
before it is prohibited. That approach is reasonable, and has worked
reasonably well for many years. In essence, HR 669 turns that reasonable
approach on its head, and substitutes the unreasonable and unjustified
approach of "bomb first, ask questions later".
HR 669 requires the government to create an "approved" list of "non-native"
species that will be allowed in the US. Any species not on the "approved"
list will be prohibited. Under HR 668 the "approved" list shall include
"nonnative wildlife species that the Secretary finds ... based on scientific
and commercial information .... (A) are not harmful to the United States'
economy, the environment, or other animal species' or human health; or (B)
may be harmful to the United States' economy, the environment, or other
animal species' or human health, but already are so widespread in the United
States that it is clear to the Secretary that any import prohibitions or
restrictions would have no practical utility for the United States."
It takes time and money for the government to study any species and make a
"finding". Time and money are always in short supply, and are especially in
short supply in this economy. If your species is not included on the
original "approved list", then under HR 669 you can try to get your species
"approved" by paying a fee and submitting a proposal to our government to
include it on the "approved list". Your proposal "must include sufficient
scientific and commercial information to allow the Secretary to evaluate
whether the proposed nonnative wildlife species is likely to cause economic
or environmental harm or harm to other animal species' or human health."
While your proposal is being "evaluated" by our government, you and your
animals are still subject to the restrictions of HR 669. Whether your
proposal will ever be granted is pure speculation.
There are more than 9000 bird species, and thousands of species of birds are
kept in the US. There are many other non-native (exotic) species owned by
animal lovers across the US. How many bird or other non-native (exotic)
species do you think our government can afford to study and determine that
they can be added to this newly created "approved list"?
If the required study can't be made of a species, and the required finding
isn't made about a species, the animal won't make it to the approved list.
That applies to every species of non-native (exotic) animal.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP KILL HR 669
Contact your Representatives NOW
1. You can use NAIA's Capwiz tool to send an automatic email or fax to each
of the Representatives who will hear this bill to ask them to KILL HR 669.
Here's the link to send your email using Capwiz:
2. PIJAC has provided us with a PDF flyer which explains to pet owners how
HR 669 will hurt all of us and our animals. The PIJAC PDF flyer is attached
to this email. The PIJAC PDF flyer provides you with contact information -
use it. Please contact your own Representatives NOW, and tell them to KILL
HR 669. Be polite and respectful, but be clear and firm in your opposition
to this bill. Be brief, and tell them a few reasons why you think it is a
bad bill. Short and to the point works best. If you have time, you can also
contact all of the other Representatives in your State.
Write to your Representative using their contact pages on their websites.
Unfortunately, it is sometimes hard for us to contact some of our
Representatives - emails don't often go through, letters aren't read, and we
sometimes have to write individually to our Representatives using the
contact pages they put up on their websites. PIJAC has done the work to give
us links where needed for these contact pages for these websites so that we
can make those contacts (see the attached PIJAC PDF flyer), and NAIA is
making "Capwiz" available for the one-shot contact - go to the Capwiz
webpage at www.capwiz.com/naiatrust/
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