Not In My Backyard!!!…Proposed rule changes to the Animal Welfare Act APHIS 2011-0003-0001

Please go to the links and comment directly ON the bill docket before July 16.   People have seen the AKC petition and signed it and think that’s enough…  I want my own name to go on record, with hobby breeder, trainer, Taxpayer duly noted.   Please don’t *just* forward my concern.  Go to the APHIS regulations.com site and file your own two cents.

I don’t know about you folks, but my government is getting a bit big for it’s britches. I *never* send political email, but I BEG you to add a comment to APHIS about the puppy you love.  Did you get it from a breeder you live near? or a rescue organization?

I raise dogs in my home to be loved by people like you… and I have a right to choose their sire, and choose their people, and choose to help with rescue if I want !!!  Many of you corresponded with me by email, and may have met us at shows.  If the proposed legislation goes through, you will have two options… buy froma “commercially licensed facility” or buy ONLY at the buyers home.   No meeting at shows, no meeting halfway, no shipping whatsoever.

Proposed rule changes to the Animal Welfare Act APHIS 2011-0003-0001 no longer exempt purebred dog fanciers from USDA licensing.  The regulations document of conditions ALL breeders would have to meet is *164* pages long and would stop me from letting my dogs live inside, run together, and our dog budget is held together on threads as it is !!   I am angered, because I love my dogs, and the government has NO business telling people who are taking GOOD care of their dogs and stewarding their breed how many they can have, or how people ought to be buying from us !   This is the no-more-pets AR people taking advantage of a situation!   There was a legislative loophole, and they are using their claws and supporters to attack ANY breeder not just irresponsible, mass-production, sell-anything-alive-to-anyone-with-money canine commercial enterprises.   If this legislation passes as written, it fails to define breeder, it gives no exemptions to hobby fanciers such as myself, and  the HSUS has volunteered to enforce with home inspections.  It gives someone’s subjective opinion power over my home.   ???  I take GOOD care of our dogs but “they” don’t like how I do it and want to come in my living room to tell me not to.

Here are several links.  PLEASE –
comment before 7/16/2012 and explain that you got a puppy from a
RESPONSIBLE breeder and that the problem was already ENFORCEMENT and paperwork – that if the rules change as written it will force GOOD people into BAD legislation.

worthwhile explanation contains links to documents.
http://frankneudecker.com/index.php/2012/06/09/outlining-the-history-behind-the-aphis-rule-change/

sample performance comment
http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0003-3015

excellent brief
breeders comments
http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0003-2669
http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0003-2499

thank goodness smart comment about BUYERS
http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0003-2478

On any of these, you can click COMMENT and then CHECK the BOX that says Comment Directly.

The sad thing is – in the 10 or so that I read… 6 of them SUPPORTED the bill with brief statements about how this law was going to improve animal welfare.  NOT!  The same inspectors who were already overloaded, taking bribes, or skipping paperwork are still employed… if there are loopholes they need FIXED, not more inspections required.  USDA regulations are NOT how YOUR breeder keeps her beloved PET/show/breeding animals and I am NOT breeding them every season they are intact.  These regulations treat any animal over the age of 4 months as a “breeding” animal.  Ridiculous!

Please take time to write a comment that says you want the RIGHT to CHOOSE your breeder–and that you took time to find a good one who will be FORCED out of her passion by BIG GOVERNMENT if APHIS passes as poorly written !  My comment for *this week* has been posted.  Open until 7/16/2012 for public comment and we are already outnumbered.

Horrified they cannot pay to educate our children
But they will come in my house and tell me how to raise dogs !!!
Elizabeth Woodman

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What I Learned at the Dog Show

UPDATE: This essay is now available as a two-page PDF handout for easy printing and distribution.

Note: HumaneWatch’s editor recently traveled down to the Palmetto State in order to attend his first dog show. Here’s his report:

I spent this weekend at the Myrtle Beach Kennel Club’s all-breed dog show in Florence, South Carolina. The club invited me down to talk about the threats its members are facing from the Humane Society of the United States and the rest of the animal rights movement. Since I had never been to a dog show, I said yes. (I grew up thinking that “fancy” was an adjective. Silly me.)

I’m not a big fan of people who pooh-pooh things they’ve never tried or seen up-close. If one of my children says she “doesn’t like” something on the dinner table before taking even a tiny bite—well, let’s just say that doesn’t wash in my house.

And I’ve always thought the whole “dog show” community was rather mysterious, a kind of benevolent secret society with its own rules, customs, and vocabulary. Sorta like Deadheads, but with a lot better grooming and a lot less fleas.

Truth be told, the dog breeders I met this weekend do have their own peculiar ways of saying and doing things. But they’re really just ordinary people with a shared hobby. They’re really into what they do. And they taught me a lot in just a Saturday. Here’s some of what I learned.

——-

1. When you go to a dog show, bring your own chair. But don’t be surprised if someone offers to lend you theirs. (I’m typing this in someone else’s customized, embroidered lawn chair.)
2. Dog shows are competitive, but the people involved are remarkably supportive of their human opponents. I heard a steady stream of “congratulations!” offered to blue-ribbon holders from handlers who were trotting away empty-handed.
3. If you’re a first-timer who asks “what kind of dog is that?” too loudly, somebody might look at you funny.
4. These people treat their dogs like royalty. It was 90 degrees in the shade on Saturday, and the dogs had shade, electric fans, and cold water—even if their owners didn’t.
5. Judging from this weekend, the typical show-dog handler isn’t a stuffy Brit wearing Saville Row tweed. She—yes, she—is an energetic 40-year-old married mom whose husband packs up the kids and brings them along on the trip.
6. Sometimes the kids strut the dogs around the ring. The under-18 handlers even have their own judging category in which their skills are being judged, not the qualities of their dogs.
7. The name of the game is “conformation” (not “confirmation,” as I used to think). Dog show breeders are trying to breed animals that “conform” to a set ideal of how a breed can look, “gait,” and behave if they do everything right. (I read an article in Wired this week about how Cheetos in the factory are checked every 30 minutes against a “reference sample” from Frito-Lay headquarters, just to make sure the ideal color, texture, and crispiness is being matched. It’s kinda like that, but it takes years for these folks to make a single Cheeto. And Cheetos don’t pee on you.)
8. Watch where you step in the parking lot.

If this particular dog show is any indication of what’s typical, the “dog fancy” is a lot of fun for a lot of people who contribute a lot of money to the economy—and aren’t hurting anyone. “If we’re not having fun here,” one judge told me, very much off-the-cuff, “we shouldn’t be doing this.”

For the life of me, I can’t figure out why the Humane Society of the United States has such a visceral hatred of everything they stand for.

I think what’s going on is that HSUS, PETA, and other animal rights groups are conflating breeders whose main goal is to sell puppies with those who just happen to really love Pomeranians, Pinschers, or Poodles. This latter clique of people (far larger than the former) shows their favorite animals because they’re proud of them, not because they believe it will make their next litter worth more money.

It’s not hard to understand HSUS’s stated motivation for attacking people who breed dogs. The group wants everyone to believe that rampant pet overpopulation in America is all their fault. But personally, I just don’t see it.

I didn’t meet “puppy millers” this weekend. I met hobbyists, just like if I were at a model railroad convention, an antique fair, or a swim meet. They ask after each others’ kids. They visit each other in the hospital. They have knitting circles where the dogs watch approvingly. They’re 50 percent garden club, 50 percent church pot-luck. Zero percent animal abusers.

I asked one breeder how much money she had spent raising her champion dog, a mammoth Anatolian shepherd. “Who knows?” she answered. “I never really added it up. If you’re pinching pennies you probably aren’t treating the dog right.” In addition to the two purebred dogs she was showing, she had “two rescue mutts at home, and they have the same food, supplements, and everything else my show dogs get.”

And when I asked one of the veteran breeders how many of her peers raise dogs so they can sell the litters commercially, she looked at me like I was from Mars. “We all sell dogs, son,” she told me. “But none of us make a cent doing it. And I know where all my dogs live. If anyone can’t provide for them, we take ‘em back.” And then, almost as an afterthought: “I sure don’t want any of mine going to the pound or a rescue.”

Everyone I asked about this had the same kind of answer. If they found out that any of their puppies wound up in a shelter, they’d sure do something about it.

So why all the hostility from the Humane Society of the United States? Why did I hear from North and South Carolinians who had beaten back attempt after attempt from HSUS to have them taxed, registered, regulated, raided, and otherwise priced out of their hobby? What is it about these men, women, and children, so passionate about running up and down a concrete floor with their pets, that demands intervention from activists who think they know better?

Maybe it’s that HSUS thinks the only way to shut down “puppy mills” is to paint every dog breeder with the same broad brush. Maybe. I haven’t yet really wrapped my mind around why HSUS is opposed to everything I saw this weekend. I just know that it is.

As with pretty much every group of ranchers, dairymen, biomedical research scientists, and chicken farmers I’ve met, the breeders I spoke with this weekend had varying levels of awareness about the looming political threat from HSUS. Some of them can’t be bothered to be bothered. Others are fired up at the mere mention of Wayne Pacelle’s name.

“Somebody has to take that guy on,” one 50-ish man barked when I brought up the name of HSUS’s CEO. “That whole movement is nuts. After I showed up to lobby against HSUS’s last North Carolina breeder tax, I started getting calls in the middle of the night, untraceable phone calls, from these people saying they were going to come on my property, take my dogs, and burn my house down. I told ‘em my new rifle has an awesome night scope. That pretty much ended it.”

I spoke to the crowd after the Best In Show was awarded, in this case to a fluffy pekingese named “Noelle.” I told them that their problem is the same as the one faced by pork producers, egg farmers, dairymen, and even cancer researchers. But it was up to them to reach beyond their circle of friends—outside their comfort zone—if their kids and grandkids were going to keep being Junior Handlers and continue to raise the dog breeds they’ve come to love.

At the end of the day, I have to be skeptical of HSUS’s blanket condemnation of pet breeders. I’m confident that there are some horrible ones out there, as there are with any group of people (including animal activists…), but any legislative or cultural movement that lumps the people I met this weekend in with the bad actors is just plain wrong-headed.

Because the dogs I met in South Carolina were among the best-cared-for animals I’ve ever seen. Anyone who’s truly interested in animal welfare would want to make sure more dogs—not fewer—are treated this way. So how ’bout it, Wayne? Why aren’t you promoting dog shows?

Probably because you’ve never been to one.

Posted on 05/24/2010 at 09:55 AM by the HumaneWatch Team

Gov’t, Lobbying, Politics • Pets • (153) Comments

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Do your doggone homework

Mary Roberts • December 14, 2010

I am a member of the dog police.

No, I’m not an animal control officer, and I don’t have a trained police dog attentive and alert to my wishes. The only time my dogs jump smartly to attention is when the refrigerator door opens.

In my dog police alias, I spring into action whenever I hear the words “we are thinking of getting a dog.” That’s when I glide uncomfortably close to you and ask, “And from where are you getting this said dog?” (I’m not invited to many parties.)

If you are already gushing about Precious and his adorable antics, I ask, “And from whence did you get this aforementioned canine?”

You assure me that he was adopted from a shelter or that you found him lying helpless in a gutter. Or, unperturbed by my rudeness, you say, “He was so cute, and at $200 off the regular price, we got him from the pet store.”

I glide away, unable to pursue further conversation. Some say I should take that opportunity to educate the person about shelter dogs, puppy mills and doing the right thing.

They already have the dog, and wagging my finger at them for their ignorance is pointless. So I’m wagging my finger at you.

At this time of year, normally thoughtful people decide that a new puppy is the ideal Christmas gift. Trust me … it’s not.

If you must ignore my protestations, here are some facts:

> 3 to 4 million healthy and adoptable dogs are euthanized every year in shelters.

> Only 21 percent of Americans get their dogs from shelters.

> Most Americans blame the shelter dogs for their circumstances.

> Most Americans are wrong.

 

This past November, Missouri passed puppy-mill legislation that limited large-scale commercial dog breeding facilities to 50 breeding dogs. It also demands such luxury amenities as yearly vet checks, daily food, clean water, rest periods between breeding cycles and, oh, yes, decent housing.

Most of these puppy-mill dogs are sold at pet stores and on the Internet.

Some pet stores advertise that they do not sell dogs from puppy mills. Ask the owners if they have visited all their providers and assured themselves that the hundreds of dogs in wire cages are just part of one big happy family.

With the passage of the Missouri bill and the crackdown of large-scale facilities in other states, we will see thousands of dogs dumped at auctions and at shelters.

You have a chance to make a difference with these dogs and the thousands of others that are still at shelters and breed rescues.

When you buy from a pet store or off the Internet, you are supporting an industry that treats dogs as a cash crop and not the loyal and beloved companions they have become.

Go to the humane society, Animal House, www.petfinder.com, find a breed rescue. Or find a reputable professional breeder whose bottom line is the health and welfare of the breed and not their profit statements.

Do your homework. We do more research trying to find a dishwasher than we do to find a steady and true friend.

And if you spot me at a party this holiday (a rare occurrence), I would love to see some photos of your new adopted best friend.

Do Your Doggone Homework Article

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Grassroots Anti-Federal “PUPS” Bill Initiative….THE “PERFECT STORM” FOR AN HSUS “SNEAK ATTACK”

Dear friends,

I am suggesting that we urge all club members, forward to other clubs, including performance people, grooming shops, veterinarians and anyone else that has a vested interest in dogs, to contact their federal Congressmen/Senators, giving the reasons we are opposed to the recently introduced “PUPS” bill.  In addition to the information in Frank’s note, below, here is additional copy/paste material:  http://www.saova.org/PUPS.html.

Frank’s IRS initiative is ongoing; several congressmen have taken up the cause, personally asking the director of the IRS to investigate the HSUS;  now, Frank is asking us to ban together to stop this (HSUS) PUPS bill, which, contrary to another organization’s opinion that we should “let it be” (hoping it would die in committee) is definitely gaining momentum.

In addition, there is a huge strategic importance to the issuance of “public condemnation of substandard kennels” (see Frank’s note below).  I would like to see parent clubs join the list of organizations that have made such statements.  The more organizations that do this, the more fighting power we have against bills such as the PUPS bill.  Please have your clubs issue a statement, and note it on their public website.  If you will, send it to me, so I can make Frank aware.  He is going to use the sheer numbers in his “arguments” for future dialogs with various “powers”.

I know this is rather long, but each and every one of us MUST understand what is going on and what needs to be done; so I am providing you with the information;  all you need to do is copy, paste and SEND to your federal legislators.
PLEASE DO THIS, FOR THE SAKE OF OUR ANIMALS.

Written by Frank Losey:   PUPS – – THE “PERFECT STORM” FOR AN HSUS “SNEAK ATTACK”

Based on my 20 years of Lobbying Experience in Washington DC , I believe that the HSUS is methodically executing a “Behind-the-Scenes Strategy,” with the help of several Members of Congress, to ensure that the PUPS Bill is enacted this year for the following reasons:

1.       The number of co-sponsors of the PUPS Bill (H.R. 5434) in the House of Representatives continues to grow each week.   As of July 23, 2010 the number of sponsors and co-sponsors in the House of Representatives is 83.

2.       HSUS is “beating the drum,” behind the scenes, to Congressional Members and their respective  Staffs about the scathing USDA IG Report with regards to APHIS Inspection Procedures, and is citing that Report as a reason for House Congressional Members to co-sponsor the PUPS Bill.

3.       HSUS has ballyhooed the Animal Crush Video Bill (H.R 5566), which passed the House on July 21, 2010 by a vote of 416 to only three votes in opposition.  Significantly, nearly 300 House Members had co-sponsored this Bill.  That is why House Rules on voting for this Bill were suspended.  The horrific images used to gather Congressional support for this Animal Crush Video Bill will consciously and subliminally carry over in the minds of many Members of Congress and their respective staffs.

4. HSUS is masterful with its use of subliminal messages and resonating, horrific images that have framed the Public’s “misperceptions” about all breeders.

5.       HSUS has spent millions of dollars on advertising on the FOX Network.  These ads on FOX raise the following question:  Why would HSUS not run the same ads on other major networks, unless there was an ulterior motive? Unquestionably, HSUS is seeking donations as part of its “Factory Fundraising” efforts.  However, a secondary and major subliminal purpose of using the FOX Network is to reach out to conservative Republicans, who historically have not scored well on the HSUS Congressional Scorecard.  HSUS is politically streetwise and savvy, and it knows that Conservative Republicans are more apt to watch FOX, and “coincidentally” see the HSUS ads, which contain gut-wrenching” images of dogs and puppies.  This is done not only to try and gather support for more co-sponsors on the PUPS Bill, but more importantly, to reduce and mute opposition to the inevitable efforts of the HSUS to orchestrate a “Sneak Attack” amendment to a “Must Pass Bill,” such as an Appropriations Bill for funding the USDA.

6.       “Sneak Attacks” are by their very nature sneaky and designed to use the element of surprise to one’s advantage.  In short, you do not publicly tell your potential opposition of your plan of attack against responsible breeders until it is too late to stop the orchestrated “attack!!!!”

7. Why would the HSUS use a “Sneak Attack” for the PUPS Bill????????? In March of 2009, during a Workshop sponsored by the Georgetown Law School and the HSUS, Congressman Moran from VA, who was a Congressional Panelist at the Workshop, was asked the following question:  “Why is it so hard for us to amend the Animal Welfare Act, and how can we do it? His response was chilling, and the gist of what he said is as follows:  The best way to overcome opposition is to wait until the eleventh hour and add a late night, last minute amendment to a “Must Pass Bill,” such as an Appropriations Bill, so that there will be no time for opposition to kill the amendment. Significantly, Congressman Moran is on the Appropriations Committee!

8. I respectfully submit that the reason why HSUS recently has been eerily “silent” on the PUPS Bill, and has not been repeatedly and publicly urging its “11 Million Members” to contact their respective Members of Congress and ask them to support the PUPS Bill is because the HSUS is executing a “Sneak Attack” in the following sequence:

• Continue to work behind-the-scenes, and “under the radar” to gather co-sponsors for the PUPS Bill by following up with the nearly 300 U.S. Representatives who co-sponsored the Animal Crush Video Bill, and literally “take a license” with these unsuspecting Members of Congress by simply implying that their support is needed for the same reason as was their support for the Animal Crush Video Bill.
• HSUS will continue to “recruit” more Representatives to co-sponsor the PUPS Bill, and once the number crosses the 100 threshold, HSUS will employ the “herd mentality” approach to persuade more and more Representatives to jump on the bandwagon.  HSUS will claim that this will “protect those dogs and puppies that need your help.”
• When the USDA Appropriations Bill comes up for a vote, as Members of Congress are  scrambling to wrap up outstanding issues in a hurry so that they may return to their States and Districts to run for re-election, the PUPS Bill will be added, “at the last minute,” and the justification for “expediency” will be that since the PUPS Bill has well in excess of 100 co-sponsors, it “obviously” is not a controversial amendment, and it will become part of a “Must Pass Bill,” and there will be no time to mount opposition to it.

9. Why is this suggested “Sneak Attack” Scenario not only feasible, but likely, you ask?

• The Congressman who suggested a “Sneak Attack” Approach is Congressman Moran.
• Congressman Moran co-founded and is the Co-Chair of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus in the House of Representatives.  This Caucus has 84 Members.
• The Website for the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus lists 40 different animal related Bills “currently under consideration by Congress.” Conspicuous by its absence is the PUPS Bill, which currently is being sponsored and co-sponsored by 83 Members of the House – – that is nearly 20% of the House of Representatives.  Could that “omission” be yet another tell-tale indication that a coordinated “Sneak Attack” is on-going, especially since Congressman Moran is the Co-Chair of this Caucus?!?!?!?!?!?
• Congressman Moran has introduced and sponsored Bills championed by the HSUS.
• Congressman Moran has been a featured speaker at HSUS Events.
• Congressman Moran is a Member of the House Appropriations Committee which will be considering the Appropriations Bill for the USDA.
• And in the Senate, which must also pass the Appropriations Bill for USDA, you have Senator Durbin, who could smooth the way for Senate passage of the PUPS Bill as an Amendment to the USDA Appropriations Bill in the Senate because:

o        Senator Durbin is in a Democrat Leadership Position in the Senate.

o        Senator Durbin introduced an identical version of the PUPS Bill in the Senate.

o        Senator Durbin is on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

• The HSUS Annual Lobbying Event in Washington DC (Taking Action for Animals) concluded on July 26, 2010 with a Major Lobby Day Campaign, which was totally scripted by the HSUS, and resulted in hundreds of HSUS supporters descending upon the U.S. Capitol to personally tell their respective Members of Congress to support every Bill that HSUS wishes to have Congress enact – – this includes the PUPS Bill!

For all of the reasons set out above, I believe the “Perfect Storm” exists for the HSUS to successfully orchestrate the enactment of the PUPS Bill.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

Follow the HSUS Lobbying Play Book, and send E-Mails to your respective Members of Congress that politely ask that they suspend judgment and action on the PUPS Bill (H.R. 5434 and S. 3424) until the following questions are fully vetted in a Committee Hearing:

1.       Is the “perceived problem” and “need” for the PUPS Bill caused by the so-called internet sales “loophole,” or by simply an inability of APHIS to enforce existing laws and regulations?  In short, would the “perceived problem” and “need” be best addressed by more strictly enforcing the existing laws and regulations, rather than adding new laws and regulations onto the existing laws and regulations that may not have been strictly enforced?

2.       Is it the intent of Congress to mandate that if someone has as few as one intact female dog that is capable of being used for breeding, then that person may be subject to the expanded coverage of the PUPS Bill?

3.       Is it appropriate for Congress to define a four-month-old puppy to be an adult dog?

4.       Would the existing language in the PUPS Bill have the unintended consequence of dramatically reducing the number of available dogs that are specifically bred and trained for use by special needs organizations that support the handicapped and the blind?

5.       Would the existing language in the PUPS Bill have the unintended consequence of dramatically reducing the number of available dogs that that are specifically bred and trained for use by law enforcement throughout the U.S. , the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense, such as bomb sniffing dogs?

6.       Why has the Humane Society of the U.S. , for the last three years, repeatedly refused to tell the American Public and the U.S. Congress that major Pet Breeder Organizations in 10 States have publicly condemned substandard kennels?  Significantly, over 85% of all Federally licensed and inspected kennels are located in those 10 States.

• If you live in Arkansas , Colorado , Indiana , Iowa , Kansas , Missouri , Ohio , Oklahoma , Pennsylvania or South Dakota , you may wish to add the following sentence.  “Our State is one of the 10 States.”

If enough breeders send E-Mails to their respective Members of Congress, such a collective effort may derail and stop the HSUS PUPS Bill Freight Train that is picking up steam.  Lets mimic the IRS effort and bombard Congress with another 5K letters!!!!  THANK YOU

Frank Losey

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Dog treatment a concern, but especially in Ohio

By Ben Brown

<!–By Ben Brown

–>Published: Thursday, April 29, 2010

On Monday, The Lantern discussed springtime student dog ownership. As the second of a three-part series, today’s article explores Ohio’s legislative treatment of dogs.

April is National Prevent Animal Cruelty Month. And from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday on the South Oval, Paws for a Purpose will raise animal awareness.

The fair will feature a dog agility demo as well as local animal shelters and other animal rights groups like Pet People, Animal Outreach and PetPromise.

For the collective sake of canines, these activists hope McKenzie’s Law will be passed. It would eliminate dog auctions in Ohio, which is one of the few states that still allows them.

“Dog auctions act as a means for puppy millers to dump unprofitable pups and females,” said Molly Stancliff, president of Buckeyes for Canines. “They take place every month in Farmerstown, Ohio, drawing shady breeders from across the nation.”

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals named Ohio one of the worst states for animal cruelty laws. In February, the Humane Society of the United States followed suit by ranking Ohio as one of the worst 10 states in America.

“Stopping dog auctions would keep convicted animal abusers from flocking to the state,” Stancliff said. “People don’t realize that puppies are being killed.”

The Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions is working to collect 120,700 signatures by Dec. 1, 2010 to place the Ohio Dog Auctions Act on the 2011 ballot. More information can be found on banohiodogauctions.com.

McKenzie’s Law would also stop the puppy mills that provide 99 percent of pet store dogs, Stancliff said.

Such kennels that sell dogs over the Internet are not federally regulated. As such, dogs are often raised in horrible, caged conditions and sold with unreported diseases or congenital defects, according to the Animal Law Coalition.

“Ohio has the second-most puppy mills of any state,” Stancliff said.

Stancliff and Alysha Noorani started Buckeyes for Canines last spring. Its main mission is to raise awareness about breed-specific legislation, which heavily restrains the ownership of allegedly dangerous dogs.

Karen Delise’s book, “The Pit Bull Placebo” traces 150 years of public perceptions of canine aggression beginning with the Bloodhound. Society next antagonized German Shepherds, then Doberman Pinschers followed by Rottweilers.

Each new enemy sprang from an isolated but publicized event that unfairly painted other dogs of the same breed, Stancliff said.

Peaceful bloodhounds were initially targeted after newspapers printed the story of one crazed Bloodhound killing a boy in Trenton, N.J. in 1864, for example.

Legislation now targets Pit Bull type dogs including American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, English Staffordshire Terriers and American Bulldogs.

Pit Bull legislation is not objective, as it covers any dog that looks like a Pit Bull.

“Millions of loving family members are being killed in the U.S. every year based solely on physical appearance,” Stancliff said.

“Breed bans single out dogs based on features, not individual temperaments or backgrounds. And most cities require that all Pit Bulls or Pit mixes be euthanized even if they are in a loving home,” she said.

According to the National Canine Research Council, 720 of the 900 Pit Bulls euthanized from 2001-2002 as part of a Pit Bull ban in George’s County, Md., were found to have been nice family pets.

Apparently, their barks were bigger than their bites.

“Because of the Pit’s drive to please and its high pain tolerance, they have become an easily manipulated breed,” Stancliff said. “These endearing traits made it the most popular fighting breed in the country.”

Although many such Pit Bulls live in a literal dog-eat-dog world, activists point out that any dog can kill. In Los Angeles in 2000, for instance, a 10-pound Pomeranian killed a baby.

“Obviously that was a problem with that particular dog, not the breed,” Stancliff said.

In fact, the 17 fatal dog attacks over the past 42 years in Ohio were committed by 11 different dog breeds, according to the National Canine Research Council.

To lend some objectivity to the issue, the American Temperament Test Society measures stability, shyness, aggressiveness and friendliness in dog breeds. It also tests a dog’s protectiveness toward its handler and self-preservation in the face of a threat.

If a dog shows unprovoked aggression, panic without recovery or strong avoidance, it fails the test. In comparing one of the most beloved family dogs to an allegedly dangerous killer, the Test Society found that Golden Retrievers are worse in temperament than Pit Bulls.

Of 665 Pit Bulls tested, 567 passed for a temperament score of 85.3, which edged out the Golden Retriever’s 84.6.

The point, Stancliff says, is that government funding is wasted on breed-specific legislation that stagnant dog-attack statistics have proven ineffective.

In a 10-year period, the Cincinnati Police Department spent more than $160,000 per year trying to enforce a Pit Bull ban.

Yet such bans do nothing to curb bite statistics or Pit Bull ownership, according to defend-a-bull.com.

Nevertheless, Ohio spends $17,751,210 yearly enforcing breed-discriminatory legislation, according to the Best Friends Animal Society Fiscal Impact Calculator. That includes $1,647,260 spent annually in Franklin County alone.

House Bill No. 79 would remove Pit Bulls from the definition of “vicious dog” in Ohio state law. The bill was introduced more than a year ago by Rep. Barbara Sears, but has yet to be enacted.

OSU dog activists try to get students who want a dog off the scent of breeders and pet stores.

“Getting a dog from a breeder is not good for anyone but the breeder,” Stancliff said. Because breeders aren’t federally regulated, they yield no taxes for the state, either.

More importantly, “There are no laws protecting breeder dogs,” Stancliff said. “They are treated like farm products — like a chicken to slaughter.”

Animal rights activists are equally bothered by pet stores. The Pets Without Parents website says “when you buy from a pet store, you are supporting puppy mills, the deplorable, disgusting dog-breeding factories.”

“No dogs from pet stores are legitimate,” Noorani said. “And you don’t save a life by buying pets that will eventually be sold or auctioned.”

Click here to read some viewers comments and the original post

WWC NOTE: As far as breeders being the only ones making out per the comment in the article that I have highlighted in bold is incorrect. We go above and beyond for our dogs and to make sure our puppies are more then ready for their new homes so the new owners receive a happy, healthy, well adjusted puppy. When you add up all we spend to keep dogs happy and healthy along with the countless hrs. we put into our dogs and puppies we are working harder then most and making peanuts. We do it because we love our dogs and we probably are the most happy at doing our job! And for not paying taxes…another error in the article. In Cuyahoga Co. along with many other counties, to receive a kennel license you must obtain a vendors license prior which makes you file taxes. If you fail to do so you lose all licenses. This also adds you to a list for inspections from the Dog Warden by city or county. If the county can’t handle licensed breeders then how is it going to be federally handled? As it is, there is not enough funding nor man power to handle the complaints or suspicions.

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Region 8 city says people violating animal and fowl ordinance

By Josh Harvison

BATESVILLE, AR (KAIT) – Officials with the Batesville Animal Control Office said Thursday people are selling, giving away and bartering unwanted animals on public streets, a violation of a 19 year city ordinance. Jeff Pender, Animal Control Officer, said he’s asking the public to stop violating the law before he has to begin writing citations, which are $130 for each offense.

“It’s just the time of the year with the breeding season. You get more puppies born in the spring and more puppies born in the fall,” said Pender.

Pender said the ordinance, which was implemented in 1991, states people cannot give away puppies, kittens, ducks, chickens and other fowl in public areas.

“About a month ago, we started getting some extra calls than we normally do about folks showing up on parking lots, convenience stores, shopping malls, and service station lots, city parks, and giving away and selling puppies and kittens,” said Pender.

Pender said he answered more than a dozen complaints in a two week span.

“You can’t bring puppies into town and give them away on a street corner. There are other avenues to do that such as the paper or the internet,” said Pender. “If somebody is serious about adopting an animal, they can come to your home. They can see where the dog or kitten was raised, what type of environment and make an educated decision whether or not they want that puppy or kitten.”

Pender said the Batesville Animal Control Office’s primary function is to find lost animals homes. He said another avenue a person could take to find a new home for an animal is through the Independence County Humane Society.

Pender said most people who violated the ordinance didn’t know such a law was in existence. He also said the ordinance is in place to ensure safety.

“A lot of times I know in the past a lot of people just, oh look it’s a cute puppy or it’s a cute kitten. They get it home and it’s sick. They don’t know its sick or it’s been exposed to something, and they take it home and make their healthy animals sick,” said Pender. “There’s a safety issue. If you’ve got folks out on a street corner somewhere, you know there’s a traffic issue but most important is the health issue. You don’t know where the animal really comes from.”

“You don’t know what it’s been exposed to. You don’t know the mother and father of the animal. There are a lot of things you don’t know,” said Pender.

Pender said animals are put through an evaluation process to determine how they interact with people and if they are healthy. He said there’s a ten day quarantine period before the city become owner of the animal.

“I’m not here to write you a ticket. I can but that’s not what I’m here to do. I’m here to give you the information and help you help yourself,” said Pender

original posting click here

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Do animals need laws protecting them from shelters?

By Christie Keith, Special to SF Gate

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

She was a seven-month-old pit bull mix, chocolate brown with a white stripe running down her face. And in June of last year, she was lying on the New York City pavement with broken legs and ribs because the guy who owned her had just thrown her off the roof of his apartment building, six stories up.

She didn’t die that day. A surprising number of neighbors and bystanders called the police, and she was taken in by the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty for Animals, a large private shelter in New York City that also does animal cruelty investigations for the city — they’re the “Animal Cops” of Animal Planet fame.

The folks at the ASPCA named her “Oreo,” and they performed orthopedic surgery to repair her broken bones and treated her other serious injuries. She was dubbed “the miracle dog” by the New York media, and for a while it looked like that’s what she was.

She spent around five months in the ASPCA hospital and shelter, undergoing further treatment and rehabilitation. Then in November, the APSCA issued a statement that she was reacting aggressively to people and other dogs and was going to be killed.

At least one organization, the Pets Alive animal sanctuary in Middletown, N.Y., offered to take her in. They hoped that once out of the shelter environment, Oreo’s behavior would change.

It wasn’t an unreasonable hope. Dogs can become “kennel crazy,” a reaction to the confinement, lack of exercise and stress of a shelter or hospital. And Oreo’s physical condition might have been a factor, too. As anyone who’s ever had orthopedic surgery understands, the whole process hurts, and it hurts for months. What did she really know, at that point, except her early life with her abuser and what must have felt a lot like torture ever since?
Click here to find out what happened to Oreo and other incidences

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This Public Declaration has been cc’d to over 300 Businesses, Organizations and Canine Registries as well as thousands of individual animal lovers

PLEASE SHARE THIS PLEASE SHARE THIS PLEASE SHARE THIS PLEASE SHARE THIS PLEASE SHARE THIS
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PLEASE SHARE THIS PLEASE SHARE THIS PLEASE SHARE THIS PLEASE SHARE THIS PLEASE SHARE THIS
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LET YOUR CONGRESSMAN KNOW NOW…Expose the HSUS

Today is Monday January 25, 2010

Ready for PHASE III America

From the desk of FRANK LOSEY

SEND YOUR E-MAILS to CONGRESS (instructions at the end of this email)

SPAY & NEUTER UPDATE AND CALL FOR FOLLOW-UP ACTION

The IRS Tax Fraud Office in Fresno , CA has now received over 3,200 letters from concerned citizens from all 50 states – – over 1,100 were documented by certified mail. This is extraordinary because the IRS has probably never before received 100 requests about a single public charity, let alone more than 3,200. Additionally, the Tax Fraud Offices in Fresno CA and Washington DC are now in possession of more than 400 pages of documents that “document” that the HSUS has engaged in over 2,000 distinctly different lobbying activities over the last five years. These documents clearly suggest that the HSUS has engaged in “too much lobbying,” which could result in the IRS revoking tax-exempt, public charity status of the HSUS, and assessing back tack taxes, penalties and interest on the more than One Half of a Billion Dollars in revenue that the HSUS received in the last five years. That could amount to Tens of Millions of Dollars that the HSUS would have to pay to the IRS!

It is not too late for more letters to be sent to the IRS – – each extra letter increases the pressure on the IRS to begin an audit NOW! “Thousands of concerned citizens from all 50 states are asking the IRS to audit the Lobbying Activities of the HSUS” is an impressive “sound bite” that may best be used in asking your Members of Congress to also make inquiries to the IRS about the HSUS. A number of you have already sent E-Mails to your Members of Congress, and many have received “boilerplate” non-responsive responses that were “ghost written” by Staffers who are unaware of the “National Outcry” for an IRS audit of the HSUS. That is why the time is now right for those of you who have already sent an E-Mail to your Members of Congress, and for those of you who have not done so, to consider either E-Mailing or FAXING the following short letter to your Respective Members of Congress. Since it highlights that many of the 3,200+ letters came from (your state), this will be a red flag that will be brought to the attention of the Members of Congress by their Chiefs of Staffs – – that is what typically happens when they believe 10 or more of their constituents took the time to write. That is why the following letter should be E-Mailed or FAXED to your respective Members of Congress.

“The IRS Tax Fraud Office in Fresno, CA has received over 400 documents that substantiate more than 2,000 distinctly different lobbying activities of the Humane Society of the U.S (HSUS).; and has received over 3,200 individual letters from concerned citizens in all 50 States who are requesting that the IRS audit the alleged excessive and under-reported Lobbying Activities of the Humane Society of the U.S., as well as its tax-exempt, public charity status. Many of those requests came from our State. I support those requests. Please let me know when the IRS will begin its audit of the lobbying activities of the Humane Society of the U.S. ” (This last sentence makes it harder for a non-responsive, “boilerplate” response.)

To those who may question whether contacting your respective Members of Congress will really make a difference, I wish to share part of a response received by a breeder from her U.S. Representative: “I directed my staff to contact the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and have them respond directly to your concerns, since that agency is tasked with assigning tax-exempt status to organizations. Additionally, I have requested the IRS to provide a copy of that response to my office for review. In the meantime, you can be sure that I will remember your perspective should related legislation come before Congress.”

Yes, thousands of letters and follow up communications with your Members of Congress can and will make a difference, and could cause the HSUS to be led to the “IRS SLAUGHTERHOUSE!” (See the attached document as to how you may find the E-Mail Address or FAX or Phone Numbers of your Members of Congress.)

* * *

Supporting all of OUR RIGHTS!

50 States of the UNION including Alaska and Hawaii
A to Z Vet Supply
American Dog Owners Assoc
Arkansas Breeders of Companion Dogs Assoc
America’s Pet Registry Inc.
American Shetland Sheepdog Assoc
AR Society for the Training and Education of Pet Professionals
BallPythons.net

California, Individual Dog Breeders
California Federation of Dog Clubs
Cat Fanciers Assoc
Colorado Pet Assoc
Doberman Pinscher Club of America
Dog Owners’ Coalition of America
Dakota Pet Breeders Assoc
East Texas Dog Lovers Club
Eskie Board
Fauna Classified Blue Beast Reptiles
Florida, Individual Dog Breeders
Frank Losey MPBA, National Lobbyist
Fur Commission USA
Hunte Corporation
Indiana Professional Dog Breeders Assoc
Iowa Federation of Animal Owners
Iowa Pet Breeders Assoc
JAKS Puppies of Iowa
Kansas Pet Professionals
Kennel Spotlight
Little Dixie Pedigrees
Microchip ID Systems
MidAmerica Pet Dist.
Midwest AgNet
Minnesota Pet Breeders Assoc
Missouri Federation of Animal Owners
Missouri Pet Breeders Assoc
National Beagle Club
National Institute of Canine Experts
neotechvaccines.com

(NEOTECH)
New Jersey Pet Stores
New York, Individual Dog Breeders
Ohio Association of Animal Owners
Ohio Professional dog Breeders Association
Oklahoma Pet Professionals
Oleo Acres Kennels, Inc
Pennsylvania Federation of Dog Clubs
Pennsylvania Kennel Assurance Program
Pet Professionals Association of Missouri
Pet SuperJuice
PetLaw.com

PetX Transporters
Professional Canine Breeders Assoc of Texas
Quad States Breeders Assoc
Rocky Mountain Pet Assoc
Runway Pets, Inc
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DEN DOGS…Thank You!
Southwest Auction Service
Sportsman & Animal Owners Voting Alliance
Texas Pet Breeders Association
Texas Responsible Pet Owners Alliance
The Chronicle of the Horse
Tri State Pet Assoc
United All Breed Registry
USA BREEDERS
U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Sporting Dog Defense Coalition
Wisconsin, Individual Dog Breeders

E – M A I L S N O W . . .

HOW DO I SEND AN E-MAIL TO MY TWO U.S SENATORS AND TO MY U.S. REPRESENTATIVE?

STEP 1: On your Internet, type in http://www.senate.gov

STEP 2: On the top right of the page that comes up, click onto “Find Your Senator.”

Step 3: Click onto your State, and then click onto your Senator’s Name.

Step 4: Click onto “Contact” or “Contact Info” or “ Contact Me. ”

STEP 5: Fill in contact information.

STEP 6: In the Comment Section, “copy and paste” the following two sentences:

The IRS Tax Fraud Office in Fresno, CA has received over 400 documents that substantiate more than 2,000 distinctly different lobbying activities of the Humane Society of the U.S (HSUS).; and has received over 3,200 individual letters from concerned citizens in all 50 States who are requesting that the IRS audit the alleged excessive and under-reported Lobbying Activities of the Humane Society of the U.S., as well as its tax-exempt, public charity status. Many of those requests came from our State. I support those requests. Please let me know when the IRS will begin its audit of the lobbying activities of the Humane Society of the U.S.

Respectfully Submitted, (Type in your Name and Address)

Step 7: Press Send!

Step 8: Repeat the above Steps 1-7 for your second Senator.

Step 9 : Type in http://www.house.gov

.

Step 10: At the top of the page, click onto “Representative’s Web Site.”

Step 11: Scroll down and click onto name of your U.S. Representative. If you do not know the name of your Representative, fill in your zip code at the top left of the Home Page and your Representative’s Web Site will appear.

Step 12: Repeat the above Steps 4-7.

NOTE 1: The reason for using E-Mail rather than ordinary “snail mail” is because all surface mail addressed to Members of Congress is still screened for Anthrax, and that delays delivery by 4-6 weeks.

NOTE 2: The Staffs of most Members of Congress are “oriented” to deal with E-Mails rather than FAXES. However, FAXES to your respective Members of Congress normally will generate a response. If you wish to send your short letter by FAX or to call your Respective Members of Congress, follow steps 1-4 and 9-12 above to find the FAX or Phone Numbers for your Senators and Representative.

NOTE 3: We need to generate Congressional Inquiries to the IRS to supplement the documented “National Outcry” in order to further increase the pressure for the IRS to audit the HSUS NOW!!!!!

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Tougher kennel laws strain shelters

For humane societies, shelters and rescue groups, that’s meant a flood of dogs needing homes.

The long-awaited new rules apply to kennels that breed dogs for pet stores or dealers or sell more than 60 dogs a year. They call for larger spaces and prohibit stacking cages, require two veterinarian check-ups per year and that dogs have access to an outdoor area, measures that make it more costly to stay in business.

The new regulations went into effect Oct. 9, a month after a federal judge rejected a legal challenge by a breeder association that claimed the rules violated its constitutional rights.

Read more: http://www.centredaily.com/news/local/story/1699125.html#ixzz0dlXLCiEb

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The Happy Act…Is It All That Happy?

PetPAC is dedicated to the private property rights of pet owners. We oppose anything that would abridge those rights.  We believe that HR 3501 does nothing to change that status. As drafted, HR 3501 is not a dependent tax deduction at all, nor is it an automatic deduction just for owning a pet.  What this measure does, is allow tax deductions for expenses you incur in caring for your pet. This is groundbreaking legislation.  It shows that our representatives back in Washington DC recognize the importance of owning a pet of our choice and the benefits of having that pet in our home.

The current bill does not require you to list your pets to apply for this deduction.  What you need to show (or at least have available) are valid receipts for expenses for the care of your pets.  This would entail keeping receipts for veterinary care for instance.  This is similar to keeping receipts for medical expenditures that are tax deductable.

To learn more on what PetPAC states about HR3501, click on the following link :

http://preview.petpac.net/action/chairmancolumn/is_it_really_a_happy_act/

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