Rottweilerlvr
02-16-2007, 02:38 PM
Around the Nation:
Legislation That Affects You January / February 2007
CALIFORNIA - The Sacramento County Board of
Supervisors will meet at 2:30pm February 27th discuss
adoption of the "Animal Overpopulation Ordinance." It
is imperative that fanciers, breeders and concerned
dog owners attend the meeting. The measure includes a
$150 intact animal fee, a reduced $50 intact animal
permit for those who meet certain conditions, a $10
fee to transfer an animal over the age of four months,
and requires all dogs and cats to wear a suitable
collar or harness with the license tag attached. For
further information, please contact the Sacramento
Council of Dog Clubs at jgrcorgis@aol. com.
- The Kern County Animal Control Commission is set to
propose a new breeder
license. Anyone offering for sale more than 1 litter
per year would be required
to purchase the $150 permit, which would include
licensing for 2 intact
animals. Animal control would have the right to
inspect the premises of any
breeder. The commission is also considering increasing
fees including the fee to
license intact animals and the fee to redeem intact
animals from the shelter. A
low cost spay/neuter program and the possibility of
requiring an animal to be
sterilized if it is picked up three times are also
under consideration.
- The San Jose Animal Advisory Committee is proposing
changes to the animal
control ordinance that would require all dogs and cats
to be spayed or neutered
and to restrict where animals can be sold. A copy of
the draft proposal has
not yet been made available to the public, although
the San Jose Animal Care
and Services division states that the mandatory
spay/neuter provisions will not
apply to qualified competition animals. The Canine
Legislation Department has
sent materials to concerned dog owners and will be
working with the city
council members once a draft is available. Local
fanciers and dog owners are
encouraged to contact their representative on the city
council and educate them
about the rights and benefits of responsible breeding
programs. The measure is
expected to go before the San Jose City Council in
March or April.
- The City of Hesperia was considering legislation to
ban certain breeds or
require that certain breeds be spayed or neutered. The
Canine Legislation
Department worked with local dog owners to educate
legislators about the
ineffectiveness of breed specific measures and the
city is now investigating other ways to improve animal
control.
FLORIDA - HB 317, introduced by Rep. Culp, is under
consideration by the
House Safety and Security Council. It amends the
current animal cruelty law by
providing that a first-time offender convicted of
cruelty to animals will be
subject to the following mandatory minimums: $500
fine, incarceration period of 30 consecutive days, and
100 hours of community service.
- SB 14, introduced by Sen. Bullard, has been referred
to the Senate
Committees on Agriculture; Regulated Industries; and
General Government
Appropriations. Major provisions of the bill include:
requiring that any cat or dog offered for sale be
accompanied by an "animal-purchase disclosure";
prohibiting pet dealer who is not breeder of an animal
from possessing dog or cat younger than 8 weeks of
age; providing that proper veterinary care of animal
returned due to illness or disease may include
euthanasia; provides for refund to purchaser
if pedigree documents are not received within six
months of purchase.
For more information on legislative activity in
Florida, please contact the
Florida Association of Kennel Clubs at dja0218@aol.
com.
HAWAII - HB 358, introduced by Rep. Lee, is currently
held in the House
Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce. The
bill would prohibit homeowner's insurers from raising
rates or refusing coverage to homeowners who own or
harbor a dog, unless the dog has been found to have
unjustifiably bitten a human being on at least two
separate occasions.
- SB 18 is under consideration by the Senate Committee
on Intergovernmental
and Military Affairs. Introduced by Sen. Sakamoto, the
legislation would
require counties that license dogs pursuant to state
law to maintain a registry of
animals determined to be dangerous.
ILLINOIS - HB 203, known and the Retail Sale of Dogs
and Cats Act, is
sponsored by Representative Froehlich and has been
referred to the House Committee on Agriculture and
Conservation. The bill, if passed and signed into law,
will impose various requirements on pet dealers
(defined as anyone who sells more than 25 dogs per
year), including that an animal must be examined by a
licensed veterinarian before being placed with other
animals by the pet dealer. Pet dealers will also be
required to give the purchaser of a dog a written
statement
containing certain information about the animal
purchased, and must maintain a
record of that information. Pet dealers must also
provide remedies for a
purchaser if an animal becomes ill or dies as a result
of an illness that existed
in the animal at the time of purchase.
For more information on legislative activity in
Illinois, please contact the
Illinois Dog Clubs and Breeders Association at
MAJWIZ@aol.com or
lotzadots101@ aol.com.
INDIANA - St. Joseph County has adopted changes to
their animal control
ordinance including adoption of a license fee
structure as well as minor and major
breeders permits. The council rejected proposed
breed-specific provisions that
would have deemed "pit bulls," defined as American Pit
Bull Terriers,
American Staffordshire Terriers or Staffordshire Bull
Terriers, to be dangerous
animals. AKC worked with local fanciers to oppose the
changes.
- On Wednesday, February 7, sponsoring Rep. Van
Haaften confirmed that HB
1607 would not move forward in its present form. The
bill sought to establish
regulation of pet dealers by the State Board of Animal
Health. If passed, it
would have created the pet dealer fund, and would have
given the board the
authority to set fees related to the licensure of pet
dealers. The bill would also
have established guidelines for the regulation of the
sale of dogs and made it a
deceptive sales practice for a pet dealer to sell a
dog if the pet dealer did
not follow the procedures established by the board.
Additionally, it would
have given the board and the Division of Consumer
Protection authority to
oversee the sale of dogs. For more information on this
new law, please read our
Legislative Alert.
- HB 1719 has been introduced by Rep. Bardon and
referred to the House
Committee on Rules and Legislative Procedures. If
passed, it will require that dogs be implanted with a
microchip that contains an identification number and
can
be read with a standard scanner. All data will be
registered with a state-run
agency. It also requires that the owners of dogs that
are not neutered or
spayed to pay a $50 annual fee and to post "Beware of
Dog" signs on the premises
where the dog is kept. Further, the bill establishes
penalties for noncompliance, and allows a county,
city, or town, to adopt a dog control ordinance that
is more restrictive than state law. For more
information on this proposal,
please read our Legislative Alert.
KANSAS - The Manhattan City Commission is forming a
task force to investigate
remedies to their dangerous dog problems. The city had
been considering a
breed-specific ordinance that would regulate the
ownership of certain breeds
including American Staffordshire Terriers, Bull
Terriers, Staffordshire Bull
Terriers, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and Chow Chows. The
American Kennel Club sent a letter opposing
breed-specific legislation to the city council
members. The
Manhattan Kansas Kennel Club distributed copies of the
dangerous dog packet to
city council members and will continue to work toward
a non-breed-specific
solution. For more information please contact the
Manhattan Kansas Kennel Club at
agilitydog1@ netzero.net.
KENTUCKY - The Louisville Metro Council has enacted
major changes to their
animal control ordinance, including a pet limit,
severe restrictions on the
keeping of intact animals, licensing of in-home
kennels, extreme differential
licensing and vague definitions. The Canine
Legislation Department has been
working to assist the Louisville Kennel Club in
opposing this measure since late
2005. For more information on this new law, please
read our Legislative Alert.
MINNESOTA -Senate File 121, known as the Dog & Cat
Breeders Act, has been
introduced by Senators Betzold, Koering, and Sieben,
and has been assigned to the Senate Committee on
Agriculture and Veterans. Any breeder with six or more
intact adult females ("adult" defined as any dog over
20 weeks of age) will be
forced to comply with the provisions of SF 121. The
bill provides for
licensing of breeders, including payment of an annual
fee and facility inspection. A
veterinarian, as part of an inspection team, can
determine that there is a
substantial risk to the health and welfare of an
animal, including, but not
limited to, disease or pain, and may unilaterally and
immediately euthanize the
animal. SF 121 also prescribes extensive strict
mandatory standards of kennel
operations and care.
Legislation That Affects You January / February 2007
CALIFORNIA - The Sacramento County Board of
Supervisors will meet at 2:30pm February 27th discuss
adoption of the "Animal Overpopulation Ordinance." It
is imperative that fanciers, breeders and concerned
dog owners attend the meeting. The measure includes a
$150 intact animal fee, a reduced $50 intact animal
permit for those who meet certain conditions, a $10
fee to transfer an animal over the age of four months,
and requires all dogs and cats to wear a suitable
collar or harness with the license tag attached. For
further information, please contact the Sacramento
Council of Dog Clubs at jgrcorgis@aol. com.
- The Kern County Animal Control Commission is set to
propose a new breeder
license. Anyone offering for sale more than 1 litter
per year would be required
to purchase the $150 permit, which would include
licensing for 2 intact
animals. Animal control would have the right to
inspect the premises of any
breeder. The commission is also considering increasing
fees including the fee to
license intact animals and the fee to redeem intact
animals from the shelter. A
low cost spay/neuter program and the possibility of
requiring an animal to be
sterilized if it is picked up three times are also
under consideration.
- The San Jose Animal Advisory Committee is proposing
changes to the animal
control ordinance that would require all dogs and cats
to be spayed or neutered
and to restrict where animals can be sold. A copy of
the draft proposal has
not yet been made available to the public, although
the San Jose Animal Care
and Services division states that the mandatory
spay/neuter provisions will not
apply to qualified competition animals. The Canine
Legislation Department has
sent materials to concerned dog owners and will be
working with the city
council members once a draft is available. Local
fanciers and dog owners are
encouraged to contact their representative on the city
council and educate them
about the rights and benefits of responsible breeding
programs. The measure is
expected to go before the San Jose City Council in
March or April.
- The City of Hesperia was considering legislation to
ban certain breeds or
require that certain breeds be spayed or neutered. The
Canine Legislation
Department worked with local dog owners to educate
legislators about the
ineffectiveness of breed specific measures and the
city is now investigating other ways to improve animal
control.
FLORIDA - HB 317, introduced by Rep. Culp, is under
consideration by the
House Safety and Security Council. It amends the
current animal cruelty law by
providing that a first-time offender convicted of
cruelty to animals will be
subject to the following mandatory minimums: $500
fine, incarceration period of 30 consecutive days, and
100 hours of community service.
- SB 14, introduced by Sen. Bullard, has been referred
to the Senate
Committees on Agriculture; Regulated Industries; and
General Government
Appropriations. Major provisions of the bill include:
requiring that any cat or dog offered for sale be
accompanied by an "animal-purchase disclosure";
prohibiting pet dealer who is not breeder of an animal
from possessing dog or cat younger than 8 weeks of
age; providing that proper veterinary care of animal
returned due to illness or disease may include
euthanasia; provides for refund to purchaser
if pedigree documents are not received within six
months of purchase.
For more information on legislative activity in
Florida, please contact the
Florida Association of Kennel Clubs at dja0218@aol.
com.
HAWAII - HB 358, introduced by Rep. Lee, is currently
held in the House
Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce. The
bill would prohibit homeowner's insurers from raising
rates or refusing coverage to homeowners who own or
harbor a dog, unless the dog has been found to have
unjustifiably bitten a human being on at least two
separate occasions.
- SB 18 is under consideration by the Senate Committee
on Intergovernmental
and Military Affairs. Introduced by Sen. Sakamoto, the
legislation would
require counties that license dogs pursuant to state
law to maintain a registry of
animals determined to be dangerous.
ILLINOIS - HB 203, known and the Retail Sale of Dogs
and Cats Act, is
sponsored by Representative Froehlich and has been
referred to the House Committee on Agriculture and
Conservation. The bill, if passed and signed into law,
will impose various requirements on pet dealers
(defined as anyone who sells more than 25 dogs per
year), including that an animal must be examined by a
licensed veterinarian before being placed with other
animals by the pet dealer. Pet dealers will also be
required to give the purchaser of a dog a written
statement
containing certain information about the animal
purchased, and must maintain a
record of that information. Pet dealers must also
provide remedies for a
purchaser if an animal becomes ill or dies as a result
of an illness that existed
in the animal at the time of purchase.
For more information on legislative activity in
Illinois, please contact the
Illinois Dog Clubs and Breeders Association at
MAJWIZ@aol.com or
lotzadots101@ aol.com.
INDIANA - St. Joseph County has adopted changes to
their animal control
ordinance including adoption of a license fee
structure as well as minor and major
breeders permits. The council rejected proposed
breed-specific provisions that
would have deemed "pit bulls," defined as American Pit
Bull Terriers,
American Staffordshire Terriers or Staffordshire Bull
Terriers, to be dangerous
animals. AKC worked with local fanciers to oppose the
changes.
- On Wednesday, February 7, sponsoring Rep. Van
Haaften confirmed that HB
1607 would not move forward in its present form. The
bill sought to establish
regulation of pet dealers by the State Board of Animal
Health. If passed, it
would have created the pet dealer fund, and would have
given the board the
authority to set fees related to the licensure of pet
dealers. The bill would also
have established guidelines for the regulation of the
sale of dogs and made it a
deceptive sales practice for a pet dealer to sell a
dog if the pet dealer did
not follow the procedures established by the board.
Additionally, it would
have given the board and the Division of Consumer
Protection authority to
oversee the sale of dogs. For more information on this
new law, please read our
Legislative Alert.
- HB 1719 has been introduced by Rep. Bardon and
referred to the House
Committee on Rules and Legislative Procedures. If
passed, it will require that dogs be implanted with a
microchip that contains an identification number and
can
be read with a standard scanner. All data will be
registered with a state-run
agency. It also requires that the owners of dogs that
are not neutered or
spayed to pay a $50 annual fee and to post "Beware of
Dog" signs on the premises
where the dog is kept. Further, the bill establishes
penalties for noncompliance, and allows a county,
city, or town, to adopt a dog control ordinance that
is more restrictive than state law. For more
information on this proposal,
please read our Legislative Alert.
KANSAS - The Manhattan City Commission is forming a
task force to investigate
remedies to their dangerous dog problems. The city had
been considering a
breed-specific ordinance that would regulate the
ownership of certain breeds
including American Staffordshire Terriers, Bull
Terriers, Staffordshire Bull
Terriers, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and Chow Chows. The
American Kennel Club sent a letter opposing
breed-specific legislation to the city council
members. The
Manhattan Kansas Kennel Club distributed copies of the
dangerous dog packet to
city council members and will continue to work toward
a non-breed-specific
solution. For more information please contact the
Manhattan Kansas Kennel Club at
agilitydog1@ netzero.net.
KENTUCKY - The Louisville Metro Council has enacted
major changes to their
animal control ordinance, including a pet limit,
severe restrictions on the
keeping of intact animals, licensing of in-home
kennels, extreme differential
licensing and vague definitions. The Canine
Legislation Department has been
working to assist the Louisville Kennel Club in
opposing this measure since late
2005. For more information on this new law, please
read our Legislative Alert.
MINNESOTA -Senate File 121, known as the Dog & Cat
Breeders Act, has been
introduced by Senators Betzold, Koering, and Sieben,
and has been assigned to the Senate Committee on
Agriculture and Veterans. Any breeder with six or more
intact adult females ("adult" defined as any dog over
20 weeks of age) will be
forced to comply with the provisions of SF 121. The
bill provides for
licensing of breeders, including payment of an annual
fee and facility inspection. A
veterinarian, as part of an inspection team, can
determine that there is a
substantial risk to the health and welfare of an
animal, including, but not
limited to, disease or pain, and may unilaterally and
immediately euthanize the
animal. SF 121 also prescribes extensive strict
mandatory standards of kennel
operations and care.