GA Anti-Dogfighting Bill ... PLEASE HELP!

[I ALSO POSTED THIS ON THE GOING THREAD; PLEASE CROSSPOST WIDELY!]

The GA APBT Association needs the help of everyone in GA to fight the anti-dogfighting bill, S.16! Read it at http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2007_08/versions/sb16_SB_16_Prefile_2.htm. Regardless of one's view on dogfighting, this law is a problem for everyone who wants to keep their pit bulls without being harassed!

Letters REALLY DO MATTER, and the Georgia Legal Professionals for Animals have already started their letter-writing campaign in favor of this bill. We need to make sure that our local representatives have a more reasonable perspective to go with because they have no clue about these dogs, and will listen to whatever is put in front of them! We desperately need a loud, grassroots outcry from Georgia people who are tired of the government breathing down our necks! I will keep you all posted with new developments on this law as they arise.

To find your LOCAL reps (that's who needs these letters, not state or federal), go to www.congress.org and put in your zip code.
It's best if your letter is in your own words, but I've put together something that hits some of the main points that you might wish to address:

SAMPLE LETTER
Your name and address here

Dear [Senator];

As one of your constituents, I am writing to urge you to vote against an upcoming bill, S. 16, which would amend the Animal Fighting Act.

Although proponents of this bill argue that it would bring our state in line with the other 46 states that have stronger laws against dogfighting, this bill unfairly targets responsible owners of the fighting breeds, and in particular the American Pit Bull Terrier, a historic and beloved breed which is misunderstood and maligned by the media.

S.16 would make it a felony if a person "owns, possesses, harbors, keeps, or has custody or control of any canine for the purpose of fighting or baiting; knowingly owns, possesses, solicits, acquires, supplies or sells any device to be used for the purpose of fighting or baiting; purchases, rents, or acquires the use of any location or knowingly makes available any location for the purpose of fighting or baiting." When more than forty breeds have at some point been used for fighting, it will be impossible for law enforcement to fairly determine an owner's intention for his or her dogs. In practice, this law can only be applied through racial and class-based profiling. If someone "looks like" a dogfighter, which often simply means they own pit bulls, then they will be arrested and their dogs taken and destroyed, with no actual evidence whatsoever of dogfighting. In practice, this law will invite the persecution of anyone breeding or raising pit bulls. If passed, this bill will be a grave infringement on the civil rights of Georgians, and it is also unconstitutionally vague.

S. 16 is particularly problematic because it will put responsible pit bull owners even more at risk than the casual, irreponsible owners. Many responsible owners engage in legal hog-hunting with pit bulls, an activity which is specifically exempt from this law, yet a hog hunter is likely to have the same type of dogs and much of the same equipment on hand as this law seeks to criminalize. Many pit bull lovers also show their dogs and do weight-pull activities with the Georgia APBT Association, a club sanctioned by the American Dog Breeder's Association. This club and others believe that it is part of responsible dog ownership to condition their dogs with equipment such as treadmills and flirt poles, and have breaking sticks on hand in case of an accident. Yet the proponents of this law automatically equate such equipment with dogfighting. Moreover, pedigrees of dogs from the fighting breeds by definition include fighting dogs, yet law enforcement assumes this means they are bred for fighting. Georgia should be proud of its rural heritage rather than attempting to stamp out the last vestiges of historic breeds.

Proponents of this bill also claim that dogs which have been trained to fight are responsible for many of the dog bite cases and mauling attacks in Georgia. This is pure propaganda; there is absolutely no research to support this claim. This argument simply attempts to instill fear.

Dogfighting is already a felony in Georgia. Do not bow to pressure from animal rights extremists and others who seek to eliminate fighting breeds through this overreaching bill. Do not penalize responsible owners of pit bulls and other fighting breeds with this overbroad and vague law. The Georgia legislature has decided against breed-specific legislation in the past; do not allow this back-door BSL. I'll be watching to see how you vote.

Respectfully,
[your name]

 

Wut are the laws in california about pit bulls. I am in so.cali.

 

I am not one of their constituents, however I love that letter. I will write them as well. Not as their constituent but as a voter in this country of ours.

I pray you and Rocky are enjoying the new year and it is very blessed for you. Praise be to God!

God be with you sister,

William

 

I got word this morning that the senate judiciary committee is currently reviewing the bill, and that letters should go to any and all of the people on this list:
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2007_08/senate/judiciary.php
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO THESE PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF YOUR DISTRICT - THEY WILL MAKE OR BREAK THIS BILL!

And thank you, Mr. Attila! We wish you a wonderful new year as well. Also loving those new pics on myspace Letters from outside Georgia are still helpful! When one state passes a law then the others seem to jump on the bandwagon. It's just that the reps are supposed to listen to their constitutuents, so letters from in-state people may be more powerful, but the more, the better!

If anyone who has contacts with hog dogging associations, can you put me in touch with them? We need to make sure we're all working together on this.

I'm not up-to-date on the laws in Southern Cali, but there is a great database at www.animallaw.com.

 

I sent my email as soon as I saw the post. It went to my local representatives. I hope this is enough.

 

Idgie,

You may want to give Pat Stancil or Terry Palmer a call at Boar Hunter Magazine, there in GA. They may be able to help ya'll, and I am sure he has some contacts that would be of assistance.

webmail@boarhuntermagazine.com <webmail@boarhuntermagazine.com>

 

Thanks Stillwater and brat pack!

YoungLion, yes, just send it to any of the senators at:
Capitol Office:
121-B State Capitol
Atlanta, GA 30334
Phone: (404) 656-5035
Fax: (404) 463-207

E-mail will work too

 

They will ALL be hearing from Boston, MA. as well!

At the last council meeting I attended, the city councilors said they got mail from as far away as California and Canada. There was an impressive STACK of letters from ALL around the country.
More, is more!
Good luck to all my southern friends!

 

Artie is in with those of us that Hog hunt in the Delta. It is what our Association was built on. His contact is in my sig. Peace sister and keep up the great work. Tell Rocky hello for me. Glad you like the pictures. I guess the work for running off kids and dogs. lol I wasn't trying to look mad or anything I was just having a hard time looking at the screen, the camera and lining it up. lol That is allot for a grunt. lol I am having a good year.

Oh and BamaBoy in Texas he and his family and friends are big hog hunters too.

 

Interesting, do go on.

 

Yeah, that wasn't very clear, so I edited it. I'm simply trying to say that being against this bill does not mean condoning dogfighting. No-one (certainly not the GA ADBA club) wants to get out there and lobby for dogfighters (unlike the United Gamefowl Breeders Association, which has paid lobbyists to keep cockfighting legal in some states). But people who are trying to push this law through are framing it as an anti-dogfighting law, as if everyone should just support the law without questioning how it will impact pit bull owners generally. Wanting to protect our civil rights is not the same as advocating illegal activity.

I'd be very interested in your thoughts, Sid Finster! Maybe you could ghost-write some letters for us?

 

Bump! any new news on this.

 

I emailed all of them, but have yet to hear a reply...
and I may not, but at least they heard from me.

as of this morning, this:
http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/pets/stories/2007/01/18/0121slpetdish.html
was posted

 

I spoke to Sen. Rogers about this bill, and he said if I could produce evidence of innocent people being unfairly prosecuted under similar laws, it might be persuasive. If anyone has anything to send me, please do! Newspaper articles or case law would be best, but send whatever you think might help.

We're also getting together a petition which I'll post shortly.

 

My name is joe woodall back on oct the 28th 2008 hsus spca lead by john goodwin(animal Terrist & alf member & caft member) took all 13 of my dogs but could not arrest me FOR ANYTHING they held us in our home for over 8 hours and still did not arrest us but took my dogs we have viedo taped our dogs for over two year and viedoed the raid also after two months and seeing the tapes they had nothing so they had to return my dogs.also they took ray beavers dogs on the same day he only had 2 grown dogs and some puppies called it animal crulty for not have feed out at 9:00 am i have tapes of rays yard 5 days after the raid and it looked fine. we need HELP to stop these terroist from what they are doing to us here in georiga I have tapes of the local animal shelter here in our county and it looks terriable the sorrest place i have ever seen in my life, you can contact me at email adress
tracyromigh@hotmail.com

JOE WOODALL