Texas action alert: Stop hb 1451 in the senate!

A SAOVA message to sportsmen, pet owners and farmers concerned about protecting their traditions, avocations and livelihoods from anti-hunting, anti-breeding, animal guardianship advocates. Forwarding and cross posting, with attribution, encouraged.


TEXAS ACTION ALERT: STOP HB 1451 IN THE SENATE!

Dear SAOVA friends,



HB 1451 passed the House on 4/27/11 and has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice chaired by Sen. John Whitmire (D-15). It is anticipated that Whitmire will be the bill’s advocate in the Senate.

HB 1451 requires licensure and inspection of kennels for simply owning more than 10 intact female dogs even if breeding is occasional. The bill classifies these owners as commercial if even a single litter a year is bred to be used as hunting, working, security, herding and livestock guardian dogs, service dogs, or family pets.

Sara Chisnell-Voigt, Legal Counsel United Kennel Club, writes, “UKC believes that the health and well-being of dogs are of the utmost importance, and are significant concerns. However, this bill will do more harm to the responsible breeders than they will to protect the welfare of dogs. Defining a commercial kennel by 11 or more intact adult female dogs is an unacceptable threshold.”

Bill author, Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston) and supporting animal rights groups continually mislead the media claiming the bill is only designed to ensure that breeders meet health and safety standards and that animals have food and clean water. However, the Federal engineering standards required by HB 1451 are not compatible with home-based breeding programs. Compliance with Federal regulations would require small and mid-size sporting dog and hobby breeders to construct temperature, humidity, and diurnal lighting controlled kennel buildings costing tens of thousands of dollars. Labeling and registering breeders as commercial businesses simply because of the number of intact dogs owned will end many hunting and hobby kennels throughout the state.

Mary Beth Duerler, RPOA Texas Outreach and Responsible Pet Owners Alliance, explained, “HB 1451 is not written to regulate dog and cat breeders in Texas. It is written to eliminate them. The Standards for Care; Confinement and Transportation adopted must meet federal USDA regulations at a minimum. Bill sponsors and proponents know they cannot be met in a home environment.”

Following the House vote to pass HB 1451, Rep. David Simpson (R-Longview) posted the following commentary on his blog, “It establishes a new licensing and regulatory bureaucracy for breeders. I spoke and voted against the bill because it increased state government by $2.6 million for the biennium and increased state bureaucrats by 14. Moreover, I believe it will be ineffective. I doubt that criminal and cruel breeders, who are already operating outside the law, will submit themselves to be licensed and regulated and pay a $1300-$4300 fee per year. It will certainly hinder responsible breeders though and probably cause some to go out of business. The bill also violates the 4th Amendment by authorizing inspectors to come unannounced and without the owner or licensee onto a breeder’s property and even into a breeder’s home to access animals or documents without a warrant.”

HB 1451 is supported by a number of animal rights organizations, including Texas Humane Legislation Network (THLN), HSUS, ALDF, and ASPCA. These groups highlight kennels where hundreds of dogs are kept in poor conditions and, in true activist style, vilify dog breeders across the board to promote the need for restrictive legislation.

Texans pour hundreds of millions of dollars into the State’s economy every year hunting, exhibiting, training, and breeding dogs. Their dogs could not hunt, track, herd, search, or compete in shows and trials if they were not well taken care of.

ACTION REQUIRED

Call, fax, and email your Senator and the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice and request they oppose HB 1451.

Committee Contacts:

CHAIR
Sen. John Whitmire (D-15)
(512) 463-0115 / Fax: (512) 475-3737
John.whitmire@senate.state.tx.us

VICE CHAIR
Sen. Joan Huffman (R-17)
(512) 463-0117 / Fax: (512) 463-0639
Joan.huffman@senate.state.tx.us

MEMBERS

Sen. John Carona (R-16)
(512) 463-0116 / Fax: (512) 463-3135
John.carona@senate.state.tx.us

Sen. Rodney Ellis (D-13)
(512) 463-0113 / Fax: (512) 463-0006
Rodney.ellis@senate.state.tx.us

Sen. Glenn Hegar (R-18)
(512) 463-0118
Fax: (512) 475-3736
Glenn.hegar@senate.state.tx.us

Sen. Juan Hinojosa (D-20)
(512) 463-0120 / Fax: (512) 463-0229
Juan.hinojosa@senate.state.tx.us

Sen. Dan Patrick (R-7)
(512) 463-0107 / Fax: (512) 463-8810
Dan.patrick@senate.state.tx.us


HB 1451 is opposed by: American Dog Breeders Association; American Kennel Club; Animal Owners Association of Texas; Endangered Breeds Association; National Animal Interest Alliance; RPOA Texas Outreach and Responsible Pet Owners Alliance; Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance; United Kennel Club; U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance; and many more local and national organizations.

Join the growing list opposed to HB 1451. Send an email to: saova@earthlink.net or cubhill@earthlink.net

Additional information can be found at the SAOVA website:
http://www.saova.org/TexasHB1451.html And at U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance: http://tinyurl.com/3q9pvm6

PLEASE CROSS POST WIDELY


Sportsmen’s & Animal Owners’ Voting Alliance
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