Letter to the governor regarding AB 272

Please contact Governor Brown today to respectfully request his veto of this bill. Thanks!

 

Governor Jerry Brown

State Capitol, Suite 1173

Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: (916) 445-2841

Fax: (916) 558-3160

September 9, 2013

Re: CA AB 272: Rabies: vaccinations (Gomez) as amended August 20, 2013 : OPPOSE.

REQUEST FOR VETO

Dear Governor Brown,

The California Federation of Dog Clubs, founded in 1990, represents thousands of dog owners across our state. We are advocates for animal welfare and for protecting the rights of responsible dog owners. The CFoDC conducts breed identification workshops for shelter workers, distributes a dog care and training brochure for new owners who adopt from shelters, and provides a toll-free help line for pet owners who are struggling with behavior or training problems. We also maintain and administer a relief fund for animals affected by disasters such as earthquakes or fires. CFoDC sponsored 'Molly's Law", which allowed for medical exemptions from rabies vaccination, in the immediate past session.

The CFoDC is OPPOSED to CA AB 272 and respectfully requests your veto.

This bill would lower the age for puppies to receive their rabies vaccination to three months old. Vaccination of puppies at an early age flies in the face of science and is counter to the advice of the medical community. Early-age vaccination is often ineffective due to the interference of maternal antibodies. This would mean that a large percentage of young dogs in the community would be presumed immune to rabies after an ineffective early-age vaccination, when in fact they are not immune and could acquire and transfer rabies to humans.

The current law requiring puppies to be vaccinated at 4 months of age is and has been effective at controlling rabies in California's canine population. There is no epidemiological or scientific rationale for changing this law. Owners who wish to vaccinate at an early age already can do so if they wish; however, in the interest of public health and safety, we should not encourage the practice of rabies vaccination prior to the age of four month. An exemption may be written into current law if desired for already-vaccinated puppies brought into California from other states.

Please veto AB 272.

Sincerely yours,