Tuesday, December 17, 2013

AZ Alert: Phoenix City Council to Consider Problematic Definition of “Pet Dealer” TOMORROW (12/18)

 Trouble for our neighbors in Arizona.....
 
December 17, 2013
The AKC Government Relations Department (AKC GR) has just learned that the Phoenix City Council will consider a proposal tomorrow that would prevent "pet dealers" from selling puppies unless the puppies come from a shelter or nonprofit rescue.
The concern is that the definition of "pet dealer" exempts kennels, which are defined as those who keep or harbor five or more dogs.  It is unclear if those who have fewer than five dogs would be considered a "pet dealer" and therefore subject to this regulation.
Those who reside or participate in dog events in Phoenix are encouraged to consider attending tomorrow's hearing and contacting the Phoenix City Council and respectfully ask them to clarify this proposal to ensure that Phoenix hobbyists with fewer than five dogs are not included in this ordinance.
Meeting Information:
Phoenix City Council Hearing
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
3:00 pm
Phoenix City Hall Council Chambers
200 W Jefferson Street
Contact Information:
Click here to find your City Council member

Click here to find the contact information for Mayor Stanton and the Phoenix City Council.
 
 
 
 
 
       
            
    

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Thursday, December 12, 2013

MSN is counterproductive


From: Jan Dykema
Sent: Wed, Dec 11, 2013 11:38 pm
Subject: MSN

Dear Supervisor Foy:

I spent the entire evening watching the entire public hearing on Ventura passing a mandatory spay/neuter law. Much of it was painful as I listened to erudite speakers having to defend their right to breed a litter of puppies without the government looking over their shoulder (or rather "inspecting" their private homes) and extracting fees and other fines, and  .. let's call it what it really is, a TAX.. on people who wish to breed their dog.
 
I watched as speaker after speaker presented concrete evidence; facts and statistics that without any doubt showed that MSN does not work, never has worked and never will work. I watched as people decried and denied these facts as somehow irrelevant to Ventura County; as if it was somehow special and that what happens in LA is not relevant. It IS relevant, and always will be.
 
Facts are facts. The housing "bubble" cannot be blamed for years of proven statistics that show MSN does not work.
 
I live in Napa County. We do not have MSN. Lake County is the next county over, and they do have MSN . Their shelter kills many more animals than we do. 

As I looked at Ventura County stats I wondered, how much better can they get? Your shelter is doing a great job, numbers are dropping at a huge rate, so why the need for this (I hesitate to use the word as it was so overworked) "tool"? It appears that you will reach the 90% rate in very little time if all continues as it has neen, without MSN. I was impressed with the amount of VOLUNTARY surgeries that were already done in your area and with the fact they were low cost or even free. Good for you! It is working and working well, if all of that is true.

I will be forthcoming. I am a licensed American Kennel Club judge and an occasional breeder of English Bull Terriers ( the Target dog, General Patton or Spuds Mackenzie depending on your shopping habits, age and propensity for libations). I sit on the Board of Directors of the California Federation of Dog Clubs and have spent much time in Sacramento lobbying for people rights to own and breed animals of all types and for them  to be able to use the animals for the work they were bred for, so I am not entirely neutral on this issue; but I try to be open minded because I am also a trained Humane Officer.

I did see that much information was handed to you all during the hearing. I wondered why? None of you had any time to read the information before the vote was taken, although it did seem that you ( and you alone) had time to look at the charts that were presented and at least absorb the information. 

Animals are a very emotional issue, but all facts must be considered including loss of income for the county, and less licensing for dogs and cats. A major problem that I did not hear addressed in a very significant way was the drop in rabies vaccinations that occurs when punitive laws are put into effect. Rabies is not a dog issue. It is a serious public health issue and when people do not comply due to fear or interference, the risk is escalated to a degree that cannot be calculated until a human being is infected and dies.

Finally, I heard the words  "No Kill" over and over again. And yet, no one actually reported who is the "father" of the No Kill movement. That would be Nathan Winograd. Mr. Winograd invented the words "No Kill" and has a very specific plan on how shelters can become "No Kill". Nowhere anywhere in his statements and writings regarding No Kill does Mr Winograd EVER say MSN is a part of the No Kill program. If fact, he intentionally says MSN NEVER helps the No Kill program and that MSN should never be a part of any No Kill program. 

I have taken the liberty to include a few of Mr. Winograds information by attachments here. (all safe to open) Here is an excerpt:

"Moreover, mandatory spay/neuter laws are not a new or untested idea in the U.S. They have been around for decades and historically have been the favored form of pseudo-advocacy by the voices of tradition within the animal sheltering industry. In fact, many U.S. communities already have such laws. Are those communities No Kill? No, far from it. While mandatory spay/neuter laws have long been the siren song of the animal protection movement, the evidence proves that when implemented in the U.S., such laws have been disastrous. Over and over, mandatory spay/neuter legislation is pushed as a quick solution to high rates of shelter killing."
 
 
“If only we had a spay/neuter law” the argument goes, “all the bad, irresponsible people would have to take care of their pets properly, and shelters wouldn’t have to kill so many animals.” If this were true, given the proliferation of such punitive mandates nationwide, these laws would have already created many No Kill communities. That there are none as a result of mandatory spay/neuter laws proves that such legislation does not work. In fact, it often has the opposite effect. Communities that have passed such laws are not only far from No Kill; they are moving in the opposite direction, killing more, not fewer animals."

I hope Ventura County will be the exception to this rule but statistics and time do not bear this out.

Thank you for your support of less government interference in the lives of American citizens and for voting no on this ordinance. You would have my vote if I had one!

Jan



Jan Dykema

Certified Humane Officer

American Kennel Club Judge

BOD California Federation of Dog Clubs



attachments:



Friday, December 6, 2013

Ventura County, CA Holds Final Vote on Mandatory Spay/Neuter Ordinance, Breeder Permits


 
 

Dear AKC Delegates, Club Officers, Breeders and Legislative Liaisons,
Please pass this information on to your club members in the Ventura County area.
On Tuesday, December 10th, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors will hold a final vote on an ordinance that would establish mandatory spay/neuter of dogs and cats in the county unless the owner qualifies for an exemption. The measure passed by a vote of 4-1 in November. It also would require breeders to purchase a $100 breeding permit and submit to property inspections. It is imperative that responsible owners and breeders attend this meeting and oppose these burdensome and ineffective proposals.
Dog clubs and organizations are encouraged to personalize the attached letter and send it to the Supervisors at the email addresses listed below. A sample letter for individuals to personalize can be found here.
Ventura County Board of Supervisors Meeting
Date: Tuesday December 10th
Time: 2:00 PM (Special hearing time for this item)
Location: County Government Center, Hall of Administration, Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, 800 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009
The full draft of the ordinance can be seen online here. Very few modifications have been made from the November draft. Provisions include:
Section 4221: Prohibition against Unaltered Dog or Cat
Animals may only remain intact if one the following exemptions apply:
  • The dog or cat is a breed approved by and is registered with the American Kennel Club or a similar foreign registry recognized by the Division, whose program and practices are consistent with the humane treatment of animals, and the dog or cat is actively used to exhibit or compete and has competed in at least one legitimate exhibition or sporting competition hosted by, or under the approval of, the American Kennel Club or a similar foreign registry, within the last two years, or is being trained or groomed to exhibit or compete and is too young to have yet competed.
  • The dog has earned, or if under three years old, is actively being trained and in the process of earning, an agility, carting, herding, protection, rally, hunting, working, or other title from a registry or association approved by the Division.
  • The dog is being, or has been, appropriately trained and is actively used in a manner that meets the definition of a guide, signal or service dog as set forth in Penal Code section 365.5, subdivisions (d), (e) and (f), or the dog is enrolled in a guide dog program administered by a person licensed under Business and Professions Code section 7200 et seq.
  • The dog is being, or has been, appropriately trained and is actively used by law enforcement agencies, the military, or search and rescue organizations, for law enforcement, military, or search and rescue activities.
  • The owner of the dog or cat provides a letter to the Division from a licensed veterinarian certifying that the animal's health would be best served by spaying or neutering after a specified date; or that due to age, poor health, or illness of the animal, it is detrimental to the health of the animal to spay or neuter the animal; or that arrangements have been made to spay or neuter the dog or cat within 60 days after the compliance deadline and the dog or cat is spayed or neutered within that 60-day period. This letter shall include the veterinarian's license number and the date by which the animal may be safely spayed or neutered. The letter shall be updated periodically as necessary in the event the condition of the animal changes.
  • The owner of the dog or cat is an AKC "Breeder of Merit."
  • The dog or cat has a valid breeding permit issued to the owner by the Division. 
The American Kennel Club opposes the spay/neuter laws and arbitrary breeder permits as ineffective because they fail to address the underlying issue of irresponsible ownership. California state law already provides for the sterilization of animals adopted from shelters and mandates that the license fee for intact animals be at least double that of sterilized animals. The mandatory sterilization requirements proposed in this ordinance will merely punish those who are responsible owners and breeders, and the irresponsible owners who are not complying with current laws are likely to continue their behavior. 
Many communities that have implemented mandatory spay/neuter policies have found them to be ineffective and expensive. For example, after Dallas, Texas enacted MSN policies in 2008, it experienced a 22 percent increase in animal control costs and an overall decrease in licensing compliance. MSN laws often result in owners either ignoring animal control laws entirely, or relinquishing their pets to the public shelter to be cared for at the taxpayers' expense rather than pay for expensive sterilization surgery or breeder permits.  According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), some owners also opt to avoid rabies vaccinations and other general veterinary care in order to hide their lack of compliance with MSN laws. 
Section 4225: Breeding Permit
  • The fee for this permit will be $100 and a separate permit is required for EACH animal to be bred.
  • Limits residents who own female dogs to a single litter per household per year unless written permission is obtained from the animal control director.
  • Requires breeders to submit to inspections of their property.
  • Requires breeders to provide their permit number to puppy purchasers and in advertisements.
  • Requires breeders to provide the department with contact information for puppy purchasers.
  • AKC Breeders of Merit are exempt. 
Section 4428: Prohibition on the Sale of commercially bred dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores
  • Prohibits the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in any pet store, retail establishment or commercial establishment, with the exception of animals obtained from an animal shelter or rescue group. 
AKC Resources:
What You Can Do:
  • Attend the Ventura County Board of Supervisors Meeting Tuesday, December 10th at 2:00 PM and speak in opposition to this burdensome and ineffective measure.
  • If you are unable to attend this hearing, please send an email to the commissioners asking them to oppose this ordinance:
 
First District – Supervisor Steve Bennett steve.bennett@ventura.org
Second District – Supervisor Linda Parks  Linda.Parks@ventura.org
Third District – Supervisor Kathy Long kathy.long@ventura.org
Fourth District - Supervisor Peter C. Foy supervisorfoy@ventura.org
Fifth District - Supervisor John C. Zaragoza John.zaragoza@ventura.org
 
 
 
 
 
 
If you would rather not receive future communications from The American Kennel Club, let us know by clicking here.
The American Kennel Club, 8051 Arco Corporate Dr., Raleigh, NC 27617 United States


 






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