AB 1939 - seller reporting and discounted puppy licensing

Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development
State Capital, Room 2053

Sacramento, CA 95814

Fax: 916-324-0917

June 15, 2012

 

 

Re: AB 1939 (Pan) Dog licensing: issuance: puppy licenses: (as amended 4-16-2012): OPPOSE. Request to be listed in official opposition.

 

 

 

Dear Senator Price and Committee Members,

 

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 1-800 help line for pet owners 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 supports animal legislation with positive benefits to society.

 

The CFoDC is OPPOSED to AB 1939. This bill mandates reporting of pet sales to the local licensing agency by pet stores, breeders and rescue groups. AB 1939 also contains provisions for puppy licensing. There will be additional license levels and confusion with the puppy provisions. In addition, differential license fees based on age or reproductive status unreasonably penalize responsible owners of intact, mature animals.

 

The license fee discount is only applicable up to the age of one year. Owners in certain areas (such as  heavily populated Los Angeles), will discover only too late that they will face mandatory, unnecessary and costly sterilization surgery, or else pay an exorbitant intact license fee for their dog (currently $335 yearly per dog in the City of Los Angeles). once the puppy license expires. This will cause an increase in shelter relinquishments by low income families and those surviving on fixed incomes.

 

Only puppies who are microchipped qualify for the puppy discount license; however, microchipping itself is an effective measure to facilitate return to owner in case of a lost dog. A license may not provide any additional benefits to the microchipped dog. Microchip information is registered with independent agencies and does not need be tracked by government. Reporting of private matters such as animal ownership information or microchip data will only foster further distrust of government and result in decreased compliance with critically important rabies control programs.

 

Most veterinarians in our state are required to report any dogs vaccinated for rabies to local licensing authorities. The reporting requirement in this bill is duplicative, creating another bureaucratic layer in animal control with increased costs to local governments. Additionally, there is no reason for a puppy too young for rabies vaccination to be licensed. The sole original purpose for dog licensing was to protect public health through enforcement of canine rabies vaccination requirements.

 

Rescue groups operate on limited budgets and rely on unpaid volunteers.  The burdensome recordkeeping and reporting requirements contained in AB 1939 would seriously compromise the activities of rescue organizations. Fewer animals will be rescued from local shelters, and local governments will find their animal control budget swelling as they will need to house and feed more animals for extended stays.

 

Bearing in mind that our state has the worst budget crisis in history, it seems ludicrous that we would now prioritize precious resources to implement additional bureaucratic red tape in the tracking of dogs. More money will be needed to ensure compliance; money for advertising, money for tracking and paperwork, and money for more employees needed for enforcement. This will only add to the city/county budget woes.

 

 

 

We urge you to reject AB 1939.

 

Sincerely yours,

 

 

 

 

 

Geneva Coats, R.N.

Secretary

California Federation of Dog Clubs

 

 

 

 

CC: Curren Price, Bill Emmerson, Ellen Corbett, Lou Correa, Ed Hernandez, Gloria Negrete McLeod, Tony Strickland, Juan Vargas, Mark Wyland, Bill Gage, G.V. Ayers, S. Mason, K. Sullivan,

 

SB 969 - Pet Grooming

Assembly Business, Professions and Consumer Protection Committee

State Capital, Room 3013

Sacramento, CA 95814

FAX 916-319-3306

 

June 8, 2012

 

Re: CA SB 969 (Vargas) Pet Grooming (As amended 05-23-2012): OPPOSE

Request to be listed as official opposition

 

Dear Committee Members,

 

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 1-800 help line for pet owners 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 supports animal legislation which positively benefits society.

 

The CFoDC is OPPOSED to SB 969. This bill would further strain the state's budget for a program regulating the bathing and brushing of pets. A costly new council will be created to oversee another bureaucratic agency. Groomers must complete 1300 combined hours of instruction and hand-on experience before they will be allowed the privilege of paying for a biennial certification, in order to bathe and brush pets. Participating grooming schools must be approved by this new board. An examination process must also be instituted, to include written exams as well as demonstrations.

 

Grooming programs would be required to be approved for certification by this new council, a group composed of individuals overwhelmingly unfamiliar with established grooming practices. Only two of the members would be versed in practices standard to the grooming profession.

 

 

Instead, the proposed council would consist primarily of animal rights proponents and animal rights activist lawyers. Animal rights extremists are philosophically opposed to animal ownership and certainly should not have a seat on any council pertaining to animal husbandry. 

 

AKC administers a voluntary nationwide Registered Professional Handlers program. Professional handlers certainly should not need to also apply for state certification in order to claim they are professionally qualified to groom dogs. Professional handlers who travel into California from other states may find themselves in a legal quandary under the terms of SB 969.

 

Grooming establishments already must comply with requirements for business licenses and are subject to consumer regulation by word of mouth. If groomers do a poor job, they go out of business. Our state can ill-afford a new program that provides no benefits to the citizens of the state beyond the functions of local Better Business Bureaus.  Incidentally, the exact type of pet covered by this bill is not specified; it could be any sort of pet, from a hamster to a horse.

 

This bill is unnecessary. There is a presumption that certification for grooming of animals should be on a par with provision of cosmetology services to humans. The implementation of this certification program would be a costly burden to both taxpayers and consumers. Please reject SB 969 so that the state's resources can instead be utilized for programs of genuine importance to our taxpayers and citizens.

  

Sincerely yours,

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geneva Coats, R.N.

Secretary

California Federation of Dog Clubs

 

Cc: Mary Hayashi, Bill Berryhill, Michael Allen, Betsy Butler, Mike Eng, Curt Hagman, Jerry Hill, Fiona Ma, Cameron Smyth

ALERT - USDA proposal to regulate hobby breeders

The Humane Society of the US recently submitted a petition on the "WhiteHouse.gov" website asking the Federal government to crack down on "puppy mills". In response to the over 30,000 signatures on that petition, USDA/APHIS is considering revising their rules.

 

Currently, anyone who sells pets at retail is exempt from USDA licensure requirements. That means if you are a hobby breeder or a pet store selling pets directly to the public, you do not need a license from the USDA. Only those breeders who sell pets at the wholesale level currently need a USDA license.

 

The new rule, however, would revise the definition of "retail seller".

 

If you:

• Have MORE than four intact female animals, and 
• ADVERTISE over the internet, in the newspaper or over the telephone, and
• Don't arrange for each buyer to visit your place of business to see the pet before or immediately after the purchase, then

 

You would no longer be considered an exempt retail seller, and under the new proposal would be required to be licensed and inspected by USDA.

 

Needless to say, this would be devastating to most serious hobby breeders. However, the USDA is accepting public comments on this proposed new rule. ALL comments will be read and considered. We call upon all pet owners to contact the USDA either on-line or by mail and inform them of your concerns over this proposal.

 

 

Be sure to have your comments e-mailed on line or sent by mail by July 16th. Note that letters sent by mail MUST be received on or before July 16th to be considered.

 

The link that will take you to the "submit comments" page is:

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0003-0001

 

 

Do not send form letters. All form letters that are the same but signed by different individuals are considered ONE letter, no matter how many are received by APHIS. Your personal comment is important, even if it is only a sentence or two. A long letter is not necessary. You may comment more than once.

 

When commenting on line, please note that there is a time limit (approximately 20 minutes) that you can keep the "submit comments" page open. If you want to take time to compose your letter, then it is most efficient to draft it in a word program and then cut and paste it onto the comment section.  

 

In writing your letters or comments, you may wish to use some of the following talking points:

• It would be cost-prohibitive for me to have to build a USDA-compliant kennel. I would be unable to continue breeding.
• I prefer to raise pets in my home for optimal socialization. I do not wish to keep them in a kennel.
• This proposal would be harmful to my rare breed. Buyers are usually distant and rarely visit the premises during a sales transaction.
• I am selective in the homes I approve for my puppies; I sell few pets locally, and must advertise and ship. This proposal would hinder my ability to find the best homes for my pets.
• This new rule would be financially devastating to me. I cannot afford thousands of dollars to build a kennel facility to come into USDA compliance.
• Requiring me to allow strangers into my home exposes my animals to contagious diseases. These can be fatal, particularly for young puppies and kittens.
• Strangers entering my home makes me vulnerable to criminals who could target me for robbery or other crimes.
• Strangers entering my home can include animal rights activists who are philosophically opposed to any pet breeding. These extremists may likely file unsubstantiated complaints against me, claiming authority by having entered my home.
• Rescue groups often rely on use of a foster home network. They could not comply with USDA requirements and would be forced to cease operations. Crippling rescue groups would cause shelter intakes and deaths to rise.
• This proposal is government overreach.
• This proposal is a violation of my right to privacy.
• As a pet owner, I am concerned about my future ability to purchase a well-bred, well-socialized pet for a reasonable price.
• I am concerned about the future availability of service dogs, such as guide dogs for the blind. These dogs must be exposed to a variety of social situations and external stimuli. If serious hobby breeders are forced to keep their dogs and puppies in kennels, those dogs will not be suitable for service work.
• As a hobby breeder who works away from my home, I cannot comply with the APHIS requirement to be available for unannounced inspections. I would be forced to quit breeding or face thousands of dollars in fines for noncompliance with this rules.

 

There are undoubtedly many more concerns with this new proposal. You may return to the page and comment as many times as you wish.

 

The AKC is also gathering signatures on a petition to send to USDA.

 

http://www.akc.org/petition/ 

 

As of today, June 14, 2012, there are over 31,000 signatures on the AKC petition….a nice counter to the HSUS anti-breeder petition. Please do sign the AKC petition also, but remember, your signature on a petition is NOT a substitute for your official, personal comment to the USDA on their website. Both are helpful, but your personal comment to the USDA is ESSENTIAL to defeat this proposal.

 

Thank you for taking a few moments out of your day to post a comment to the USDA and to sign AKC's petition.

 

Sincerely yours,

Officers and Board of Directors

California Federation of Dog Clubs

 

*****Cross-posting encouraged******

 

SB 1221 - anti-hunting bill

WRITE - CALL - FAX NOW! SEE CONTACT INFO BELOW

 

 

The animal rights groups, led by HSUS, have vowed to put an end to all hunting, and this is their first step. California Federation of Dog Clubs joins with the  California Outdoor Heritage Alliance, the California Houndsmen for Conservation, the Masters of Foxhounds, and the US Sportsmen's Alliance in opposing this fundamentally flawed bill.

 

The sponsors of SB 1221allege that the use of hounds is inhumane, unsporting and unfair.  Unfortunately, the information they use to support this bill comes from anti-hunting organizations that have no motivation to be truthful about the practice. 

 

Hunting with hounds is not only humane but a sensible and valuable tool for wildlife management. Hound hunting is virtually the only form of non-consumptive hunting, and is very similar to catch-and-release fishing. It allows an animal's age and sex to be determined before any attempt to harvest is made. It also allows a houndsman to determine if a female is pregnant, nursing, or has offspring so that they can be left alive and well in the tree. The use of hounds allows for the timely and accurate resolution of incidents involving threats to public safety or livestock by identifying, locating, and taking only the offending animal. 

 

Not only is this bill unreasonable as a hunting and wildlife management measure, but it places the lives of our dogs in danger. Any dog determined to be a threat to a "big game mammal" can be captured and/or "dispatched" (i.e. KILLED) by game wardens, and the owner of the dog would have no recourse.

 

 

CURRENT BILL STATUS

MEASURE :  S.B. No. 1221
AUTHOR(S) :  Lieu (Coauthor: Senator Steinberg).
TOPIC :  Mammals: use of dogs to pursue bears and bobcats.
HOUSE LOCATION :  ASM
+LAST AMENDED DATE  :  03/26/2012


COMMITTEE LOCATION :  ASSEMBLY WATER, PARKS AND WILDLIFE

HEARING DATE :  06/26/2012

WRITE-CALL-FAX now.

 

Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee
1020 N Street, Room 160
Sacramento, California 95814

916.319.2096 phone
916.319.2196 fax

Jared Huffman, chair

P.O. Box 942849, Room 3120, Sacramento, CA 94249-0006; (916) 319-2006

 

Linda Halderman, Vice Chair

P.O. Box 942849, Room 4009, Sacramento, CA 94249-0029; (916) 319-2029

 

Bill Berryhill

P.O. Box 942849, Room 3141, Sacramento, CA 94249-0026; (916) 319-2026

 

Bob Blumenfield

P.O. Box 942849, Room 6026, Sacramento, CA 94249-0040; (916) 319-2040

 

Nora Campos

P.O. Box 942849, Room 2175, Sacramento, CA 94249-0023; (916) 319-2023

 

Paul Fong

P.O. Box 942849, Room 5135, Sacramento, CA 94249-0022; (916) 319-2022

 

Beth Gaines

P.O. Box 942849, Room 4009, Sacramento, CA 94249-0004; (916) 319-2004

 

Mike Gatto

P.O. Box 942849, Room 4140, Sacramento, CA 94249-0043; (916) 319-2043

 

Roger Hernandez

P.O. Box 942849, Room 5150, Sacramento, CA 94249-0057; (916) 319-2057

 

Ben Hueso

P.O. Box 942849, Room 5144, Sacramento, CA 94249-0079; (916) 319-2079

 

Brian W. Jones

P.O. Box 942849, Room 3147, Sacramento, CA 94249-0077; (916) 319-2077

 

Ricardo Lara

P.O. Box 942849, Room 2179, Sacramento, CA 94249-0050; (916) 319-2050

 

Mariko Yamada

State Capitol, Room 5160, Sacramento, CA 94248-0001; (916) 319-2008

 

Diamond Dog Food Recall

Many of us rely on commercial dog foods for our pets. Low cost, convenience, and the purported "complete and balanced" feature keep people coming back for more. However, commercial foods are subject to a variety of problems such as imbalances of supplemental vitamins and minerals, aflatoxins produced by the aspergillus family of fungi, and now, contamination with salmonella.

 

According to the Center for Disease Control, 14 people in nine states have been infected with Salmonella infantis, some cases of which have been traced to to exposure to pet foods produced by Diamond. Five of these people required hospitalization.

 

So now, unfortunately, another widespread pet food recall is underway. This is a voluntary recall of 14 different brands of pet food sold in more than 40 states due to possible salmonella contamination. These foods are all produced by Diamond at their production plant in Gaston, South Carolina. The plant was shut down April 8 due to the Salmonella crisis.

 

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recall/diamond-dog-food-recall-summary/

 

•  4Health
•  Apex
•  Canidae
•  Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul
•  Country Value
•  Diamond
•  Diamond Naturals
•  Kirkland Signature
•  Natural Balance
•  Premium Edge
•  Professional
•  Taste of the Wild
•  Wellness

 

To determine if their pet food is recalled, Diamond officials say consumers should check the production codes on the back of bags that have a number "2" or a "3" in the 9th or 10th digit and an "X" in the 11th digit. The best-before dates for the recalled brands are Dec. 9, 2012, through April 7, 2013.

 

Now is a good time to remind ourselves about a simple but essential rule of food handling. Always WASH YOUR HANDS with soap and rinse with water while scrubbing for at least 15 seconds, both before and after handling ANY sort of food, whether it is intended for people or animals. Don't forget to use a nail brush or an orange stick to clean under your fingernails, too.

 

So far, no reports of any ill dogs. Dogs are better-equipped to handle salmonella than humans are. Their digestive tract is quite acid, and the intestines are much shorter than ours....making illness from bacteria very unlikely.

 

Delta therapy dogs bans their participating dogs from consuming raw foods, but maybe they should re-think that maxim. Cooked kibbles are just as risky for carrying salmonella (perhaps more so in some cases) than clean, fresh raw foods.

Upland considers mandatory sterilization of "pit bulls"

Upland Mayor and City Council

Upland City Hall
460 N. Euclid Ave.
Upland, Ca 91786
(909) 931-4107 (Fax)

May 7, 2012

 

Dear Mayor and City Council Members,    

 

 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 1-800 help line for pet owners 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 supports animal legislation which positively benefits society.

 

The California Federation of Dog Clubs urges you to reject any mandated spay-neuter proposal, particularly when attempting to single out a specific breed or breeds.

 

For decades, one of the most popular types of dog in this country has been those of the "bully" breeds. This type of dog has served as the mascot for the "Little Rascals", the logo dog for "Target" stores, the dog listening with rapt attention to the RCA Victrola, and the "Spuds Mackenzie" dog in beer commercials. Helen Keller owned a beloved bull terrier. Millions choose dogs of this type when selecting a family dog, and why not? The Bull Terrier was known in Victoria times in England as the "nanny dog" because it was so reliable with children. Bulldog breeds are smart and loyal and brave, known on many occasions to save the lives of their owners.

 

Attempting to target a certain type of dog simply because it is popular makes no sense whatsoever. Responsible owners will be unfairly affected, while the problem owners will be unlikely to comply with any new laws. So-called "pit bulls" are not any more apt to bite than any other breed of dog. Due to current popularity trends, there are simply more of this type of dog represented in the community than most other breeds. Chihuahuas are also very popular, and also are also over-represented in statistics. It is insulting to read ignorant comments from people who claim that "THEY will move to Upland to be able to breed their vicious dogs". Bull breeds are no more vicious or threatening than any other breed, and stereotyping owners is as offensive as stereotyping the dogs.

 

 

 

 

Enforcement of existing leash and confinement laws is the most effective way to prevent canine nuisance incidents. Cooperation with local breed rescue groups, providing low-cost spay-neuter services and marketing of shelter pets to the public at adoption events have all been successfully-used methods to achieve reductions in shelter intake and death statistics.

 

Mandatory sterilization and breed-specific laws are opposed by all mainstream animal welfare organizations, including the American Kennel Club, the National Animal Interest Alliance, the ASPCA, Best Friends Animal Society, and the American Veterinary Medical Association. These laws simply don't work. In fact, such laws are counterproductive.

 

Everywhere mandatory sterilization and breed-specific laws have been tried, they have failed. Punitive and coercive laws are burdensome on the citizenry, particularly the elderly and low-income families, who often simply ignore the unreasonable spay-neuter mandate. Enforcement costs rise, and shelter intakes and deaths also subsequently rise when people cannot afford the fines and, in many cases, the cost of the sterilization procedure itself.

 

Legislation attempting to target specific breeds has been a documented failure with breed-specific laws also unable to withstand legal challenges. Baltimore, MD estimated in 2001 that it spent over $750,000 per year for their breed-specific law and they were still unable to effectively enforce it. They chose to repeal the law, as did Saginaw, Michigan and other locations. On February 21, 2012, Ohio Governor John Kasich officially signed Ohio HB 14 into law, which prohibits discrimination by breed. Dogs in Ohio will now be regarded by their behavior instead of their appearance.

 

Studies prove that that while de-sexing may decrease dog-to-dog aggression some of the time, it actually increases the risk of aggression directed toward humans. Spay-neuter also has many documented adverse health effects, particularly when performed on juvenile animals. It is unfair to the owner and the dog to force spay-neuter. The decision for spay-neuter should be made on a case-by-case basis, by an owner in consultation with their veterinarian, and not by government policies based on bad science and faulty logic.

 

CFoDC has produced a powerpoint breed ID program for shelter personnel. We would be happy to provide you with a complimentary presentation any time. We can state unequivocally that it is impossible to ID a supposed "pit bull" or mix. There are at least 25 breeds of dogs that are commonly mistaken for "pit bulls", including Rottweilers, Boxers, and even Labrador Retrievers.

 

Mandatory sterilization and breed-specific laws are ineffective, unconstitutional and unreasonable

 

Sincerely,

  

 

 

Geneva Coats, R.N.

Secretary

California Federation of Dog Clubs

 

Cc: Ray Musser, Brendan Brandt, Kenneth W. Willis, Gino Fillipi