HB 451 CALLING ALL FLORIDA RESIDENTS !!! - Page 1

I just found out about this, this is going to be a big problem -- since we all have animals I wanted to see if you would get involved and email all the representatives in your county.  HB 451 is a house bill that is requiring all animal owners to have their animals spay or neutered BY LAW  http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/bills.aspx look for 451.   I have tried to make it as easy as I could to email each rep to reconsider this bill.   Charlie Crist   Charlie.Crist@myflorida.com Jeff Kottkamp  Jeff.Kottkamp@myflorida.com   others are located on this page, you have to email them on their weblink http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/representatives.aspx?MemberId=4431&SessionId=61   I think that alot of people did not even know that this bill was even being thought of, so I hope that you will even forward it to EVERYONE you know that has an animal.   Thanks Angie CUT AND PASTE LETTER IF YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ONE:   Sir: I just became aware of HB 451 requiring the neutering of all dogs and cats except for those that the law exempts. I understand why government might consider this action but I am concerned with the law of unintended consequences. I will not elaborate on those that I see, but the hassle of dealing with another bureaucracy, related fees to comply with what they require and to support same, code enforcement issues, etc. come to mind. If you must dabble in this area consider providing discounted neutering services to have it done voluntarily. People are dropping off unwanted animals now because they can not afford to feed them. What do you think will be the effect of a compulsory neutering requirement that costs in excess of a hundred dollars? Those of us with dogs of significant value will be forced to comply with the laws and those with the "mutts" and strays with just turn them out onto the street or deny ownership making the situation worse. I request that you consider you vote carefully on this matter. Thank you for your time.

Not again!! 

Does this proposed rule apply only to dogs and cats, or everything else, too?  And does it apply to breeders?  If it has an exemption, I wonder if the proposal in Illinios will be next? 

Although most people should get their cats and dogs sterilized if they are only pets, the simple fact is, as was already stated, that if people can barely afford to keep their dogs fed, they won't be able to afford the surgery, which will increase, by orders of magnitude, the number of dogs being dumped into shelters, where they'll be euthanized.  Because of a shortage of money nationwide, even the purebreds will be killed, since foster homes keep no kill shelters in business, and they can't absorb all the unwanted.  And Florida,while not as broke as California, won't be able to afford to subsidize neutering.  It just gets worse, doesn't it?

Crys

Yes this does apply to IL residents !!!!  It is spreading like wildfire........

Just a note on house bill 198:
This bill is an attempt to control puppy mills and regulate sale of puppies at pet stores.  However, the bill is unreasonably strict towards the hobby breeder.   It affects anyone who owns more than three (3) intact females (whether breed or not).   In short, there are requirments for housing which could be interpreted as a ban on using crates in a home and requiring kennels to the states requirments be built and unanounced inspections of facilites, for most of us that is our homes,  Below is a link to the ,AKC interpretation of the bill and the IL Legislative site if you are interested in reading the enitire bill (ADVISED, make your OWN decision to support or protest this bill to your representatives).  This will also effect collor states that may do business with kennels in IL.


Bottom line for small breeders in IL,  we would be forced to either stop breeding due to lack of kennel facilities and the expense if installing them, housing the dogs in the home with crate time would be a violation, no matter how much or little they are crated.  Plus the added stress of a home inspection.  The paperwork and record keeping should already be in place if we are doing our jobs.

For large breeders, you will be limited to the ownership of 20 dogs, fostering and co-ownership will be regulated as will having freinds or associates help socialize any puppies you may keep back for observation before sale.



http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=3710

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=198&GAID=10&GA=96&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=40220&SessionID=76

Ohhh I dunno ... just get involved.
We are loosing Americas Republic.
The demopubs are making sure we know it too ..
... are you ready for this.


 

Hey, I'm from Massachusett & this is what I got from AKC

UPDATE: MA MSN/BSL BILL SCHEDULED FOR HEARING! [Monday, October 13, 2008] Massachusetts House Bill 5092 has been referred to the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, and is tentatively scheduled for public hearing on Thursday, October 23rd, at 10 AM in Room A2 of the State House in Boston. The bill includes many extreme provisions that, if enacted, will prove devastating to responsible dog breeders and owners, including state-wide mandatory spay/neuter, permitting localities to enact breed-specific ordinances, and onerous nuisance laws. The American Kennel Club and the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners both strongly oppose HB 5092, and are encouraging all concerned dog owners from Massachusetts to do the same. For more information on the details of HB 5092, click here. WHAT YOU CAN DO: The American Kennel Club strongly urges all concerned Massachusetts responsible dog breeders and owners to attend the committee hearing on October 23rd, and express your fervent opposition to HB 5092. Additionally, all Massachusetts dog owners are encouraged to write the members of the committee and express your vehement opposition to the bill. For a sample letter, click here.

where you guys been we have been fighting this for almost a month get in the fight write to your state rep ASAP.

In addition to HB 451, we have two additional bills to worry about!  One in the Senate SB 922 and one it the house HB189.  Both remove the prohibition in Florida against Breed Specific Legislation.  If either passes, we'll be facing possible Breed Banning all over the state.  Between SB 922, HB 189 and HB 451 we will be in major trouble if any of them pass!

To make matters even more confusing there is one bill SB 992 that's semi OK.  It gives shelters and rescues the option of adopting out animals without spaying/neutering if there is a medical reason for not altering the animal.  Under the present laws, there is no exception.

For HB 451, Mandatory Spay/Neuter, there are exceptions for a number of dogs (i.e. show dogs, working dogs, etc.) but they are not good exceptions.  For show dogs you must have them registered with a US registry Recognized by the Dept of Agriculture in order to prove they are exempt.  The age reguirement is 4 mos or within 30 days of ownership.  So that great import pup that you're getting, will only be exempt if you luck out and get his paper work quick enough to get him register with either AKC or UKC BEFORE he turns 4 mos.  There is an exemption for people with a breeder's license but it doesn't identify how that will work either.  This is a super nasty bill and in some ways worse that the Cal. Healthy Pets Act that it was modeled on.  The sponsor of this bill Representative Scott Randolph believes his district will "save Millions of Dollars" on the costs of euthanizing unwanted animals and feral cats.  I have corresponded with him and I can honestly say he's completely ignorate on the subject and hasn't got a clue as to how this bill will actually work.  His big concern was stopping the "Feral Cats from destorying wild bird populations" 

The timing of these bills was specifically planned to help with their passage.  HB 451 was filed during the last couple of days of the special session here and now it will not be discussed or moved to committee until the house returns in March.  Representative Randolph is counting on the controversy over the bill to die out before the House returns to get it passed quickly and quietly.  The other two Bills HB 189 and SB922 (breed banning) have already made it to committee which means they could be passed from committee to vote during the first couple of days of the regular session again quietly and quickly.

We must fight these 3 bills and we can't forget they are waiting in the wings for passage when the congressional session starts back up in March.

Melissa

Tell everyone you know.....and lets flood their mail