Tennessee Dog Owners ALERT!!!! - Page 1

Tennessee
 
House Bill 386, sponsored by Rep. Janis Baird Sontany (D-53), and its companion legislation, Senate Bill 258, sponsored by Sen. Doug Jackson (D-25), would place the hobby breeding of purebred dogs under criminal animal cruelty statutes and set severe limits on dog ownership. These bills were introduced Monday, Feb. 9, 2009.
 
While this legislation is called the “Commercial Breeder Act,” in reality it ensnares many hobbyists, trainers and handlers in their net. These bills are typical of HSUS-promoted legislation, which misrepresents its true purpose.
 
The legislation defines a “commercial breeder” as “any person who possesses or
maintains twenty (20) or more adult female dogs in whole or in part for the
purpose of the sale of their offspring as companion animals.” The words “in part” means that breeding even one female makes a kennel owner a commercial breeder, and the inclusion of the words “possesses or maintains” entraps many professional trainers, handlers, private rescue networks, hound pack owners, boarding kennels and hunt clubs in the definition.
 
Here are some of the provisions:
 

• Anyone who meets the definition of a commercial breeder must be licensed and inspected, and comply with complex regulations for the care and housing of dogs. License fees will be costly - $500 annually for up to 40 dogs, $1,000 annually for more.

 

• No one can own more than 75 dogs. This includes partnerships, companies and corporations, as well as individuals.

 

• A dog or cat cannot be euthanized, except by a licensed veterinarian. This provision will cause great suffering in severely injured or ill dogs when a veterinarian cannot be located.

 

• To be eligible for a license, state officials must investigate and pass judgment on a person’s “character,” and also on the suitability of the kennel’s location.

 

• Licenses can be suspended or revoked for several reasons. A hearing is provided only through the Department of Agriculture, not to the courts.

 

• State inspectors have unlimited access to the home, facilities and property of anyone who owns a licensed kennel, or an unlicensed kennel. Constitutional requirements for search warrants and probable cause would be trampled.

 

• The state would be given unlimited power to confiscate animals from noncompliant kennels, and could enter into cooperative agreements with local, statewide or national animals rights groups such as HSUS. The kennel owner would have to post a bond to cover t

In all of the proposed legislation a commonality is

the "state" gaining unlimited access for search and unlimited power to conficate with no power of recourse for indivdules.........

if the "state" gains this power in regards to animal rights, it will then use these powers as a setpping stone and use it for any and everything else.

children, guns, cash, business records, books its sounding like a 1950 novel........say 1984, or Farenheit 451, or Aslas Shrugged

They sure are moving their way across the country fast. we need to stop these people.

I think we all know that proposed piece of legislation is a "puppy mill" bill, but define a "puppy mill". I think all of us on the pedigree database have the same images in our heads when we hear these words and know that we hobby breeders and small highline kennels are very different from the folks targeted by such legislation. We would all like to see some standards so that "puppy mills" are not allowed to flourish, but that is impossible lest we hobby breeders are affected as well.

Such a bill (as written without amendments) would never affect me, but I still think it is something that must be defeated. The dangerous parts if any such bill are the amendments that can be tacked onto it as it passes through subcomittee, comittee, and finally to the floor. Once a bill is passed and becomes established law it can be very hard to amend or repeal it.

One (1) thing is on our side. In Tennessee all proposed pieces of legislation must have a financial analysis performed so it can be proven that such a piece would not have a negative fiscal impact on the state. Would it cost the state money to enforce such a bill? Of course it would and there would not be enough incoming monies to make it self sufficient. That alone may kill it in the finance subcomittee and it will not pass further. But, we cannot take a chance - even with a dysfunctional group such as the newly-seated Tennessee legislature.

Tennessee (as many other states) is in a serious financial quandry at this time due to massive past spending by the legislature and a sudden decrease in sales and use taxes. Nevertheless, I have a new representative for my district and I will write him and give him my opinion of this proposed legislation. This is nothing more than another bill proposed by some meddling "do-gooders" who are backed by animal rights groups. We already have sufficient laws in this state for the punishment of those deemed guilty of animal cruelty - we do not need more.

Tngsd, thank you for the "head's up" on this one. I am generally watching restrictive motorbike and firearm legislation very closely and fail to pay attention to other matters that are serious as well.

Best Regards,
Bob-O

i live in tennessee and am damn glad my ole lady wont let me have more than 3 dogs. since im in memphis i guess i should propose a bill that would limit the number of hookers that a pimp can have. tennessee doesnt have a state income tax, guess that will be coming down the pipe next.