Ohioans:  Write To Your Senators About SB95 

To all Ohioans, pet owners or breeders, who care about being able to buy a purebred dog from a responsible breeder or to breed purebred dogs of excellent quality:  Well it is here, the committee vote on SB95 may be Wednesday, May 26th.  We will not even see the sub bill until it is introduced on Tuesday to know what has been changed and what is still in the bill.  Please look over the following points, change the wording to yours, and please email the following committee members.  Our future is at stake here!!!  The hearing will take place in the Grant Hearing Room (#110) in the Capitol Building in Columbus.  WE AS A GROUP HAVE BEEN APATHETIC; WE CAN NO LONGER IGNORE THE LEGISLATION BEING ENACTED BY SAYING "IT WILL NOT AFFECT ME."  BELIEVE ME, IT WILL AFFECT ALL OF US.  Please attend the hearing if you can as the animal rightists will be out in force.  Meredith

Dear Senator__________:

Please understand our concerns with the following points of SB95:

1) the sub bill, which we have not seen yet, must eliminate the overbearing standards in previous versions;

2) bond money should be returned if charges are dismissed;

3) allow court appeals to take place in the county where the infraction
allegedly occurred instead of forcing breeders to travel to a special court
in Columbus;

4) drop language allowing the new state agency to approve rescue
adoption fees

5) drop language requiring the owners of intact dogs to buy a regular kennel license if those intact dogs are not to be bred.To my understanding the bill defines two types of kennel licenses: a "dog kennel" or  just "kennel" and a "regulated dog breeding kennel." Under current law, all breeders who produce puppies for sale or hunting in Ohio are required to have a kennel license. The current versions of SB 95 requires that all breeders who produce more than 8 litters and sell more than 60 dogs and puppies apply for a license to operate as a "regulated dog breeding kennel." Breeders who produce fewer litters or sell fewer dogs and puppies fall under the definition of "dog kennel" or "kennel." The language specifying that kennel licenses are for breeders who produce puppies for sale or hunting is being changed so that owners of adult dogs "kept for the purpose of breeding" must have a kennel license. A breeding dog is defined as an intact adult dog. Since it is not possible to prove that an intact adult dog is NOT being kept for the purpose of breeding at some future date, it is reasonable to interpret this language as requiring a kennel license for even a single intact dog, bringing the cost of licensing that dog to five times the amount for licensing an altered dog.  This is really an attempt for to enforce mandatory spay/neuter which is NOT part of this bill.

Senator, please look at these points.  We stand for the rights of the show and hobby breeders who do all they can to improve the health and other points of their breeds; with the economy the way it is and all the anti breeding legislation out there, the true, dedicated breeders are stopping their breeding programs and then all that will be left are the substandard breeders.

Senator Jim Hughes (Chair and Bill Sponsor)
Senate Building
Room #038, Ground Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 466-5981
Email: SD16@senate.state.oh.us

Senator Jimmy Stewart (Vice-Chair)
Senate Building
Room #040, Ground Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Phone: (614) 466-8076
Email: SD20@senate.state.oh.us

Senator Teresa Fedor (Ranking Minority Member)
Statehouse
Room #051, Ground Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 466-5204
Email: SD11@maild.sen.state.oh.us

Senator John Carey
Senate Building
Room #127, First Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 466-8156
Email: SD17@senate.state.oh.us

Senator Timothy Grendell
Senate Building
Room #042, Ground Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 644-7718
E-mail: SD18@senate.state.oh.us

Senator Ray Miller
Senate Building
Room #228, Second Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 466-5131
E-mail: rmiller@maild.sen.state.oh.us

Senator Bill Seitz
Senate Building
Room #143, First Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 466-8068
Email: SD08@senate.state.oh.us

Senator Nina Turner
Senate Building
Room #226, Second Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 466-4583
Email:
senatorturner@maild.sen.state.oh.us

Senator Mark Wagoner
Senate Building
Room #129, First Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 466-8060
Email: SD02@senate.state.oh.us