I have been really, really busy since my last post.  I keep meaning to write every day, but always seem to be become involved in so many things.  I barely get email done.  I do have puppies available, mostly really pretty rubies who will go to pet homes once decisions about selecting show dogs is done.  Both litters are from our wonderful Ch. Rattlebridge Code Red. 

I am very involved in the pending legislation in Ohio.  Beside SB 173/HB 223, we also have SB 71 concerning the legitimate breeders.  This Bill would allow dogs living in abusive situations, such as dog fighting kennels, to be confiscated by law officials without due process being observed.  No one wants to see dogs living in abuse or neglect, but the worry is that owners’ individual rights may be at stake.  Walt Bebout, Director of Legislation, at AKC gave a very informative talk this past Saturday during the Lima Kennel Club show in Columbus.  We are forming an Ohio Federation of Dog Clubs to get clubs in Ohio to band together for political strength as we fight legislation which would seriously affect us legitimate show breeders who try our best to do right by the dogs we breed and own.  We have formed a steering committee to form the Federation.  I do hope we have enough club involvement to make the Federation go. 

This past weekend was the fall cluster of Columbus, Ohio shows.   I judged on Friday: Dobermans, Mastiffs, Rottweilers, Samoyeds, Portuguese Water Dogs.  I had a full day’s work and enjoyed every minute of it.  I cannot take as many judging assignments as in the past because of Al’s need to have me home, but I do so like to judge.  I saw some very good dogs.  My wonderful friend and co owner, Margaret Valentine, flew up from Texas to spend five days.  As always when together, we had a great time watching the show the days that I did not judge and operating as the fashion police, very quietly and respectfully  of course.  We also had the chance to spend time with our great friend and co owner Sherri Meyer and her daughter Nicole Newkirk.  Sherri and Nicole finished the championship of their black Italian Greyhound “Walker,”  a really lovely IG.  Margaret and Sherri co owned our last two Best in Show  and number one Cavaliers with me.  Margaret is the co breeder and co owner of Ch. Rattlebridge From Dusk ‘Til Dawn and his sisters except for Ch.  Delta Dawn who is co owned with Sherri Meyer. 

Meanwhile back at the farm, we have recently housed a few Humane Society dogs in the back kennel.  We also have a young and very pretty stud pony that was picked up running the roads of our county.  One of our mares is totally in love and in flaming heat with this pony and cannot understand why we will not let her have access to her boyfriend.  We want no unplanned breedings here!  We are running a “found pony” ad with absolutely no calls to claim him.  How can someone not notice the loss of a pony?!!He is not staying as cute as he is.  I am presently doing all the horse chores since Al has had his shoulder surgery and another equine body is one too many. We need homes for the Humane Society dogs and the pony. I do hope they all can find wonderful forever homes.  We have our own rescue dog and there is no more room in our house since the Cavaliers are still hanging from the chandeliers!  Want a beagle mix or two, we have it.  Want a border collie mix, we have it.  We have designer dogs whom no one created on purpose, but I believe that all of these dogs deserve the same wonderful homes as my Cavaliers get.  I am on the Humane Society of Morrow County Board and am the public relations director.  The Humane Society takes many hours of time from the whole board.  We do not have a shelter and do not have the money to fund a shelter in the near future.  We depend on foster homes which have been very scarce lately, hence the gang of dogs in our back kennel.  Working for the Humane Society is hard as it is difficult to see so many animals in trouble. If you wish to help animals, volunteer at your local humane society.

One of the very odd things happening in shelters around the country is the importation of puppies from other countries.  Our country is really making a effort to spay and neuter actually reducing the number of animals in shelters in different parts of the country.  So now certain shelters, which depend on adoption fees, are actually bringing in puppies and dogs, sometimes from other countries, to make available for adoption.  Our humane society has a voucher program to help people neuter their cats and dogs and we do not make any animal available for adoption which has not been spayed or neutered.

My Clooney is back from Canada and on my lap once more.  I keep being asked if we are going to send him out to be shown to be ranked in this country, but I do not think that I can bear to have him gone from me.  He is the best little companion.  His sister Delta Dawn is back home from Sherri Meyer to be bred. She is so beautiful.  I am so excited to do this breeding with Sherri. 

I cannot believe that I have not posted in almost a month, but the days have flown and we have been busy.  We are getting ready for hearings on Ohio Senate Bill 173.  Had the opportunity to meet for an hour with the sponsor of the bill, Senator Cates, who seemed to listen to concerns.  We are hoping that we can change the language of the bill so that reputable show breeders are not penalized. 

Al and I went to up state New York for his brother’s 80th birthday and family reunion.  We stayed in a lovely bed and breakfast in Trumansburg on Lake Cuyaga. We went sailing on the lake; for me it was a first to sail on a big boat.  I even got to steer or whatever you call it.  I can see why my husband and his brother are so addicted to sailing.  I just came back from judging in Massachusetts.  Had a great time.

While we were in New York, we fell in love with the area and decided that Trumansburg would be an ideal place to relocate.  However, the facts about the winters dissuaded us from really considering up state New York but our discussion of relocating led to our really considering our desires for our future.  We presently have a beautiful small farm that is ideal for raising dogs and having horses.  However, the work load to keep up the property is enormous for the both of us.  So we have decided to sell our farm and relocate in the central Ohio area where we both have lived for many years.  We will still have our Cavaliers and I will still breed on a limited basis and still judge, but my obsession with showing dogs must come to an end.  I have a few puppies now who I think can really contribute to the breed when they grow up, so the Rattlebridge Cavaliers will continue for my own pleasure and the wonderful owners who seek us out for beloved pets.  I just do not want to live for showing and winning.  We have done everything in Cavaliers I have wanted to do and it is time to rest a bit. For our selection of our own pets for the future, we have just had a litter we have planned for a very long time.  Using frozen semen from our foundation sire, Aust. Best in Show, Canadian and CKCSC/USA champion Werrington Buoyancy of Rattlebridge we have had a wholecolor litter out of Harana Star Appeal.  I have long wanted to put a little Bounce back in my life especially since losing my beloved Bandi, a Bounce son, last year. 

Al is now 78.  We simply need a smaller property.  Life changes and we must change with it.  I will continue to keep up this blog as I enjoy doing so.  So stay tuned to see what the future will bring us as we shift our goals a bit. 

Update on California Proposed Legislation  AB 1634:  the bill went to the Senate Committee. The hearing on the bill was most interesting.  Instead of having the bill go down in committee, 5 to 0, the sponsor of the bill Assembly member, Lloyd Levine, pulled the bill rather than see it go down in defeat. By pulling the bill, Levine opened the door to reintroduce the bill in the next Legislative session.  John Hamil, past president of the California Veterinary Medical Association, testified as following:

Twenty five years of experience in trying to find solutions to the problem of animal relinquishments and euthanasia leads me to request that you reject this ill conceived bill which can not solve these problems and, more likely, will worsen them.”

The California Veterinary Medical Association reversed its original support of 1634 to come out against the bill. 

The California and national dog community came together to have our side heard in opposition to 1634.  Too long has our dog community ignored all the warning signals of Peta and the other animal rights organizations.  The bottom line to Peta’s beliefs is that all animals are equal to people and should not be owned by people.  Since the beginning of mankind, animals have served us and worked with us in partnership. 

Bill Hemby, Chairman of PetPAC, said in his letter of thanks and congratulations to the PetPAC supporters and opponents of 1634:

“We are grateful for your support of PetPAC and thrilled with the outcome. It was an honor to testify against the bill today, and I was especially pleased to enter into the record an additional 742 organizations opposed to the measure.

PetPAC has worked around the clock advocating against AB 1634. Coming down to the homestretch, our television commercials took our story to millions of Californians and bringing Lassie to the Capitol stole the hearts of everyone in Sacramento.

We will continue to grow our coalition and organize our efforts against opponents who for months have shown more enthusiasm for personal attacks and misleading the public than working towards making good public policy.”

For a look at a video celebrating the relationship of people to their pets, please view the video Stand By Me:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE-3URJrD9A

Susan Van Luchene aptly sums up what happened at the hearing:  Please do watch the video of the hearing which is most interesting.

http://www.calchannel.com/search.php?date=071107&source=senate&type=committee&title=&Search=Submit

I”If you didn’t listen to the hearing, go watch the video. URL above.  Select
“Local Government” It doesn’t include the supporters …. It begins with Dr. John Hamil, past president of the CVMA. I am not sure if he was the first speaker in
opposition or not as I was not physically present myself.

This is quite an eye-opener.  It is obvious that Senator Kehoe had been set
up by Levine to give him some openings to make some points.

The astonishing thing to me is that there seems to be NO understanding that
the “problem” can be helped in many non-coercive ways. The  only approach
Levine and his supporters (like the shelter workers who commented) can think
of is to make punitive laws and fines.

One thing I think we need to know is how many spay-castrate clinics and
mobile vans there actually are. The distortions in the numbers that Levine
has used in other areas to support his arguments, render his vague
generalities regarding the availability of low cost spay & neuter to be
questionable at best.

One shelter person asked why vouchers aren’t being
used…well, is that because people want their dogs to be “macho” or
because it’s difficult to get to a veterinarian or clinic ….

As I said, this is very telling and certainly merits your time to watch it.”

Without the efforts of the American Kennel Club,the National Animal Interest Alliance, the California Dog Owners Association, PetPAC, and other groups, plus many, many show breeders, 1634 would not have been pulled in committee.  We cannot let our guard down, but now we know what we are facing as we fight the anti breeding movement. In Ohio, hearings on SB 173 will begin in September and we must be ready.

I attended the first hearing of the Senate Committee for Ohio Senate Bill 173 (the Puppy Mill Bill) today. This hearing was for proponent testimony only; the Legislature is going on summer break next week, so opponent testimony will be scheduled once the Legislature resumes in the fall. Three proponents of the bill testified vividly against puppy mills. Two senators, Mumper and Cates (the Senate sponsor of the Bill), both have dogs from puppy mills and are committed to passing 173. As the Bill stands, it regulates breeders who have more than eight breeding dogs, stud dogs or brood bitches, who have each produced a litter in the previous year; those breeders then fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture requiring breeders to be fingerprinted, have background checks, pay licensing fees, and procure a vendor’s license. For example, in 2006 there must be eight different dogs who produced a litter; if a dog has not produced a litter in the previous year, that dog does not count toward the number of eight. If I have three stud dogs and each of those dogs are bred to a bitch owned by someone else, then those stud dogs count toward the count of eight. Breeders of toy dogs may have several litters a year due the small size of the litter. Sporting dogs, herding dogs, hounds, and working dogs produce usually large litters giving the breeder several puppies from which to chose for the show ring. Toy breeders do not always have that luxury of choice in a litter.

While the Bill is not all bad, it does allow the state of Ohio real control and leaves it usually to dog wardens, operating as agents under the department of Agriculture to enforce the Bill. Dog wardens are seldom trained in animal husbandry and breeding practices; moreover, some dog wardens may not be reasonable in enforcing the Bill. This Bill gives dog wardens also the power to seize the kennel’s dogs in there are infringements of the bill; under the Ohio Revised Code, only local humane society humane agents can seize a dog because of neglect or abuse.

This Bill gives the director of Agriculture’s authorized representative the power to enter a kennel facility without prior notification to “inspect and investigate and to examine and copy records.” If the breeder refuses to allow the representative to inspect premises and/or records, the breeder then will be required to pay the inspector’s salary for the number of days that the representative is not allowed to do his or her job of inspection. The legitimate breeders will easily be found; I do not think that all the puppy mills, especially the Amish some of whom keep their dogs in dark barns with no visible evidence that the barns house dogs ,will be so easy to find and inspect. Many show breeders’ dogs live in the house. There must be a way to develop criteria to distinguish legitimate show breeders from the commercial breeders and puppy mills who sell to pet shops; meanwhile, we show breeders must find a way to work with the Legislature to change the language in the Bill or if necessary totally defeat the Bill. As previously stated, the Bill has merit for Ohio has many, many horrific puppy mills that desperately need to be shut down. While there were only a few breeders at the hearing, not counting an Amish contingent, the hearing was called with no lead time to arrange to be there. We will be better organized next time I hope. I reiterate, in my opinion this Bill as written gives too much power to the state. I do hope that the Senate and then the House allows us to work with them to change the bill. Meanwhile we are working to defeat the bill as it is written. Big Brother will certainly be watching if this bill as written passes.

“When it rains, it pours the old adage goes.” At this point the adage would not be referring to the drought in Ohio, but to the amount of anti breeding legislation being introduced in our country. Ohio Senate Bill 173, the puppymill bill, will have a formal hearing this coming Tuesday with bill sponsors and opposition giving testimony. This bill is an awful bill. Written to shut down the Amish puppymills, the bill will effectively stop the small reputable show breeders from breeding. Commercial breeders will really not be affected; they will get their vendors’ licenses, pay the fees to do high volume breeding, and raise their dogs like livestock under the regulations of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. While the spirit of requiring better housing and care for the puppy mill dogs, the bill lumps all breeders together who have over a certain number of breeding animals which includes brood bitches and stud dogs. If one would have a stud dog, that dog could not be bred more than once a year. So a healthy dog could effectively not be used by other breeders to improve their dogs. We presently have four dogs who have been MRI’d clear of Syringomlyelia who really could not be used as I read the bill. I am attaching the link to the bill and to the list of senators. PLEASE, THOSE OF YOU IN OHIO, AND THOSE IN OTHER STATES, CONTACT YOUR SENATOR OR ALL SENATORS NOW IN OPPOSITION TO THIS BILL. Just look on the link to the Ohio Government website to read the bill and find the list of senators. Please become involved.

The site for SB 173:

http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_SB_173

And don’t forget AB 1634 in California. Thank you!

The fight against California AB1634 is ongoing. Below is a summary of what the passage would mean to reputable breeders of purebred dogs. Kim Meredith-Cavanna is a well known breeder and judge who has written the best explanation I have seen on the ramifications of the passage of AB1634. Also below the summary is a list of California Senators. Please fax your opposition to this bill. You do not have to be a resident of California to fax opposition to this bill.

Please, please donate money to the Concerned Dog Owners of California which is mentioned in the article. The website is www.cdoca.org

From Kim Meredith-Cavanna:

“You must read this bill in its entirety and its many amendments. It is vitally important that every Californian in the dog fancy read and understand this bill. If you do not live in California, you should read the bill and understand it, because its coming your way!

PLEASE READ THIS BILL!!!! All of us need to educate ourselves. Write letters! Send faxes! Donate money to help us fight this. I am a member of COD www.cdoca.org and we have hired a full time lobbyist. CDOC is made up of “real” dog people. Exhibitors, judges, handlers, breeders. We need donations. If you can donate time, we have lots of jobs for you! Please do not think “some one else” will do it, because they will not. The threat of not having the AKC show held in Long Beach and loss of revenue is no longer an issue we can use as leverage. We have a lot of work ahead of us.”

AND THE LIST OF SENATORS TO FAX OR CALL: (FAXING IS BEST, EMAILS TOO EASILY DELETED)

Tom Harman

Chico: (530) 895-6088
Colusa: (530) 458-4161
Redding: (530) 225-3142

Today AB 1634 was passed and retained which means it is tabled until later in the week because evidently Levine, the bill’s sponsor, did not have enough votes to pass it. If it is not voted on by Friday, the bill will not appear again until next session. It is interesting to note that Levine was not available today. The battle is not won yet, but the opposition is finally being heard.

Now on another note, Ch. Rattlebridge Delta Dawn went to the World Show winning Best of Breed two of the four days. Delta was co bred with my great friend, Margaret Valentine, and is co owned by another great friend, Sherri Meyer. Delta was shown by Sherri’s lovely daughter Nicole Newkirk. Way to go! Judge is Mr. Norm Patton.

Today AB 1634 was passed and retained which means it is tabled until later in the week because evidently Levine, the bill’s sponsor, did not have enough votes to pass it. If it is not voted on by Friday, the bill will not appear again until next session. It is interesting to note that Levine was not available today. The battle is not won yet, but the opposition is finally being heard.

Now on another note, Ch. Rattlebridge Delta Dawn went to the World Show winning Best of Breed two of the four days. Delta was co bred with my great friend, Margaret Valentine, and is co owned by another great friend, Sherri Meyer. Delta was shown by Sherri’s lovely daughter Nicole Newkirk. Way to go! Judge is Mr. Norm Patton.

The battle in California continues to heat up. The latest news from Susan Van Luchene follows. If you live in California please help oppose AB 1634 by reading below and contacting your Assembly Member in opposition. Please.

Susan Van Luchene:

Here is the list of Assembly Members that are still undecided. The good news is that several of these have made up their mind to oppose this draconian piece of legislation!! In calling this morning I discovered that Assembly Member Anna Marie Caballero will OPPOSE, Assembly Member Cathleen Galgiani will OPPOSE, Assembly Member Fiona MA is opposed at present (this means we cannot let up on her!!), ad Assembly Member Nicole Parra will OPPOSE!

This means we are having an IMACT and we CAN DEFEAT AB 1634 — Please.
Please, EVERYONE get on the phone and call every one of these Assembly
Members today to let them know You OPPOSE AB1634 as Amended 5-31-07. (new
amendment date, used to be 5-9) to make sure you get the point across you
READ the amendments and STILL oppose this.

My gut tells me a few of the Assembly Members WE STILL NEED TO CONVINCE are
Julia Brownley, Charles Calderon, Mike Davis,, Betty Karnette and Tony
Mendoza — make these your SPECIAL TARGETS!!

Please don’t forget to register you opposition, as well as your thanks for
their opposition, with Assembly Members, Marie Caballero, Cathleen Galgiani,
Fiona Ma, and Nicole Parra
Many thanks!
Susan Van Luchene

Permission to cross post — cross posting is strongly encouraged!!
Here is the list:

ASSEMBLYMEMBER JULIA BROWNLEY
Phone: 916-319-2041 and 818-596-4141
Fax: 916-319-2141 and 818-596-4150

ASSEMBLYMEMBER ANNA MARIE CABALLERO
Phone: 916-319-2028 and 831-759-8676
Fax: 916-319-2128 and 831-759-2961

ASSEMBLYMEMBER CHARLES CALDERON
Phone: 916-319-2058 and 562-692-5858
Fax: 916-319-2158 and 562-695-5852

ASSEMBLYMEMBER MIKE DAVIS
Phone: 916-319-2048 and 213-744-2111
Fax: 916-319-2148 and 213-744-2122

ASSEMBLYMEMBER CATHLEEN GALGIANI
Phone: 916-319-2017 and 209-948-7479 and 209-726-5465
Fax: 916-319-2117

ASSEMBLYMEMBER BETTY KARNETTE
Phone: 916-319-2054 and 562-997-0794 and 310-548-6420
Fax: 916-319-2154 and 562-997-0799

ASSEMBLYMEMBER FIONA MA
Phone: 916-319-2012 and 415-557-2312
Fax: 916-319-2112 and 415-557-1178

ASSEMBLYMEMBER TONY MENDOZA
Phone: 916-319-2056 and 562-864-5600
Fax: 916-319-2156 and 562-863-7466

ASSEMBLYMEMBER NICOLE PARRA
Phone: 916-319-2030 and 661-334-3745 and 559-585-7170
Fax: 916-319-2130 and 661-334-3796 and 559-585-7175

ASSEMBLYMEMBER ANTHONY PORTANTINO
Phone: 916-319-2044 and 626-577-9944
Fax: 916-319-2144 and 626-577-2868

ASSEMBLYMEMBER LAURA RICHARDSON
Phone: 916-319-2055 and 562-989-2919
Fax: 916-319-2155 and 562-989-5494

There are two organizations that need money to continue the fight against anti breeding: the Concerned Dog Owners of California (see address in Ted Crawford’s email to me below) and PetPac (the political action committee formed to protect the rights of pets and owners through public awareness and education http://www.petpac.net/ )

From my friend and president of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club of Southern California:

We are in a critical time this week. If this bill does not get passed
this week it is dead. We believe he is having a hard time finding the
votes to get it passed. Some of us also feel that he would like to get
away from this bill that will likely be the end of his political career.
The overwhelming numbers of CA. residents do not want this bill (80%
oppose to 20% support). One would have to realize that the people that
vote you into office can just as easily vote you out.

As for any donations, please make checks payable to; CDOC (Concerned Dog
Owners of California) you can send to me and I will hand deliver.

Ted Crawford,
446 E. Jefferson Ave.
Pomona, CA 91767

Thank you for all your support and please know that everything we are
doing will be helpful to everyone who may face the same problem.

California AB 1634 passed out of committee today which means it now goes to the full assembly for the vote. Please, please fight to defeat this bill for if it passes it will be the end of dog breeding. The animal right activists or ARistas are they are called are really running the show. What the Aristas really want is the end of all dog breeding. Peta is behind all of this. If you have any doubt please go to http://blog.peta.org/. Now for a personal account of the California hearing today:

>—–Original Message—–
>Posted by Darlene Hernandez - permission to crosspost:
>
> “The chairman (Leno) was referring to the bill going to the assembly floor
>BEFORE the vote was taken.One of Assemblyman Levine’s staff opened the doors
>to the Capitol early for supporters of the bill, cutting in front of the
>long line of bill opponents. Fortunately the guards inside kicked out most
>of the people. We then strategically blocked them from entering the
>building until all of the opponents that had originally been in line were
>in the building. Someone (the same person that arranged for staffers to
>let proponents in the building before it opened?) had notified the AR
>people that the mezzanine would be open for seating. AR people went
>directly to the 6th floor. Opponents of the bill had been told in advance
>if the main room was full, to go to the cafeteria to watch.
>
>The meeting room was mostly filled with bill opponents so the chairman
>declined to have people come to the microphone to state their positions.
>Both sides were supposed to have 8 minutes to state their positions. The
>chairman let the bill supporters speak for 12 minutes and allowed an
>additional person to speak after time had been called. Opponents were
>allowed to speak for 8 minutes and the timer cut off the third opposing
>viewpoint.
>
>While waiting to get into the assembly room, there was an AR person that was
>attempting to stop those of us that had to use the bathroom from returning
>to our place in line. She had a stick on gold sheriff’s badge and was
>trying to act like an official and keep anyone with an opposing AB-1634
>button from passing.
>
>The vote was along party lines except for one Democrat (Anna Caballero) that
>voted No and there were 2 others that were wavering. PetPAC will have their
>names up on the website later in the day.
>
> Levine kept mentioning that the 1998 Hayden Act (increase shelter time for
>dogs from 72 hours to 6 days) was causing a major financial burden. Because
>of the state mandate they could not repeal the law and the only way around
>to get financial relief would be the mandatory spay/neuter of dogs.
>
> Levine worked for the major supporters of the Hayden Act in the late 90’s
>(Koretz, O’Connell & Vincent). Levine and Leno (the chairman of the
>Appropriations Committee) led the fight against Gov. Schwarzenegger when he
>wanted to repeal the Hayden Act in 2004 to help reduce the budget deficit.
>
> Slippery slope indeed. Enact a bill that would knowingly cause the State
>billions of $$ and then up the stakes to mandatory spay/nueter for the next
>step of the plan. Complain about the cost of building “x” numbers of
>shelters in L.A. County due to overcrowding (not that they are outdated and
>need repair) and then hire 20 new Animal Control Officers for door-to-door
>policing of license violations to the tune of $1.2 million.
>
> Now we have to start calling, writing and personally visiting the entire
>Assembly to get them oppose this bill. Also contact your vet and ask the to oppose the bill. Apparently many vets are unaware of the stance CVMA
>has taken on co-sponsoring the bill.”
>