postheadericon May 17, 2007

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.”
>

postheadericon May 16, 2007

Please read the following and realize what is at stake if the anti-dog and anti-breeding activists have their way. This comes from the Pet Law list. from my friend Peggy:

This is what is at stake!

The Last Dog
By Lidia Seebeck

The report came in slowly from Muddy Gap, Wyoming.
Someone had spotted a dog sniffing around his house in the bitter cold of a
Wyoming winter. The person was quite sure that this was a dog, not a wolf.
No, of course he didnt secretly own the dog. That had been banned long
ago, of course. This dog seemed to appear out of the blizzard itself one
cold night, scaring his daughter silly.

Of course the animal was transferred to the authorities. It was determined
that yes, indeed, this person really had found a dog,
and only its somewhat feral behavior kept the land-dweller from being
prosecuted for animal slavery. This dog had clearly been in the wild for
some time. Everyone knew that for the last five years only the police, search
and rescue, and a few charitable hospices and the like were allowed dogs,
and the last one, a Yorkshire Terrier, had died last year. There was a
funeral and everything, and many experts from the animal rights movement
hailed the end of canine slavery.

***
It hadn’t always been that way, of course. Long ago,
around the millennium, people often owned and bred dogs, and sometimes they
ended up in shelters.
Unfortunately the dogs that ended up in shelters were
sometimes euthanized.
Well, some people didnt like this. So they began to
change the laws. First they banned dogs that were considered dangerous like
Bull Terriers and Dobermans. Unfortunately sometimes docile breeds got
mixed up into this, like the Greyhound, who was eventually maligned due to
the muzzle it once wore while racing around a track. Predictably, the
whole practice of racing the dogs was banned as being too cruel and the dogs
were executed wholesale, being unadoptable due to the laws. Greyhound lovers,
or Greyters, were broken hearted and tried to tell the authorities that
the Greyhounds were good dogs, gentle with kids and loving even to
strangers. But they were soon locked up, having been prosecuted for animal slavery.

Another one of the milestones had to have been the passage of Californias
Healthy Pets Law, which mandated spaying and neutering
for nearly all dogs except the most pampered of show animals. People were
outraged but the law passed anyways, in an effort to reduce the shelter
population. Many Californians were aghast that people were doing
backyard breeding, and others were just mad that animals were still getting
killed. Eventually this became the American Spay and Neuter Law, which
mandated spaying and neutering for all animals not involved in police or
search and rescue. The next ten years or so saw the canine population growing
old, and more breeds being executed wholesale as they were deemed
dangerous. Too late, people realized that very docile breeds were getting
declared, and they began to question the wisdom of breed-specific legislation. By
then even the young dogs were eight or so, and many were rapidly dying of
old age, at least in the larger breeds,

***
The dog in Muddy Gap had been transferred to a facility in Laramie where a
police dog academy still stood, unused. The dog was soon deluged with
donations from around the country of old kibble and soft blankets that had
cushioned their canine seniors. Animal lovers came in from around the
country to the chance to see and cuddle with the dog.
Lucky soon responded to the attention, which everyone insisted on.

This dog was clearly quite old, having a very gray muzzle and face.
Surprisingly, this dog was also clearly part Mastiff,
which was one of the breeds to be Declared rather early on. Some dogs had
been preserved as police dogs, however, so this dog was probably the
offspring of one of those dogs. It had numerous abrasions and bite marks, and it
was theorized that the dog had probably had to fight and hunt a lot to
stay alive. No one really knew of course.

***
As the War on Dogs continued, canine slavery became quite the hot topic, and
there were two distinct camps of dog owners and former
owners. The first was that dogs were nice to have around, but utterly
miserable and it was good that they had mostly been euthanized. The other camp
believed something quite different, They honestly believed that dogs were
pack animals and honestly didn’t mind the direction of a dog owner,
rather relishing the leadership the owner provided and basking in the love
the owner gave. As such they felt that canine ownership (and they were
very unhappy with the term “slavery”) was an ethical thing, and well worth
the trouble of pursuing. Unfortunately this viewpoint was rapidly
becoming illegal, and there were numerous people in prison for canine
slavery. There were also a number of people who lived in the back of beyond who
were breeding dogs beyond the reach of authorities. In the days when
breeding was more common, these people such as coyote-dog breeders, were
relatively few and far between. The shift in laws had increased their
numbers, and now even responsible breeders were hiding out, hoping to save
the last of their lines until the political storm broke. While some of these
people persisted for a few years, it was rather easy to find a kennel full of
barking dogs when all the other registered dogs were gone. Soon even these
people fell to the insatiable sweep of the War on Dogs.

The number of dogs in America had been rapidly dropping and was now at
5,673. Mostly these were police and rescue dogs, with
a precious 10 or 15 dogs who served as roving servants, transported from
hospice to nursing home to hospital to comfort the ailing. Still, the
occasional dog would show up and be pressed into one of the allowed professions, or
else euthanized. (For some reason, euthanasia was now viewed as the greatest
gift ever, when it was euthanasia which had started the legal avalanche
in the first place)

***
Lucky was not doing well in captivity. He had suddenly developed a fever,
and there was no legal veterinarian anymore, since
they had all been out of practice for years. Former vets clustered around him
and tried to remember what to do. They gave him all manner of potions and
antibiotics but these only gave Lucky a really nasty attitude and equally
nasty gastric disturbances. With every hour it was clear the poor
old fella was dying.

The nation turned in their televisions to watch, hourly updates, and the
debate on dog keeping began to be opened once again.
People reminisced about their dogs when they were young, and remembered good
times at the dog beach or at the dog park. The talk of allowing dogs once
again raged just as badly as poor Luckys fever. His health declined quickly, and
within a few days he was on the brink of death. Some news stations had
completely stopped reporting on anything other than Lucky and the dog
debate.. As his last sputtering breaths were captured live and transmitted
around the world, people started to call their Legislators, asking to
please, please not let Lucky be the last American dog. Unfortunately, things
had gone too far, this was too little and too late.

Lucky truly became the last American dog..

postheadericon May 15, 2007

We are fighting legisative battles on so many fronts. Today was a big hearing in Sacremento on AB 1364. Have not heard what happened yet. For those living in New Jersey, please read the following and act upon the information:

From my friend Peggy who keeps us abreast of the battles being fought . .

All you NJ folks, please start calling Senator Sweeney’s office. He has three offices, but the
number at the main office is 856-251-9801.
If you bug the staff long enough and keep them from doing other work because they have to answer the phone, they will let him know, for sure. Of course, you are calling to OPPOSE Senate Bill 1064–
I can’t find a fax number, but if you can find one, fax away… Get your friends and neighbors, and relatives and co-workers, to call in opposition, also.

Also…if you google NJ Legislature, you can go to the state’s website and find the name of your own State Senator there… you should also call/fax, or write your own Senator, too…and ask them to oppose the bill.
The California fight isn’t over, nor is the fight in Texas, or
Ohio…but there are equally noxious bills popping up everywhere. We
have to fight them, and fight them hard…if we don’t win these battles,
folks, it won’t matter what club you’re in, or who your friends
are…none of us will have dogs much longer. And don’t think I’m
exaggerating…I’m not. That is, after all, the aim of the ARistas who
are constantly badgering these legislators and convincing them these
onerous laws are necessary…while we all sit around and say “no, it
won’t bother ME and MY dogs.” Uh huh…………..believe me…it
will. Maybe not your state right now…
but every battle we lose brings the war closer to each and everyone else.

Don’t just sit there….make a phone call to Sweeney’s office
first thing tomorrow…and keep calling until you get through. Make
sure they know you are
vehemently opposed to State Bill 1064.

postheadericon May 10, 2007

We just got back from our National. Clooney finished his championship a couple of weeks ago from the bred by exhibitor class despite my handling. Although, he was entered at the National, I did not show him as he is not quite ready for the Best of Breed or Champion class. He did take a fourth in stud dog with two of his barely six month old puppies. As the judge said, the Clooney puppies were too young to really evaluate in the class. Clooney’s mother, Ch. Emjo Arriere did win the brood bitch class and we retired our second brood bitch trophy which must be won three times for permanent possession. The trophies are different LLardo figurines of a young girl with a Cavalier. Beautiful. The girls who have won brood bitch are: Ch. and Can. Ch. Rattlebridge Make Believe, ROM (two times); Ch. Rattlebridge Dutch Treat (two times); and Ch. Emjo Arriere (two times). We are so proud of our girls and of all of our nine ROM titles.

The puppies, Rattlebridge True Spirit and her brother Rattlebridge Truth or Dare conducted themselves very well despite their young age. Truth or Dare took a fourth in Sweepstakes and a second in his regular class. We had a couple of other placements, but did not go this year with anything really ready.

My young friend, Melissa Charbonneau, went with me. We had fun meeting friends and socializing. Melissa lives in Florida and has been coming us to visit us since she was twelve. She is now sixteen, brilliant student, and very pretty with a great sense of humor. After waiting for the right puppy to come along, she now owns and is going to show Clooney’s adorable first daughter, R. True Spirit.

Ted Crawford and I addressed everybody before the Best of Breed competition. We reminded all about the danger of California Bill 1634 and how it could spread throughout the country. The animal rights and anti breeding activists are well organized and doing their fanatic best to push this bill through. Below are some interesting things for you to read and act upon to help us stem the spread of anti dog legislation which will really affect our civil right to own dogs. Read the Pet Data material in the Blue Dog State newsletter; it will frighten you to think that our rights can be taken away even in the United States:

http://bluedogstate.blogspot.com/

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PLEASE CHECK UPCOMING LEGISLATION IN YOUR COMMUNITIES AND CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS. PLEASE WRITE THE LEGISLATORS IN CALIFORNIA NOW TO REGISTER YOUR OPPOSITION TO AB1634. IF YOU GO TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA WEBSITE, YOU WILL FIND LISTED ALL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

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AND MORE AND VERY IMPORTANT FROM THE AKC CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD:

Following, please find the May Chairman’s Report.

Regards,

AKC Communications

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: May 8, 2007

Contact: Daisy Okas

Phone: 212-696-8343

MAY CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

New York, NY – Since February we have been waging a legislative battle
against California Assembly Bill 1634 which would require mandatory
spaying/neutering for all dogs over 4 months of age unless the owner
qualifies for and purchases an intact dog permit through the local
authorities.

This would mean that those wishing to keep their dogs intact would be at
the whim of municipalities, who, under the bill’s provisions, can set
the fees for such permits.

So, what appears as an “exception” for purebred dog owners and breeders,
will result in higher fees for responsible dog owners and breeders.
California state law already requires that dog licenses for intact
animals cost twice as much as those for spayed or neutered animals.

Immediately after this bill was introduced AKC began an aggressive,
pro-active grassroots effort to get the word out about our opposition to
this bill. We have continually posted updated legislative alerts on our
web site and provided resources such as fliers, sample letters and
talking points via our “CA Spay/Neuter Action Center” on the home page.
We have also rung the alarm far and wide by individually contacting
2,000 California club officers, legislative liaisons, judges, and
Delegates as well as alerting 90,000 AKC-registrants in addition to more
than 14,750 who recently registered a litter urging them to oppose this
bill.

AKC President and CEO Dennis Sprung and I each sent a letter to
Assemblyman Mike Eng, Chairman of the Business and Professions Committee
where the bill was scheduled for a hearing detailing our opposition. I
also sent a letter to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger,
reiterating the damage this bill could inflict on responsible dog owners
and breeders and the revenue that would be lost to the state should he
sign this bill into law.

Our early efforts helped to secure a postponement on a vote to move the
bill out of committee on April 10. I believe our unified voice of
opposition from the fancy directly affected this action.

Because we understood the importance of the bill and the far-reaching
effect it might have on other states, AKC sent staff member Sarah
Sprouse from AKC’s Canine Legislation department and AKC legislative
consultant Stephanie Lane to the April 24 hearing in Sacramento. In
addition, we hired a California lobbyist to help us navigate the
political waters.

Despite our efforts, the bill was kept alive and voted out of committee.
We did, however, retain support from lawmakers who understood our
position as was evidenced in the committee vote down party lines.
Immediately after the hearing, our staff members met with more than 200
dedicated fanciers, supplied them with materials and instructed them how
to approach their assembly members to voice continued opposition. I want
to thank the several hundred fanciers who turned out for the April 10th
and 24th hearings, and the thousands of dog owners who sent letters and
e-mails to legislators. Their collective voice and strong numbers
strengthened our opposition.

According to the sponsor of AB 1634, the bill is intended to reduce
shelter populations and costs. AKC opposition to the bill is predicated
on the reality that the bill wrongly targets responsible dog owners and
breeders while failing to address the real reasons animals are
surrendered. National research organizations have reported that the
majority of unwanted dogs in the United States come from owners who are
unable or unwilling to train, socialize and care for their dog.

While AKC opposes mandatory spaying and neutering of purebred dogs, we
have always encouraged pet owners to spay or neuter their dogs if they
do not want to participate in AKC conformation events or engage in
responsible breeding programs. In fact, the American Pet Products
Manufacturers Association 2005-2006 National Pet Owners Survey reports
that more than 70 percent of owned dogs are spayed or neutered. Seven
out of 10 dog owners chose spaying or neutering as the right decision
for their pet. This is an individual choice best made by pet owners in
consultation with their veterinarian.

Since the majority of owned dogs in this country are already spayed and
neutered, we need to address the reasons dogs are relinquished. I
believe educating the public about responsible dog ownership, coupled
with enforcement of existing leash laws, best addresses shelter
population issues.

AKC proactively developed several education programs, including AKC
Responsible Dog Ownership Day, dedicated to teaching the pet-buying
public how to make well-informed decisions when acquiring a pet. Such
programs help to ensure that pet purchasers find a puppy or dog that is
a good match for their lifestyle, thereby decreasing the chance that the
animal will be relinquished to a shelter. In addition, our AKC Canine
Good Citizen(r) program, AKC Obedience trials, and our nearly 5,000 AKC
affiliated clubs offer ongoing training opportunities for owners to curb
potential behavior problems through training. Our education programs are
in schools and libraries and at shows, club meetings and community
events nationwide.

AKC Clubs also routinely donate money raised at their events back into
the community in the form of scholarships, bullet proof vests for law
enforcement K-9s, and other civic minded endeavors. Club members and
breeders who engage in this high level of volunteerism are in no way
irresponsibly breeding dogs, in fact, if a dog they breed does need to
be re-homed they are the first to step up and take responsibility for
it, giving it a foster home until a new owner can be found.

We know education is the best way to influence responsible dog ownership
and since our programs have been implemented there has actually been a
decrease in shelter populations. What some lawmakers fail to realize is
that with our mission to promote responsible dog ownership through
public education, we are a significant part of the solution. We strive
to help dog owners have a successful and rewarding experience with their
pet, making it more likely the dog will remain a valued member of the
family for its entire lifetime. Lawmakers must end the debate of
mandatory spay and neuter and embrace the concept of public education.

Additionally, AKC breed parent clubs and local affiliates participate in
breed rescue which further reduces the number of dogs in municipal and
private shelters across the United States. More than 280 AKC affiliated
rescue organizations are committed to assisting shelters with adoption
and placement of purebred dogs identified within the shelter
populations. These organizations rehabilitate dogs in foster homes and
permanently place them with loving and responsible families.

We will continue to be vigilant in our opposition and keep you informed
of developments. It is imperative that all of you join us in defeating
California AB 1634. Please visit our website for sample letters, talking
points and contact information for California Assemblymembers. (Visit
the AKC website at:
http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/CA_action_center.cfm
to learn
more.)

By staying involved we can make sure our right to decide what is best
for our animals is preserved.

We are actively investigating the possibility of establishing an AKC
Political Action Committee (PAC).

Sincerely,

Ron Menaker

AKC Communications

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AND MORE:

At this link http://agriculture.house.gov.hearings/index.html
you can read the testimony of Congressman Charles W. Stenholm to the House
Committee on Agriculture. This is a piece to read, print out, and save
for anyone who is trying to educate others about the AR movement.
This is a United States Congressman testifying before the Congress on
the agenda of the animal rights movement. FINALLY – they are beginning
to get it!

Just click on “witness opening statements,” then click on Stenholm’s
name. Don’t bother with the 52 pages of drivel from Wayne Pacelle of
HSUS…that’s the same old same old from him…….not what he said,
since the Committee apparently mounted an immediate attack against him!
One of the “good ole boys” even called Pacelle “son.” Bet that got his
dander up! The Members were not amused or interested in listening to
Pacelle! Hooray!

From Peggy…and permission to crosspost is given (various sources
provided the background here)

And More:

The Doberman Pinscher Club of America has a new flyer available for
>> distribution regarding Assembly Bill 1634. Since AB1634 will be heard
>> by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 16th, this flyer
>> addresses the fiscal side of the bill. Please print this flyer with the
>> Committee Members’ contact information on the back and distribute it far
>> and wide. The general public needs to be aware of the impact this bill
>> would have on their communities and businesses. Pass it out at the
>> malls, your church, your neighborhood center – anywhere and everywhere.
>> If each of us does this, the public will become aware of this unfair
>> and costly legislation and will contact the Appropriations Committee.
>> Many vets and most of the general public are not even aware of this
>> bill. We need public awareness of this attempt to govern our
>> relationship with our pets.
>>
>> This is the direct link to the flyer:
>> http://www.dpca.org/Legisltv/documents/Cost_to_CA.pdf
>>
>> It can also be accessed from this page:
>>
>> http://www.dpca.org/Legisltv/bills/CA1634.htmLook for the flashing
>> “NEW” sign.
>>
>> Thank you for your help in educating the public about AB 1634.
>> Dana Johnson
>> DPCA Legislative Committee