It has been brought to my attention that I have not written in over a month, but we have been so busy with trying to move and really running two households.  On top of this, I got my usual acute bronchitis and wound up in the emergency room.  Two weeks of being down really gets one behind.

Anti dog legislation is heating up in many States including Ohio.  Oklahoma has a real fight on its hands. Renee Bruns appeals for  help in defeating this legislation:

“Please help us kill this bill.  Please write, call, email the Oklahoma House
Agriculture Committee.  Help us give them the ammunition they need to kill
the bill.  Contact information and a sample letter is pasted below.  We
really need your help in this nationwide war with the Animal Rights
Activists.  We have to unite in this war.  As Peggy has so often pointed
out, they are going city by city, state by state and they are well organized
and funded.  Please also sign our petition:”
http://www.oaia.bravehost.com 

And from California:

There is an informal poll being taken about the recent LA City Council 
Spay/Neuter ordinance which was pushed by the Animal Rights people.  Please  go to
the following link and vote NO to register your disapproval.

_From  the Desk of Ed Boks: LA City Council approves Spay/Neuter  Ordinance!_
http://laanimalservices.blogspot.com/2008/02/la-city-council-passes-spayneuter.html

 

The following report from Peggy Mickelson:

The Los Angeles City Council passed a spay and neuter ordinance  today. The
vote was 11 to 1 in favor. It was all preordained as some of the  council
members were wearing signs that said that they support it before the
meeting started. Nothing like being impartial. The supporters had lots of people
there including the “wonderful” Bob Barker. They also had some vets in the  city’s
employ that testified that it is fine to neuter puppies at 4 months or  even
earlier and that they could be reproducing by 6 months. Have you ever had a
bitch in season by 6 months? There were quite a few people there in opposition,
but I haven’t heard if any Cavalier fanciers attended.

Folks, if we don’t get out  en masse to oppose these things,
we have no right to complain.   I try my best to post all the things you
need to know,and Susan, Maureen, Renee, and others post too…just remember…you may not be bothered if mandatory spay neuter laws pass in a place where you do not
live…but every time one of these laws is passed, it just means you are a step closer
to having the same thing pass where you live…WHEREVER that is…and don’t think it
can’t happen to you!   Some of you are young enough that if all these Animal
Rights people have their way, you will find it impossible to own an animal by the time you are retired from work.

No one can continue to ignore these laws and leave the fighting to others.
Well, maybe you can, if you don’t care if you are allowed to ever breed another litter,
or own a dog or bitch that isn’t spayed/neutered, or whether you are allowed to own a dog at all…ever.

Believe me…the goal of these fanatics is no animal ownership at all….if
it doesn’t bother you that they want the world to be vegans, maybe the thought of never having a dog or cat or bird again, or seeing a cow or horse or goat or pig, (never mind eating meat

And an update on Louisville, Kentucky:

For those of you who were wondering what is  happening in Louisville, KY, the
Louisville Kennel Club has now added  information on its website. You can
view the newly passed animal ordinance  (better, but still has
problems-although all animals entering the city for  less than 30 days are
exempt, as is state property) at the Legislative link  (bottom of left hand
menu). You can read the Motion for Summary Judgment in  our civil rights suit
at the Litigation link (bottom of left hand menu too).  The Louisville Kennel
Club’s website is:   www.louisvillekenneClub’s

The list of communities, cities, states considering anti breeding legislation and/or threatening dog ownership is growing.  Please help us defeat these bills.  Ohio still has Senate Bill 173 and HB 223 in process.  I have been involved in forming the Ohio Federation of Dog Clubs which hopefully can unite us in the fight against the formation of a kennel authority to oversee breeding in our state. 

Make sure you check out what is going on in your community.

On another note, Rattlebridge Breath of Dawn is getting ready to have her first litter.  The sire will be our Ch. Rattlebridge Code Red.  This will be the last litter born at our present home, the wonderful Rattlebridge Farm. We expect all rubies.  I hope to keep a couple as my beloved Wendy, Ch. Rattlebridge Dutch Treat, the only wholecolor ROM in this country to my knowledge, is aging so I am keeping grandchildren and of course our wonderful Code Red (Dew), her son.I am very nostalgic about the great dogs that we have produced over the years here.  I have such mixed feelings about leaving, but know that at this time in our lives, especially in Al’s as we deal with his form of liver cancer and the continued radiation for his skin cancer which is not easily going into remission. There is a line on the flyleaf of one of Albert Payson Terhune’s books about his famous Sunnybank collies:  “the kennels of Sunnybank are empty now.”  I often think of that phrase as we have placed a few of our older dogs so they could have their own pillows on the beds of their new owners.  We have had some hard decisions to downsize, but hopefully we will be successful in continuing our breeding program on a smaller scale for now. We certainly will continue to welcome visitors at our new Rattlebridge.