Finally our electric and phones are back on.  Ike had his way in Ohio also. Lots of damage, but nothing like Texas had of course. We lost our electricity  last Saturday and it came on again yesterday,  We have Time Warner which uses the electric lines so despite us having a big generator to run the refrigerators, freezer, and microwave, no television programming and no phones. The generator came with the new house and kept the kitchen, master bedroom, and half the dog room in light. We used our old dependable oil lamps for whatever else we needed. 

The legislation battle continues on. Now the state of Massachusetts, ongoing in Chicago and other hot spots.  Michigan’s proposed legislation is dead in the water right now and we assume Ohio will bring up SB173 and HB223 soon.  The war against purebred dogs continues with the animal rightists claiming how many health problems purebred dogs have.  There has been research done on the problems of mixed breeds which are just as many or more than purebred dogs.  With a purebred, one knows the looks and temperament the breed should have.  I am not saying one should not desire to have mixed breeds to love.  I have one, our Snoop who came for two days and stayed eight years, who is a wonderful, devoted companion; all my beloved cats have also been rescued.  I am all for rescuing dogs and cats from shelters and puppy mills; I believe every dog and cat should have a forever home and I have worked in rescue to try to help.  I also know that if the reputable breeders are shamed because we breed purebred dogs something is very wrong with our system.  (In so many ways–just look at the state of our economy).  We are doing a much better job of spaying and neutering our pets; so much so that many shelters do not have enough adoptable animals and have to import from other countries or get them from other shelters.

The tail often wags the dog in our country; we cannot let the agenda of the animal rightists win for that agenda is to end the ownership of all animals. Please check what is going on in your community, town or city, and state.  If we pass restrictive dog ownership or breeding legislation, the good breeders will not be able to continue and all that will be left are shelters, puppy mills, backyard, and commercial breeders. I may have already told this story here, but feel it bears repeating. I recently bought “a breeding pair” of Cavaliers from a multiple breed breeder who felt that Cavaliers took too long to breed and she wanted “breeders” who could be bred on the first season. She had gotten the breeding pair from the Amish. Papers were not in order.  I paid a thousand dollars which with two mortgages was difficult.  Buying dogs from such circumstances is not a great idea as it only encourages so called breeders to breed more.  However, I could not tolerate the idea of one more breeding pair producing in my county.  I took them immediately to my vet for a check up and neutering; they stayed several days to ensure they were totally healthy.  They had great temperaments as it is often hard to find a Cavalier with a bad temperament no matter what its background.  My attorney who had just lost his Cavalier, volunteered to reimburse me and give them a home. The moral of this story is to be very careful when you buy a purebred dog. I believe in giving shelter dogs a home and have done so through the years, but with a purebred dog one can tell what that dog will be at maturity in temperament and looks.  Purebred certainly can have genetic faults, but so can mixed breeds.I have just read a couple of research articles on the problems found in mixed breeds and there can be many.  All animals as well as all humans can have health problems of one kind of another. As long as we are made of corporeal bodies and not steel parts, we will continue to malfunction!!!  Kiss your pets no matter purebred or mixed parentage.

until next time . . .

 

California has defeated AB 1634 which would have changed the face of breeding dogs in the State.  It was a hard battle, but the voices of sanity won.  Now there are two more pending cases that must be defeated.  In Chicago, there is a mandatory spay/neuter law being proposed in the city.  It must be defeated; if you live in Chicago, please check out this looming legislation and let your voices be heard against it.  In Michigan, newly proposed legislation would again attempt to control and curtail breeding, but as in Chicago and California would hit the reputable breeders the hardest.  Ohio has such legislation also being proposed but there has been enough pressure on the State Legislature, that the two bills, HB223 and SB173, have not yet been passed.

Let’s look at the new developments in Michigan:

From the AKC:

Michigan Breeder Bill Introduced [Thursday, September 04, 2008]

Yesterday, Representative Bill Caul of Mt. Pleasant introduced Michigan House

Bill 6395, which proposes to strictly regulate virtually all responsible dog

breeders. It is imperative that all concerned responsible dog breeders in

Michigan contact the members of the House Agriculture Committee, which currently

has cognizance of the bill, and their elected Representatives and express their

vehement opposition to this bill.

The American Kennel Club opposes the concept of breeding permits, breeding bans,

or mandatory spay/neuter of purebred dogs. Instead, we support reasonable and

enforceable laws that protect the welfare and health of purebred dogs and do not

restrict the rights of breeders and owners who take their responsibilities

seriously.

If adopted, HB 6395 would:

* Define anyone who sells or offers for sale more than two dogs per

year, or more than one litter of dogs per year, as a “pet seller.”

* Mandate that those who qualify as pet sellers to acquire an

annual pet seller license from their county animal control shelter at

a cost of $200/year.

* Require an applicant for a pet seller license to submit his or

her fingerprints with a license application for a criminal history

and FBI background check.

* Give discretion to county animal control shelters to deny

applications for pet seller licenses, regardless of outcome of

background investigation.

* Call for pet sellers to comply with administrative rules

regarding housing that will be financially detrimental to responsible

breeders who operate out of their homes.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Michigan residents should contact the members of the House Agriculture Committee

listed below and their elected Representatives and express their strong

opposition to this onerous legislation.

Michigan House Agriculture Committee:

Representative Jeff Mayes, Chairman

S1285 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-8881

Phone: 517-373-0158

jeffmayes@house.mi.gov

Representative Barb Byrum, Majority Vice-Chair

S1086 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-9430

Phone: 517-373-0587

barbbyrum@house.mi.gov

Representative Kathy Angerer

S0989 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-7757

Phone: 517-373-1792

kathyangerer@house.mi.gov

Representative Terry L. Brown

S1188 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-9852

Phone: 517-373-0476

terrybrown@house.mi.gov

Representative Kathleen Law

S0787 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-5922

Phone: 517-373-0855

kathleenlaw@house.mi.gov

Representative Gabe Leland

S0689 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-5985

Phone: 517-373-6990

gabeleland@house.mi.gov

Representative Joel Sheltrown

S1387 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-5495

Phone: 517-373-3817

joelsheltrown@house.mi.gov

Representative Howard Walker

S1388 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-9420

Phone: 517-373-1766

howardwalker@house.mi.gov

Representative Neal Nitz

N1097 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-5918

Phone: 517-373-1796

nealnitz@house.mi.gov

Representative Richard Ball

S1189 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-7937

Phone: 517-373-0841

richardball@house.mi.gov

Representative Arlan B. Meekhof

N1193 House Office Building

P.O. Box 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Fax: 517-373-9830

Phone: 517-373-0838

arlanbmeekhof@house.mi.gov

To find your Michigan State Representative, go to

http://house.michigan.gov/find_a_rep.asp

For more information, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department

at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org.