Rilie D.- Maverick- *12/26/07*
Keep it clean or- keep it out of- here!
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 | | Barked: Mon Oct 13, '08 10:54am PST | |  | |  | | UPDATE: MA MSN/BSL BILL SCHEDULED FOR HEARING!
[Monday, October 13, 2008]
Massachusetts House Bill 5092 has been referred to the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, and is tentatively scheduled for public hearing on Thursday, October 23rd, at 10 AM in Room A2 of the State House in Boston. The bill includes many extreme provisions that, if enacted, will prove devastating to responsible dog breeders and owners, including state-wide mandatory spay/neuter, permitting localities to enact breed-specific ordinances, and onerous nuisance laws. The American Kennel Club and the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners both strongly oppose HB 5092, and are encouraging all concerned dog owners from Mass achusetts to do the same.
For more information on the details of HB 5092,http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=3595
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
The American Kennel Club strongly urges all concerned Massachusetts responsible dog breeders and owners to attend the committee hearing on October 23rd, and express your fervent opposition to HB 5092. Additionally, all Massachusetts dog owners are encouraged to write the members of the committee and express your vehement opposition to the bill. For a sample letter, see below.
SENATOR ANTHONY W. PETRUCCELLI
Room 413-B, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-1634
E-Mail: Anthony.Petruccelli@state.ma.us
SENATOR PATRICIA D. JEHLEN
Room 513, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-1578
Fax: 617-722-1117
E-Mail: Patricia.Jehlen@state.ma.us
SENATOR STEVEN A. BADDOUR
Room 208, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-1604
E-Mail: Steven.Baddour@state.ma.us
SENATOR SUSAN C. FARGO
Room 504, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-1572
E-Mail: Susan.Fargo@state.ma.us
SENATOR RICHARD R. TISEI*
Room 308, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-1206
Fax: (617) 722-1063
E-Mail: Richard.Tisei@state.ma.us
REPRESENTATIVE VINCENT A. PEDONE
Room 540, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2090
Facsimile: 617-626-0551
E-Mail: Rep.VincentPedone@hou.state.ma.us
REPRESENTATIVE MARTIN J. WALSH
Room 540, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2090
E-Mail: Rep.MartinWalsh@hou.state.ma.us
REPRESENTATIVE MATTHEW C.PATRICK
Room 540, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2090
Facsimile: 617-722-2848
E-Mail: Rep.MatthewPatrick@hou.state.ma.us
E-Mail: repmattp@cape.com
REPRESENTATIVE STEPHEN R. CANESSA
Room 443, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2460
Facsimile: 617-626-0839
E-Mail: Rep.StephenCanessa@Hou.State.MA.US
REPRESENTATIVE DENIS E. GUYER
State House, Room 443
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2460
E-Mail: Rep.DenisGuyer@Hou.State.MA.US
REPRESENTATIVE SARAH K. PEAKE
Room 473F, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2210
Facsimile: 617-626-0551
E-Mail: Rep.SarahPeake@Hou.State.MA.US
REPRESENTATIVE JAMES J. O'DAY
Room 39, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2014
Facsimile: 617-626-0884
E-Mail: Rep.JamesODay@Hou.State.MA.US
REPRESENTATIVE PAUL MCMURTRY
Room 443, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2460
Facsimile: 617-722-2353
E-Mail: Rep.PaulMcMurtry@hou.state.ma.us
REPRESENTATIVE SEAN GARBALLEY
Room 134, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-2400
Facsimile: 617-722-2850
E-Mail: Rep.SeanGarballey@Hou.State.MA.US
REPRESENTATIVE F. JAY BARROWS*
Room 542, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2488
Facsimile: 617-722-2390
E-Mail: Rep.FJayBarrows@Hou.State.MA.US
REPRESENTATIVE TODD M. SMOLA*
Room 156, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2240
E-Mail: Rep.ToddSmola@Hou.State.MA.US
For more information, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3503, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org. Please also contact the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners at http://www.massfeddogs.org/.
****************************sample letter*************************************
The Honorable (name)
Massachusetts General Assembly
(address)
Boston, MA 02133
RE: Oppose House Bill 5092
Dear (title) (name):
I am a resident of Massachusetts and writing you today because I am concerned with House Bill 5092 that features many anti-dog proposals. I am a responsible dog owner (and or breeder) and I oppose this legislation. Massachusetts has long been recognized as dog-friendly and passing this bill will severely tarnish this reputation.
(Personalize here – tell about yourself as a dog owner, breeder and fancier. How many years have you been involved with dogs? What breeds have you owned or shown? Do you compete in any other activities with your dog – Obedience, Rally, Agility…Have any of your dogs achieved a Championship? Won a prestigious award?
How would this legislation affect you personally? Do you maintain intact dogs? The requirement that residents prove their dogs are for competition is unclear. Please detail why this is a problem for you – what age do you begin showing or competing with your animals and why? At what age are dogs in your breed typically shown? If you compete in agility or obedience events do dogs need to be of a certain maturity before it is safe for them to perform jumps?
Breeders - Details the steps you take when preparing to breed/whelp a litter – applicable health testing, evaluation of breeding stock, training, etc…How much money do you invest in these things? How do you work with puppy purchasers to ensure they will be responsible owners? Do you encourage CGC or obedience training? Do you remain in contact with the new owners?)
There are many problems with HB 5092’s provisions, including, but not limited to, the following concerns. First, mandatory spay/neuter is an ineffective solution to animal control problems because it fails to address the heart of the issue—irresponsible ownership. These laws are extremely difficult to enforce and can be easily evaded by irresponsible animal owners who will simply not license their pets. Additionally, breed-specific ordinances, as will be permitted if HB 5092 is enacted, are unreasonable and unenforceable, and do nothing to reduce the number of dog bites, dangerous dogs, or dogs in shelters. It will hurt responsible breeders like me who raise healthy, well cared-for dogs and who work to ensure that puppies are placed with responsible owners. Responsible owners who are already complying with local animal control laws will be unfairly punished by enactment of this bill, while irresponsible owners will continue to make problems for their communities and local shelters. Concentrating animal control efforts on dogs and their owners whose behavior demonstrates that they are a problem for the community would be a much better use of taxpayer funds and a more effective means of enforcement.
I respectfully ask that you support responsible dog owners and dog breeders by opposing Massachusetts House Bill 5092.
Sincerely,
John Smith
1234 Main Street
Chicago, IL
***************************click to see copy of the proposed bill**************************************
http://www.akc.org/pdfs/ canine_legislation/MA_ht05092_3_.pdf |  |  | |  |
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