Alert 1/25/08     Support Puppymill Bill HB538

 

You can make a difference.

 

You can change the law on puppymills in Virginia.

 

HB538, which limits commercial dog breeding, is in everyone’s best interest.

 

Click here to see the bill:

http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=081&typ=bil&val=hb538++++

 

 

1. Read the email below from Sharon Adams of the Virginia Beach SPCA.

 

We agree with her viewpoint and ask you to do as she requests.

 

2. If you are a hunter or breeder, or if you can encourage a hunter or breeder to help, we need those voices especially.

 

3. Do you have access to a list of breeders who are in Virginia?

 

Please send this to them and ask them to help.

 

4. Do you have access to a list of hunters, or groups who own hunting dogs?

 

Please send this to them and ask them to help.

 

5. Do you have access to those who are voters in the jurisdictions any of the delegates Sharon lists at the end of her email?

 

If many voters in the district represented by Del. Harvey Morgan, for instance, sent Del Morgan emails saying they want him to support and vote in favor of HB538, this would be exactly what we need.

 

And go down the list. Who has a list of those who vote for Del. Ed Scott? How about those in the district for Danny Marshall or Tom Wright?

 

The goal is that each person on Sharon’s list receive many calls/emails in support of HB538, and the more hunters and breeders those contacts represent, the better.

 

Please don’t fail to do this. Please don’t say how terrible things are for Virginia’s dogs, and then not do anything to help.

 

6. How many of you can get your City Manager or County Administrator to do something? Surely either can voice a personal opinion in favor of HB538.

 

The same thing is true for County Treasurers.

 

7. And there is no reason not to write to each and every paper in Virginia saying it is time for the state to do this – to regulate puppymills.

 

 

You always come through when we need you. Speak up, please, and get others to do the same.

 

 

Questions? Call Sharon (757-427-6387)or executivedirector@vbspca.com.

 

Or call us: 540-253-5309 or LSClancy@crosslink.net

 

 

Thank you.

 

Lillian Clancy/Don Marro

 

_____________

 

This was sent to us by Sharon Adams on 1/24/08 at 8:09 pm.

 

The subject: WITHOUT YOU, THE PUPPY MILL BILL WILL BE DEFEATED!

 

 

• LOTS OF BILLS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED BY A WIDE VARIETY OF GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS ON BEHALF OF ANIMALS.  THIS IS THE REMAINING BILL TO REGULATE PUPPY MILLS.  CAN’T WE ALL JOIN TOGETHER ON BEHALF OF ANIMALS?  
•  
• UNLESS FOLKS FROM AROUND THE STATE, AND IN PARTICULAR, THOSE WHOSE DELEGATES ARE LISTED BELOW SPEAK, WE WILL FAIL TO REGULATE PUPPY MILLS.  PLEASE FOCUS ON THE ANIMALS, NOT ANYTHING ELSE, AND GET EVERY SINGLE PERSON YOU KNOW THROUGHOUT THE STATE TO CALL OR EMAIL THEIR DELEGATE IF THEY ARE ON THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE LISTED BELOW….THEN IT’S ON TO HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS BEFORE WE CAN GET IT OUT OF THE HOUSE. THE OPPOSITION IS UNITED; WE WILL FAIL TO PROTECT ANIMALS IF WE ARE NOT!

 

YOUR HELP ISURGENTLY NEEDED!  Every call and email counts.

 

In Agriculture Subcommittee on Tuesday, only one puppy mill bill came out of committee - House Bill 538 – Commercial Dog Breeders.  After considerable discussion, and opposition from hunters and breeders, the bill passed out of subcommittee unopposed.  Yesterday, however,the bill was the last bill to be heard before full committee and with only 5 minutes until the end of committee, it was decided that the bill would be heard next Wednesday.  This reflects that there are members of this committee unwilling to adopt the sub-committee’s recommendation to put it forward.

 

The opposition from somehunters and breeders is strong.  While this bill does not impact them and many freely admit this, they are resistant to any regulations that will be placed on breeding.  There is a lot of misinformation coming out of these communities. 

 

Your help is needed to off-set the vast number of calls and e-mails that the House Agriculture Committee is receiving in opposition to this bill.  This committee is fully aware of the support of the animal welfare community…. who they need to hear from are hunters, breeders and local government officials who support the bill.

 

Please reach out to anyone you know who is a hunter, breeder or government official and ask them to contact their own legislator in support of HB 538.  Please do not encourage anyone to contact a legislator that is not their own.  Calls are best, but e-mails are acceptable. 

 

The full Agriculture Committee is listed below.  We need as many calls and e-mails as possible into these legislators before Wednesday….but again, only from their constituents.

 

Here is a summary of the bill for you to give to the hunters, breeders and government officials:

 

House Bill 538 is a bill to regulate large-scale, commercial dog breeding operations known as puppy mills. This bill provides minimalguidelines for these operations and gives local animal control officers tools to use before a breeding operation become a problem.  This bill DOES NOT impact hunters or breedersbecause it limits those who are affected to those who are “breeding 20 or more females annually and selling the puppies.”  That is not what hunters or responsible breeders do.

 

You can view the bill text at http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?081+ful+HB538

 

To find your delegate, please go to http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform

 

The Full Agriculture Committee and the localities they serve are below. ONLY CONTACT THESE LEGISLATORS IF YOU LIVE IN THEIR DISTRICT.

 

  Delegate Harvey Morgan – Essex, Matthews, Middlesex, King William, King and Queen, DelHMorgan@house.state.va.us 804.698.1098 

  Delegate Kirkland Cox – Chesterfield, Colonial Heights City, DelKCox@house.state.va.us  804.698.1066 

  Delegate Beverly Sherwood – Frederick, Winchester City, delbsherwood@verizon.net  804.698.1029   

  Delegate Lee Ware – Chesterfield, Powhatan, DelLWare@house.state.va.us  804.698.1065   

  Delegate Thomas Wright – Brunswick, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Lunenburg, thomascwright@embarq.com 804.698.1061  

  Delegate Bobby Orrock – Caroline, Spotsylvania, DelbOrrock@house.state.va.us  804.698.1054 

  Delegate Chris Saxman – Augusta, Highland, Rockingham, Staunton, DelCSaxman@house.state.va.us  804.698.1020

  Delegate Clarke Hogan – Prince Edward, Nottoway, Halifax, Charlotte, info@clarkehogan.com   804.698.1060

  Delegate Edward Scott – Culpepper, Madison, Orange, DelEScott@house.state.va.us  804.698.1030 

  Delegate Danny Marshall – Danville City, Powhatan, DelDMarshall@house.state.va.us  804.698.1014 

  Delegate Matt Lohr – Rockingham, Harrisonburg City, delegatelohr@aol.com 804.698.1026 

  Delegate Poindexter – Floyd, Franklin, Pittsylvania, DelDPoindexter@house.state.va.us 804.698.1009 

  Delegate Brenda Pogge – James City County, York, City of Newport News   804.698.1096

  Delegate Kenneth Plum – Fairfax, kenplum@aol.com 804.698.1036 

  Delegate James Shuler – Alleghany, Bath, Covington City, Craig, Montgomery, Giles, DelJShuler@house.state.va.us   804.698.1012

  Delegate Albert Eisenberg – Arlington, DelAEisenberg@house.state.va.us 804.698.1047 

  Delegate Stephen Shannon – Fairfax, DelSShannon@house.state.va.us   804.698.1035

  Delegate Lynwood Lewis – Accomack, Northampton, Norfolk, lewis.hod@dmv.com 804.698.1000 

  Delegate David Bulova – Fairfax, Fairfax City, DelDBulova@house.state.va.us 804.698.1037 

  Delegate Margaret Vanderhye – Fairfax, info@vanderhye.com   804.698.1034

  Delegate Robert Mathieson – City of Virginia Beach, DelBMathieson@house.state.va.us 804.698.1021 

  Delegate Joseph Bouchard – City of Virginia Beach, DelJBouchard@house.state.va.us   804.698.1083

 

If you have questions or receive questions that you can not answer, please contact us.

 

Thank you for your help!

 

Sharon Adams, Executive Director, VA Beach SPCA  757-427-6387