VVAW Alert 2-19-08 Puppies, Puppies, Who Has the Puppies?

Alert 2/19/08 Puppies, Puppies, Who Has the Puppies?

Yesterday there was a long, contentious, and unresolved hearing about the puppymill bill, HB538.

The good guys – us – haven’t yet prevailed, and so you are needed once more to stand up once more and be articulate and numerous for the dogs.

The letter below by Sharon Adams states the case very well. We wish each of you could have been there to see for yourself the opposition – the responsible breeders of Virginia. If all who stood up as breeders will be touched by passage of this bill, as Del. Orrock said so well, we’ve got a much larger problem than we thought!

Your job:

1. Be in touch with your senator again, saying you are a constituent and want them to vote in support of HB538; write again even if you’ve written before.

The subject line: support HB538, and the message can be sweet and simple, asking for support, and providing your name, address, and phone.

Click here to find your Senator:

http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform

2. Be in touch with all the senators on the Senate Ag Committee as they will make the decision on this bill on Monday, 2/25.

The list of senators on this committee is at the end of this alert.

3. Be in touch with Sen. Creigh Deeds at 804-698-7525 or at

district25@sov.state.va.us.

Surprisingly, Sen. Deeds, despite being a Democrat, is apparently not supporting this bill at this time. Our goal is to have him receive so many messages asking for him to be in support that he will change his mind. Senators can count. They count votes very well. And Senator Deeds has state-wide ambitions, we understand, wanting to be Virginia’s next Governor. Do you want a Governor who supports puppymills? Even if he is not your senator, take time to tell him what you want, and how you will view his candidacy for Governor if he doesn’t support this bill.

Let him know!

Lillian Clancy/Don Marro

Virginia Voters for Animal Welfare

________________________

And now from Sharon Adams:

Hello Friends:

As the General Assembly is moving to its conclusion we are still fighting on behalf of the puppy mill bill, House Bill 538.

After a wonderful effort on the House of Delegates side, the bill came over to the Senate with a House vote of 91-6.

Unfortunately, yesterday in the Senate Agriculture committee, there was a large contingent of breeders, most of whom we don’t think are affected by this bill, and the committee passed by the bill for the day. That means we have to go back next Monday, hopefully get it out, then go to Senate Finance, hopefully get it out with regard to the financial impact and then get it out from the Senate floor. Then save it in conference with the House as they agree on amendments. Whew!

The bill was amended yesterday to allow a locality, if it chooses, to expand the total number of animals that a commercial breeding operation may have so long as the locality adopts an ordinance that requires a public hearing and it grants the locality the right to add requirements on the operation as a consequence of the expansion. While we may not be thrilled about this or other amendments, we have to keep pushing to get these large breeding activities to operate in the sunlight so we can try to prevent a crisis. (PS, if you know Creigh Deeds who is running for Governor, he is a big problem, call him.)

A spokesperson for the Virginia Federation of Dog Breeders testified yesterday that she saw no reason why they needed a veterinarian to euthanize their animals. She said pounds don’t have a vet. Our question and the one we hope you pose to the committee, is "How are they euthanizing without a vet, they can’t get controlled drugs?!?"

The other issue is, Why not leave it to the USDA? Please remember that you do not need a USDA license unless you sell to pet stores, so if you sell in the newspaper or over the internet you are unaffected. Furthermore, USDA minimum standards are not as strong as Virginia’s. USDA almost never seizes an animal, when they do they need the resources of local government to house them. Finally, there are very few inspections and inspectors and very few registered breeders, it does not get to the problem. If you haven’t contacted your Senator, then now is absolutely the time. If you have, we need you to do it again. We need you to encourage your colleagues, your friends, and your family, everyone you know. If you know responsible breeders, ask them to call and encourage passage of a bill that will separate good breeders from bad ones. We are so close, yet still so far away. Please help push this out of the Senate so Virginia can have some control over these operations! Thank you very much, Sharon Q. Adams, Executive Director, VA Beach SPCA, let me know what you hear (757) 427-6387.

___________________________

Click here to find your Senator:

http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform

* = on both committees; critical contacts

Here is the Senate Ag Committee:

Sen. Patsy Ticer 804-698-7530

Chair, Senate Ag Committee

district30@sov.state.va.us

Sen. Harry Blevins 804-698-7514

district14@sov.state.va.us

Sen. Creigh Deeds 804-698-7525

district25@sov.state.va.us