7/13/08
VVAW met at 11:20 am on Sunday, 7/13/08, at the home of Lorelei and Ron Pulliam in Afton, Nelson County, VA.
The meeting covered Albemarle County and Charlottesville and west.
In attendance: * denotes member of Virginia Voters for Animal Welfare Board
Suzanne Auckerman
Barbara Barton
*Lillian Clancy
Heather Clark
*Peyton Coyner
Rooshin Dalal
Barbara Fiske
Marge Flather
April Fletcher
Bette Grahame
Deena Hambsch
Dian Howe
Jen LaPlume
*Donald Marro
Margaret Marsh
*Mollie McCurdy
Kathy Merlino
Laura Michael
Janis Owen
Susan Patton
Kay Pfaltz
Lorelei Pulliam
Ron Pulliam
Pat Small
Laura Southworth
Tedi Wright
Hazel Walker
Betty Weakland
*Pat Weakland
Steve Weintraub
NOTE: The agenda for this meeting appears at the end of these meeting minutes.
The meeting was called to order at 11:25 by Suzanne Auckerman, the meeting facilitator.
Don Marro started the meeting with a brief presentation about why we are having these meetings, i.e., to continue in 2009 progress made in 2008, and to review the collaborations and success we enjoyed with these collaborations.
Kathy Strouse, Legislative Liaison for VACA (Virginia Animal Control Association) presented her 2008 legislative overview via video.
Delegate Rob Bell, who represents some of the area around Charlottesville, spoke next about HB999, the bill he introduced and promoted (patroned) for Susanne Kogut, the Executive Director of the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA. He feels there is a transition underway in Virginia favoring animals. He pointed to a cock-fighting bill he introduced in 2003 that was “a non-starter”, but the same concept “flew through” the General Assembly in 2008. Measures that have been stalled are getting a new look.
Del. Bell suggested that summer and early fall is a good time to meet legislators. It is not as frantic a time as the period when the legislature is about to go into or is in session (December-February). He mentioned a new rule which will restrict a legislator to no more than 15 bills in the 2009 session. This is partly the result of 2009 being a short (45 day) session, and because of the realization that there was too much to be considered otherwise, and as a result some legislative work in the 2008 session was not done well. Del. Bell pointed to the abusive driver bill as an example of something not done well.
Del. Bell said that historically the short sessions of the General Assembly had been devoted to budget issues.
A video presented by Michelle Welch of the Attorney General’s office and the Legislative Liaison for VFHS, followed. It covered the animal fighting bill.
Don Marro then spoke about SB26, the RICO bill, and why the stiff RICO penalties in this bill are so important.
Next HB538, the puppymill bill was discussed on video by Sharon Adams, Executive Director of the Virginia Beach SPCA. Sharon cobbled together the support for this landmark measure and got it a strong patron, Del. Bobby Orrock.
There were several questions about the puppymill bill including when the bill actually takes effect; it takes effect 1/1/09. Also asked was whether inspections of puppymills are mandatory. Don said puppymills, pounds and shelters may be inspected by the State Vet, are more likely to be inspected on a complaint-driven basis, but inspections are not required.
The water bill, HB673, a video by Debra Griggs, was shown next. Animals are now required to have water available to them all the time. Debra’s delegate, Kenny Alexander, patroned this bill at her request.
Don then gave a short presentation on the final elimination of gas chambers in Virginia.
The meeting then turned to possible 2009 legislative initiatives, and Suzanne Auckerman passed out a sheet of topics and their definitions.
Tethering was brought up and it was said ACOs repeatedly warned the only way to charge someone with unlawful tethering would be to video 24 continuous hours of surveillance on a tether, and this would be impossible. Don dismissed this as myth since tethering law could be for far shorter times, and evidentiary burdens could be discharged with intermittent observation and videos, or by using volunteers and humane investigators to observe.
Don asked the group what their answer might be to such a response – the requirement for 24 hours of surveillance - from an ACO.
Suggestions: train the ACOs better and more; set the times by statue or local ordinance to be more reasonable; and/or have volunteers or, better yet, have a humane investigator involved.
Pat Weakland then responded to Suzanne’s question about why s/n was listed twice on the topics sheets. Pat indicated that one discussion of s/n focused on s/n as a general way to help regulate the pet population. The other discussion went to the requirement that animals adopted from all releasing agencies must be sterilized within 30 days of adoption. However, seldom is that checked. Suzanne said many jurisdictions simply don’t follow-up to see if a s/n has been done after adoption.
Bette Grahame noted that her group, Humane Society/SPCA of Nelson County, provides 50-60 free sterilizations per month.
A discussion about how to bring more vets into the process led to discussion of vet tax credits. That provoked the question of why vets didn’t support a bill in 2008 that would have provided vets with a tax credit for services donated to “c3s”. It was suggested that the leadership of the professional vet group didn’t inform their membership about that bill. It was also suggested that the best way to determine why vets didn’t support the bill and to get the support of vets would be to contact vets directly.
Bette Grahame resists increasing the cost for pet licenses. She also noted that when her group volunteered to stuff envelopes reminding people about dog licenses, the effort brought in $2500 more than had been anticipated. However, for no apparent reason, her group wasn’t allowed to stuff envelopes again and Bette never discovered why. She would like all funds from license sales to go to animal welfare, as they do by statute (which may not be observed in all jurisdictions).
Bette also wonders how to get deputy sheriffs to become Humane Investigators, saying perhaps it is difficult for some HI’s to confront their neighbors, etc., about situations, and that someone with different training and background could do well as a Humane Investigator. She wondered if there couldn’t be a way to create a fund for education and training for those already in the law enforcement career to expand their responsibilities and become humane investigators.
Bette said her facility is full of hunting dogs and would like to know if hunting dogs could be required to be micro-chipped. Perhaps money from license fees could help pay for chipping. This became a topic to be added to the legislative issues list for 2009.
Regarding the legislative initiatives, someone asked if they were to work on an initiative, what it would entail. Don responded that it depends on your available time and what you regard as your skills: you might communicate with legislators by letter, email, or phone, meet legislators individually or with a group, or come to Richmond while the General Assembly is in session to testify on our/your legislation.
Suzanne noted that most people think everything is all right. They do not know that animals are euthanized routinely, and believe that all dogs find happy homes. She suggests talking to your neighbors. Peyton advocated writing letters to the editor on that same topic. Don suggested making signs that give specifics of how many animals are killed and posting such signs at the local supermarket.
Bette asked why her jurisdiction, Nelson County, is not reporting its animal records. She would like a penalty for failure to report. Don agreed there should not only be a penalty for not reporting, but also a penalty for perjury in filling out reporting forms carelessly or inaccurately. This became a topic to be added to the legislative issues list for 2009.
Lorelei Pulliam then showed a delightful and informative video about Gallastar, the sanctuary she and her husband operate, and the handicapped children she works with there.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:20 to move on to a Gallastar tour and a vegan BBQ.
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Agenda
2008 Legislative Update Meetings Co-Sponsored By
Virginia Federation of Humane Societies
Virginians for Animal Welfare/Virginia Voters for Animal Welfare
And With a Presentation by
Virginia Animal Control Association’s Legislative Liaison
13 July 2008 Afton (Nelson County)
Suzanne Auckerman, Facilitator
Welcome and attendee introductions VFHS 5 min
Why We Come Together Today VAW 5 min
Introduction of Local Hosts Facilitator 5 min
Lorelei & Ron Pulliam/Gallastar Equine Center
and Virginia Alliance of Pot Belly Pigs
local co-hosts:
Bette Grahame/Nelson County Humane Society/SPCA
Dian Howe/Voices for Animals
Report on 2008 GA
Overview VACA/Strouse 10 min
Animal fighting VFHS/Welch 10 min
RICO VAW/Marro 3 min
Puppymills VBSPCA/Adams 10 min
Bond CASPCA/Kogut 3 min
Gas VAW/Marro 3 min
Water VFHS/Griggs 3 min
2009 Initiatives Facilitator 30 min
Topic sign-ups Facilitator 10 min
Wrap up, next steps Facilitator 10 min
After the meeting, Lorelei and Ron will treat the group to a vegan BBQ for those attending the meeting and will also conduct a tour of their farm animal sanctuary and therapeutic riding center. Please come bearing gifts for their 120+ pot belly pigs. Lorelei notes they prefer baby carrots and cut up veggies and fruits of any kind.
updated 7/9/08