SCROLL DOWN FOR SENATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE CONTACT INFO
Begin forwarded message:
A SAOVA message to sportsmen, pet owners and farmers concerned about protecting their traditions, avocations and livelihoods from anti-hunting, anti-breeding, animal guardianship advocates. Forwarding and cross posting, with attribution, encouraged.
The Cat Fanciers' Association - March 12, 2009
Appropriate forwarding is appreciated
ACTION IS NEEDED NOW- from all California pet lovers.
California is considering yet another mandatory spay and neuter law. SB 250
mandates sterilization of most dogs and cats in California. By creating new
crimes and imposing new duties on local animal control agencies, this bill
would impose a state-mandated local program upon local governments.
CURRENT STATUS: Action is needed IMMEDIATELY. The bill has been introduced
and has been assigned to the California Senate Local Government Committee.
Organizational letters (clubs, rescue, etc) and individual letters to
committee members are needed ASAP.
WHAT THIS LEGISLATION WILL MEAN TO YOU: SB 250 provides that no person may
own, keep, or harbor an unaltered dog except as specified. It would make it
unlawful for any person who owns, keeps, or harbors any unspayed or
unaltered cat 6 months of age or older to allow or permit that cat to remain
outdoors. It would require an owner or "custodian" of an unaltered cat to
have the animal spayed or neutered, or provide a certificate of sterility.
It would allow an unaltered dog license to be denied or revoked for a
variety of reasons.
This bill would require anyone who offers any unaltered dog or cat for sale,
trade, or adoption to meet specified requirements and report the sale within
10 days. It would require, if an unaltered dog or cat is impounded
pursuant to state or local law, the owner or custodian to meet specified
requirements, including paying the costs of impoundment. Requires
sterilization if a pet is impounded for any reason.
Contact information for the California Senate Local Government Committee and
examples of discussion points in opposition follow. Please write or fax
TODAY.
George Eigenhauser
CFA Legislative Coordinator
***************************************
SUGGESTED ARGUMENTS AGAINST THIS LEGISLATION (SB 250):
This is a costly unfunded mandate on local governments. Local
governments already have the authority to adopt ordinances to deal with
irresponsible pet owners. State action on this matter is unnecessary.
Experience has shown that mandatory spay and neuter ordinances are costly
to administer and ineffective. Analysis of a similar measure last year (AB
1634) by the California Department of Finance showed animal control costs
are likely to rise, euthanasia rates increase, and pet licensing drop off.
Money will have to be taken from other vital local services.
Studies show that education has worked and 87% to 95% of owned cats are
now sterilized. Approximately 75% of dogs are sterilized. To further
increase the numbers of owned cats or dogs sterilized it is necessary to
provide low cost or free spay/neuter accessible year round. This bill would
do nothing to solve the real problem.
This bill imposes punishment for impounds of cats or dogs by mandating
sterilization of pets before release. On top of other expense to reclaim
lost pets this will mean more cats will be left in the shelters.
There are many reasons why a cat could be impounded by animal services
such as fire, earthquake or other disasters. Cats can get loose from a
carrier going to the veterinarian, escape from a hotel room or be
inadvertently let outside by a careless cat sitter. A cat could end up in a
shelter without reflecting owner irresponsibility. This provision means
confiscating the reproductive value of a show/breeding cat.
Complaints from disgruntled neighbors, or any person who wants to harass
someone with an intact dog would be encouraged by this bill.
This is a bad bill, quickly pulled together without regard for existing
laws or of the practical consequences. For example, it requires anyone who
sells an intact animal to post the animal's license number. But most local
jurisdictions do not license cats. Most local jurisdictions do not provide
for licensing an animal under the age of four months but most puppies and
kittens are sold before they reach that age.
This legislation will not improve the lives of cats and dogs but will
negatively impact responsible owners and breeders, and by placing additional
burdens on owners of intact animals. This will lead to an increase of
animals in shelters.
Use of the term "custodian" in the bill, rather than being limited to pet
owners, suggests this law would be used to unfairly target feral cat
caretakers and other individuals feeding or caring for free-roaming cats.
It punishes the people trying to help these unfortunate animals. Kindness
becomes a crime.
If a person is caring for a few freeroaming/feral cats and has not been
able to trap some of them for spay/neuter they could be cited and subject to
a civil penalty if over a local limit law, when ownership of these cats is
not clearly defined.
The word "custodian" does not change attitudes of those who don't care
properly for their animals. Inserting this term in laws actually weakens the
accountability of owners for animal abuse. The important factor in reducing
the reproduction of unowned/free-roaming cats is the point when a person
declares "I own this cat" because this leads to their taking responsibility.
The use of inappropriate terms, such as "custodian", dilutes this message
and lowers the status of cats in society since owners have responsibilities;
"custodian" has no meaning.
ACTION TO TAKE:
ORGANIZATIONS (clubs, rescue groups, etc.) send your faxes NOW to be
received by the Committee Consultant, Peter Detwiler to be included in the
Bill Analysis OPPOSE list.
**Send your letters on Organization or Club letterhead.
**Reference the title - " Re: OPPOSE SB 250
Dogs and cats: spaying and
neutering
INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS: Send letters, faxes and emails to all five
Committee Members ASAP. Again, please note in your title/subject line that
you OPPOSE SB 250. Please conclude with again noting you OPPOSE SB 250.
IF YOU LIVE IN ONE OF THE FIVE SENATE DISTRICTS OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS,
PLEASE TRY TO VISIT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE OR THEIR AID. DISTRICT OFFICES ARE
ALSO INCLUDED BELOW.
PLANNED MEETINGS (if any): The date the committee will take up SB 250 is
unknown at this time. Please act promptly.
CONTACT LIST: Contact information for the Senate Local Government committee
is as follows:
Senate Local Government Committee
ATTN: Peter Detwiler, Consultant
State Capitol Room 5046
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX - 916-322-0298
Senate Local Government Committee Members:
SENATOR PATRICA WIGGINS (Chair)
State Capitol, Room 4081
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4002
Fax (916) 323-6958
Senator.Wiggins@senate.ca.gov
District Office (Eureka)
710 E Street, #150
Eureka, CA 95501
Phone: (707) 445-6508
Fax: (707) 445-6511
District Office (Napa)
1040 Main St., #205
Napa, CA 94559
Phone: (707) 224-1990
Fax: (707) 224-1992
District Office (Santa Rosa)
50 D St., #120A
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Phone: (707) 576-2771
Fax: (707) 576-2773
District Office (Ukiah)
200 South School Street
P.O. Box 785
Ukiah, CA 95482
Phone: (707) 468-8914
Fax: (707) 468-8931
District Office (Vallejo)
444 Georgia Street
Vallejo, CA 94590
Phone: (707) 648-5312
Fax: (707) 648-5383
#####
SENATOR DAVE COX (Vice Chair)
State Capitol, Room 2068
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4001
Fax: (916) 324-2680
Senator.Cox@senate.ca.gov
Jackson District Office
33C Broadway
Jackson, CA 95642
Phone: (209) 223-9140
Roseville District Office
2140 Professional Drive, #140
Roseville, CA 95661
Phone: (916) 783-8232
Fax: (916) 783-5487
Quincy District Office
2094 E. Main Street
Quincy, CA 95971
Phone: (530) 283-3437
Fax: (530) 283-3439
#####
SENATOR SAM AANESTAD
State Capitol, Room 3063
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4004
Fax: (916) 445-7750
Senator.Aanestad@senate.ca.gov
Nevada City Office
200 Providence Mine, #108
Nevada City, CA 95959
Phone: (530) 470-1846
SENATOR CHRISTINE KEHOE
State Capitol, Room 5050
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4039
Fax: (916) 327-2188
Senator.Kehoe@senate.ca.gov
San Diego Office
2445 Fifth Ave., Suite 200
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: (619) 645-3133
Fax: (619) 645-3144
#####
SENATOR LOIS WOLK
State Capitol, Room 4032
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4005
Fax: (916) 323-2304
Senator.Wolk@senate.ca.gov
Vacaville Office
555 Mason Street, Suite 230
Vacaville, CA 95688
Stockton District Office
Phone: (707) 454-3808
Fax: (707) 454-3811
Stockton District Office
31 E. Channel Street, Room 440
Stockton, CA 95202
Phone: (209) 948-7930
Fax: (209) 948-7993
#####
The message above was posted to California and Hawaii residents by the Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance (SAOVA) on one of ten regional, read only elists.
SAOVA is a nonpartisan volunteer group working to protect U.S. citizens from the legislative and political threats of radical animal rightists. It is the only national organization fighting this struggle for both sportsmen and animal owners, natural allies, in these arenas. Visit our website athttp://saova.org to review this program's goals and methodology.
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Posted on Mar 27, 2009, 6:32 PM from IP address 208.106.99.229