NC ALERT: COMMERCIAL BREEDER BILL HEARING 6/16/09
June 12, 2009
SB 460 Commercial Dog Breeders is listed on the Finance Committee Calendar for Tuesday, 6/16. We need EVERYONE to contact Finance Committee members and bill sponsor, Senator Don Davis, and say NO!! to SB 460.
HSUS worked with Sen. Davis to introduce this legislation after dogs were seized from a breeder in Wayne County. For his assistance with the raid, Wayne County animal control director, Justin Scally, was rewarded by HSUS with a job within their organization. Scally will relocate to Gaithersburg MD to oversee a newly created HSUS task force.
HSUS would have our legislators believe that ALL breeders in North Carolina need state supervision and that substandard breeding kennels are rampant throughout our state. This is NOT TRUE. SB460 is not based on facts or need; it is based on emotion and is part of a nationwide campaign by HSUS to pass restrictive legislation on dog breeders. To date HSUS bills have been introduced in 32 states; 18 have died, 9 are still pending, and only 5 passed. This legislative campaign is about CONTROL, not about animal welfare. HSUS has a well documented history of opposing all purposeful breeding of dogs.
** TALKING POINTS **
* Bill supporters claim that small hobby breeders and hunters will not be affected. This is not true. Supporters claim the only reason to have 15 females is for mass producing puppies, i.e. continually breeding each female. Also not true. The bill supporters are activists, NOT dog breeders and have no firsthand knowledge of building and maintaining a breeding program or maintaining a strong hunting pack.
* The bill is so vague it could require anyone who breeds one litter to be licensed.
* Bill supporters will use photos showing the worst possible conditions in an attempt to create a wave of emotion strong enough to carry the bill forward. High emotion makes for bad laws and SB 460 is no exception. SB 460 will punish countless responsible breeders unnecessarily.
* Laws to insure animal welfare and to prevent animal-cruelty are already in place to protect all animals whether it is one dog or one hundred. We DO NOT NEED more laws.
* The potential exists for warrantless searches of a citizen’s home and kennel while inspecting dogs to determine if a license is required.
* A Fiscal Note on SB 460 has been provided by the Fiscal Research Division with input from NC DACS. The Department’s Animal Welfare Section estimates costs to implement a regulatory program are almost a half million dollars going forward with virtually no income. With a state budget shortfall of four billion dollars and government programs being cut, it is the height of irresponsibility to burden NCDA with this initiative.
ACTION IS NEEDED NOW! CALL AND EMAIL SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND OPPOSE SB 460:
Senator David Hoyle (Co-Chairman)
Phone: (919) 733-5734
E-mail: David.Hoyle@ncleg.net
Senator Daniel Clodfelter (Co-Chairman)
Phone: (919) 715-8331
E-mail: Daniel.Clodfelter@ncleg.net
Senator Clark Jenkins (Co-Chairman)
Phone: (919) 715-3040
E-mail: Clark.Jenkins@ncleg.net
Senator Larry Shaw (Vice-Chairman)
Phone: (919) 733-9349
E-mail: Larry.Shaw@ncleg.net
Senator Fletcher Hartsell, Jr. (Vice-Chairman)
Phone: (919) 733-7223
E-mail: Fletcher.Hartsell@ncleg.net
Senator Charles Albertson
Phone: (919) 733-5705
E-mail: Charlie.Albertson@ncleg.net
Senator Austin Allran
Phone: (919) 733-5876
E-mail: Austin.Allran@ncleg.net
Senator Tom Apodaca
Phone: (919) 733-5745
E-mail: Tom.Apodaca@ncleg.net
Senator Bob Atwater
Phone: (919) 715-3036
E-mail: Bob.Atwater@ncleg.net
Senator Philip Berger
Phone: (919) 733-5708
E-mail: Phil.Berger@ncleg.net
Senator Charlie Dannelly
Phone: (919) 733-5955
E-mail: Charlie.Dannelly@ncleg.net
Senator Eleanor Kinnaird
Phone: (919) 733-5804
E-mail: Ellie.Kinnaird@ncleg.net
Senator Floyd McKissick, Jr.
Phone: (919) 733-4599
E-mail: Floyd.McKissick@ncleg.net
Senator Joe Sam Queen
Phone: (919) 733-3460
E-mail: joesam.queen@ncleg.net
Senator David Rouzer
Phone: (919)733-5748
E-mail: David.Rouzer@ncleg.net
Senator R.C. Soles, Jr.
Phone: (919) 733-5963
E-mail: RC.Soles@ncleg.net
Senator Harris Blake
Phone: (919) 733-4809
E-mail: Harris.Blake@ncleg.net
Senator Julia Boseman
Phone: (919) 715-2525
E-mail: Julia.Boseman@ncleg.net
Senator Andrew Brock
Phone: (919) 715-0690
E-mail: Andrew.Brock@ncleg.net
Senator Harry Brown
Phone: (919) 715-3034
E-mail: Harry.Brown@ncleg.net
Senator Don East
Phone: (919) 733-5743
E-mail: Don.East@ncleg.net
Senator Tony Foriest
Phone: (919) 301-1446
E-mail: Tony.Foriest@ncleg.net
Senator Linda Garrou
Phone: (919) 733-5620
E-mail: Linda.Garrou@ncleg.net
Senator Eddie Goodall
Phone: (919) 733-7659
E-mail: Eddie.Goodall@ncleg.net
Senator Steve Goss
Phone: (919) 733-5742
E-mail: Steve.Goss@ncleg.net
Senator Neal Hunt
Phone: (919) 733-5850
E-mail: Neal.Hunt@ncleg.net
Senator Martin Nesbitt, Jr.
Phone: (919) 715-3001
E-mail: Martin.Nesbitt@ncleg.net
Senator Jean Preston
Phone: (919) 733-5706
E-mail: Jean.Preston@ncleg.net
Senator William Purcell
Phone: (919) 733-5953
E-mail: William.Purcell@ncleg.net
Senator Tony Rand
Phone: (919) 733-9892
E-mail: Tony.Rand@ncleg.net
Senator Bob Rucho
Phone: (919) 733-5655
E-mail: Bob.Rucho@ncleg.net
Senator Josh Stein
Phone: (919)715-6400
E-mail: Josh.Stein@ncleg.net
Senator Richard Stevens
Phone: (919) 733-5653
E-mail: Richard.Stevens@ncleg.net
Senator A.B. Swindell
Phone: (919) 715-3030
E-mail: AB.Swindell@ncleg.net
Senator Jerry Tillman
Phone: (919) 733-5870
E-mail: Jerry.Tillman@ncleg.net
Senator David Weinstein
Phone: (919) 733-5651
E-mail: David.Weinstein@ncleg.net
