NC ALERT: SB 460 Scheduled for Senate Vote July 8

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.
NC ALERT: SB 460 Scheduled for Senate Vote July 8.

In a narrow win, the Senate Finance Committee passed a Committee Substitute of SB 460 on Tuesday, June 30. The bill moves to the Senate Floor for full vote on July 8, 2009.

IT IS URGENT FOR EVERYONE TO CALL SENATORS AND OPPOSE THIS BILL. CALL THE NC GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN RALEIGH AT (919) 733-4111 AND ASK FOR YOUR SENATOR.

Or go to this link to find the full Senate Membership list of phone numbers and email:

http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/members/reports/room-phone.pl?Chamber=Senate&viewType=normal

http://tinyurl.com/opkolu

* Amendments and revisions to SB 460 ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. Commercial breeder is now
defined as someone who owns 15 or more intact females of breeding age and 30 or more puppies. The bill exempts kennels that operate for the purpose of boarding or training hunting, sporting, herding, show, or working dogs. The language in this exemption does not specifically include an exemption for breeding these dogs.

* Exemptions are NOT A GUARANTEE for future protection. HSUS has proven they will continue to lobby for increasingly restrictive legislation. This is the step or incremental method of gaining power over breeding and owning dogs.

* SB 460 continues to allow for inspections and searches of all private property at any time.

* SB 460 allows for immediate seizure of animals for those who are not in compliance.

* The requirement for annual veterinary certification of suitable health for breeding is very vague. Certification could require anything from routine physical exam to an expensive panel of blood tests and x-rays. There are no standardized, specific laboratory tests or specialized reproductive examination procedures that are suitable for assessing the health status of bitches for breeding.

* No other species has this pre-breeding regulation in place. This provision only serves to make breeding dogs more expensive and more complicated. The decision to breed or not breed a dog should remain at the discretion of the owner and not become a legislative mandate.

* SB 460 is a waste of taxpayers’ money at a time when the State and Department of Agriculture cannot afford costly, ineffective new programs.
GOT RIGHTS? URGE YOUR SENATOR TO VOTE NO TO SB 460.

PLEASE CROSS POST WIDELY.