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AB 1634 to Change: American Kennel Club Vigorously Opposes!
The following is a press release from the American Kennel Club released on Thursday, August 21, 2008.
The current text of the bill (not including the amendments mentioned in this press release) can be read on the California Legislative Information web site.
--Dianne
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AKC URGENT ALERT: CA AB 1634 to Change: AKC Vigorously Opposes!
Late yesterday we received a proposed 12th amendment to the wording of CA AB 1634 which Lloyd Levine's staff presented to our lobbyist. Also, we understand that Mr. Levine attempted to amend his bill in the Senate, in spite of the fact that he had assured the AKC through our lobbyist that the bill was in its final form. As a result of this last minute attempt, we no longer have confidence in the definition of this bill or the credibility of its author.
The AKC is outraged and dismayed by Mr. Levine's last minute action to remove the incentives that were put in place to recognize responsible dog ownership. The new amendment will allow local government to avoid providing discounted licenses for owners who microchip, or owners who microchip and spay/neuter, their animals.
A primary reason AKC moved to a neutral position was because it reinforced and rewarded responsible behavior. We believe the process to advance this bill is no longer being conducted in a forthright and transparent manner. Given Mr. Levine's recent tactics and the fact that we no longer feel confident that an acceptable bill will be produced, a neutral position is no longer appropriate. Therefore, AKC must vigorously oppose this legislation.
Please immediately call and email your State Senator and ask them to oppose AB 1634.
For more information, contact AKC's Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org.
AB 1634, ab1634, politics, Levine, dogs, dog, AKC, American Kennel Club (all tags)
HSUS, PETA Make Grab For $8 Billion Trust Fund
If anyone here was ever worried before about the threat posed by radical animal rights groups, they better start worrying now. Leona Helmsley was a billionaire real estate tycoon who lived in NYC. When I use to live there I recall numerous stories about her far out behaviour. She was the Queen Bitch of her late husbands hotel empire and NOBODY LOVED HER. The only living thing she loved besides herself was her dog. That is the reason why she left all of her money to the care and welfare of dogs.
I would not trust any group leadership to make a formal appeal to the Estate Trust lawyers for a grant. I would, as an individual member, write my own letter to the address contained below and request a grant for my group.
If you do nothing, then PETA and HSUS will get the biggest share and you will never be able to compete against their bank account. If it comes to that, their will probably be no more family pets within the next decade.
Regards,
Ironsides
Posted with Permission
Please Help Assure Helmsley
Billions Used To Benefit Dogs
HSUS, PETA Make Grab For $8 Billion Trust Fund
by JOHN YATES
American Sporting Dog Alliance
http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org
asda@csonline.net
NEW YORK, NY - In a two-page "mission statement" attached to her will, hotelier and real estate magnate Leona Helmsley specified that her entire estate is to be used for the care and welfare of dogs.
The estate is estimated at between $5 billion and $8 billion, and could provide a perpetual annual return of at least $400 million to benefit dogs.
Not surprisingly, many organizations are trying to get a piece of this money.
Two well-known radical animal rights groups have announced their intentions to apply for this funding: The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Both of these groups espouse an ideology that wholly contradicts Ms. Helmsley's intentions and beliefs. HSUS and PETA want to eliminate dogs from our lives.
The American Sporting Dog Alliance urges dog owners from every state to contact the Helmsley Foundation to help assure that Mrs. Helmsley's estate is used for its intended purposes. We are asking dog owners to let the estate trustees know your ideas for how the money should be spent, suggest groups and organizations that you feel are worthy of financial assistance and also to caution them about the HSUS and PETA applications.
Nothing worse could happen to dogs (and dog owners) than for PETA and HSUS to grab a large chunk of this money. It would be used to drive dogs and dog ownership toward extinction.
Please send "hard copy" letters by U.S. Mail to:
Howard J. Rubenstein and Trustees
Leona and Harry B. Helmsley Foundation, Inc.
230 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10169-0005
Here is our letter to the Helmsley Foundation, which you may want to use as a starting point in writing your own letters:
The American Sporting Dog Alliance truly is thankful for Leona Helmsley's decision to leave most of her estate to help dogs. This is a godsend!
As we understand it, Mrs. Helmsley's intention was for this money to be used directly to benefit the care and welfare of dogs. Many excellent organizations will be seeking funds from this trust to help them to operate vital programs to benefit dogs. However, other organizations have agendas that utterly contradict Mrs. Helmsley's intentions, and we urge you to use extreme caution in reviewing applications from The Humane Society of the United States, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and similar groups.
The American Sporting Dog Alliance will not be applying for funding from this trust, as our policy is to maintain strict independence to serve our members. However, we are offering our assistance to help you sort through and evaluate applications for funding. We would be happy to serve as consultants and would volunteer our services at no cost to you. We share Mrs. Helmsley's love of dogs and concerns about their welfare, and we care deeply that her incredible gift will be used for its intended purpose. Our mission is to work for the welfare of dogs and to protect the rights and traditions of dog owners. We consider the relationship between dogs and people to be one of the most beautiful parts of life.
The potential for the Helmsley fund to do good things is enormous. Quite literally, it could lay the foundation to solve every problem facing dogs in America today. This is not an exaggeration.
Here are some worthy possibilities for funding support:
Many pets are abandoned or taken to shelters every year because people cannot handle behavioral problems. This is one of the major causes of shelter admissions. Funding could provide free or low-cost professional assistance to dog owners to overcome behavior issues in order to provide long-term loving homes for many dogs. The vast majority of behavioral issues are easily corrected, but many people simply don't know how to do it.
Social factors are the five leading causes of dogs being taken to animal shelters. These include divorce, home foreclosure, job transfers and landlord issues. Funding could provide foster care for these dogs until their owners' lives have stabilized and they can bring their pets back home, or until new homes can be found.
The cost of veterinary care has skyrocketed, leaving many low-and-middle-income people unable to afford medical care for their dogs. This causes many dogs with treatable medical conditions to be euthanized. A perpetual loan fund could be created to help low/middle-income people to afford the cost of veterinary care, with reimbursement according to a person's ability to repay the loan. Financially-strapped elderly and disabled people would be exempt from repayment. Another fund could provide low-cost veterinary insurance for middle-income people who often have to make difficult choices with limited resources.
Too many dogs are euthanized in animal shelters every year. This is not because there are too many dogs. The number of homeless dogs actually has dropped by more then 50% over the past 10 years. The reason for the continuing high euthanasia rates could be described as a failure of management to implement "no-kill" strategies, and a failure of government at all levels to provide adequate funding to operate an effective shelter program. Funding from the Helmsley Trust could help animal shelters to implement "no-kill" strategies such as public outreach, foster care and adoption assistance programs.
Rescue groups make heroic efforts to help dogs in need, and thousands of dogs find new homes every year because of the dedication of rescuers. They help dogs that have lost their homes due to death, severe illness, divorce and financial hardship. Some rescue groups are well funded, but most are not. These groups need the resources to be able to accept dogs before they enter the shelter system, and then to care for them until good homes can be found. A toll-free rescue hotline also could be included in every Yellow Page listing for animal shelters as an alternative to municipal facilities.
The unsung heroes of the dog world are the dedicated people who raise purebred dogs. Fanciers of various breeds have performed miracles over the years by providing dogs that are healthier, have fewer genetic problems and have better dispositions than at any time in human history. They have funded genetic research and testing, are the backbone behind the breed rescue movement, have voluntarily instituted stringent buyer protection programs, have required spaying and neutering of all purebreds that are not exemplary specimens of their breed, and stand behind every puppy they raise from birth until death. Purebred dogs from conscientious fanciers have predictable characteristics, come from known backgrounds and have received truly superb care. Funding for genetic research and testing, and breed rescue groups, is vital to make sure that high quality puppies are available that will spend their lifetimes as valued members of loving families.
The pet store trade has spawned a proliferation of large commercial breeding kennels to meet the consumer demand for puppies. Although most of these large kennels provide an acceptable level of physical care, they cannot provide an ideal environment because of their sheer size. Some of these kennels could be described as "puppy mills," because their dogs receive poor care and are exploited for profit. Laws and governmental regulation have proven to be ineffective tools because of the high consumer demand for pet store puppies, and because of unwarranted and burdensome intrusions into the lives of all dog owners that result from complex laws. A better solution would be to provide financial incentives for pet stores to stop selling puppies: in essence, buying out their right to sell puppies. Instead of selling puppies directly at a retail level, they could provide referrals to reputable certified breeders of quality puppies, or for rescue groups, and receive a commission in return. Funding could help to create a breeder certification program that meets the highest standards. In addition, funding could be provided to help rescue groups buy out large commercial kennels, with contractual guarantees that would prohibit a kennel from reopening.
As we stated earlier, there is no over-population problem with dogs in most of America. The entire northern tier of states and the West Coast actually have a severe shortage of adoptable dogs, and thousands of dogs are imported every year to meet the demand. The states that do have a problem with having too many dogs are generally in the southern part of the country. Thus, the real problem from a national perspective is one of distribution. Funding could assist northern and West Coast rescue groups with their humane relocation efforts to import dogs from the few states that do have a shelter population problem.
It is rare today to find puppies in an animal shelter or rescue program because of the overwhelming success of voluntary spay and neuter programs in most parts of the country, increased public awareness and stringent leash laws that target people who let their dogs roam. An estimated 60-percent of dogs today already have been spayed or neutered. When problems exist, they tend to be in places with struggling economies and many low-income residents. Funding to provide free pet sterilization for low-income people everywhere in America would go a long way to solving this problem.
The American Sporting Dog Alliance would be happy to assist you in funding decisions to implement any or all of these goals, or to develop other goals to benefit the welfare of dogs. We also have dedicated officers and members in every state who would be happy to offer their assistance.
We are aware that two well-known national organizations will be seeking funding from the Helmsley Foundation, but would strongly caution you against supporting them. They are the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Both of these organizations support an agenda that wholly contradicts Mrs. Helmsley's beliefs and intentions.
The ultimate goal of both HSUS and PETA is the total extinction of all domestic animals, including dogs. They consider all relationships between people and dogs to be a form of exploitation - even beloved household companions that are members of loving families. While HSUS rhetoric sounds more moderate than PETA on the surface, the goal of the two organizations is the same. They want to reduce the number of dogs and the number of people who own dogs as quickly as possible, while working for changes in societal norms that make dog ownership unappealing to people. Their goal is a future without dogs. Mrs. Helmsley would be appalled by their agenda.
Both organizations have strongly opposed "no-kill" animal shelters, and favor programs that result in the impoundment and euthanasia of as many dogs as possible. For example, HSUS consistently supports animal cruelty laws that are targeted against private "no-kill" shelters. HSUS and PETA also consistently favor legislation that does everything possible to discourage dog ownership, imposes heavy fines and liabilities for dog ownership, and mandates the involuntary sterilization of all dogs.
As HSUS President Wayne Pacelle said of his goal: "One generation and out. We have no problems with the extinction of domestic animals." Goodbye, dogs. His plan is to accomplish this by laws that mandate pet sterilization, and make it almost impossible for someone to raise a litter of puppies.
In spite of its name, the Humane Society of the United States has no relationship to local humane societies. It does not operate a single shelter. It does not help a single dog. It provides very little funding to help shelters. In 2006, for example, HSUS (with a net worth of $113 million) gave only 4.2% of its $85 million operating budget to animal shelters. The vast majority of HSUS expenditures are for fund-raising. What's left goes to political lobbying.
HSUS also has a horrible track record of misusing the funds it raises to benefit animals. A study of HSUS fund-raising in California, for example, concluded that only 11.3% of the money collected was left over after fund-raising expenses were deducted. With PETA, only 28% of the money was available after fund-raising costs were deducted. The national average is 46%.
There also have been some scandals involving HSUS funding. For example, the organization raised a lot of money to help the dogs rescued from Michael Vicks' dog fighting operation. Insiders say that not one penny actually was used to help those dogs. It all went to HSUS publicity. The U.S. Attorney's Office reportedly asked HSUS to cease this campaign, because damage was being done to the prosecution's case against Vicks. Problems also were reported in the HSUS involvement with the effort to rescue dogs following Hurricane Katrina.
In New York, HSUS employed a company called Share Group to raise funds. In 2000, Share Group gave HSUS only $16,543 of the $1.08 million it raised in New York (a return of only 1.53%). In 2004, Share Group raised over $1 million in HSUS's name, but lost money. HSUS wound up paying about $173,000 to Share Group.
Unfortunately, PETA does operate an animal shelter, although calling it that is an aberration. It recent years, PETA has killed between 91-percent and 97-percent of the animals it has received at its Norfolk, VA, shelter. In 1996, PETA took in 1,030 dogs and killed 988 of them, while finding homes for only eight. That year, PETA hauled in $30 million in revenues. None of this money went to help dogs. Not one penny was used to save the life of a dog, or to give it a better life.
PETA's actual kill statistics might be much worse, as apparently many dogs picked up by shelter employees never make it out of the truck alive. A pair of PETA employees were charged with 31 counts of animal cruelty after they were observed throwing dead dogs in garbage bags into a dumpster behind a grocery store only a couple of hours after they were "rescued" from a nearby animal shelter. North Carolina and Virginia authorities report that hundreds of other dead dogs wrapped in garbage bags have been found in local dumpsters and strewn along riverbanks.
Ingrid Newkirk, PETA's president, appears to take convoluted personal pleasure in killing dogs. She has written that she has personally killed thousands of dogs, and that she starts every work day in the euthanasia room.
In an interview with Harper's Magazine, she said: "Pet ownership is an absolutely abysmal situation brought about by human manipulation." She calls for the "total liberation" of all dogs, which means their extinction.
In closing, we again wish to express our deep gratitude to Mrs. Helmsley's estate for its wonderful generosity toward dogs. We strongly support the estate trustees in their commitment to honor her wishes, and offer our assistance in any way that we are needed.
The American Sporting Dog Alliance represents owners, hobby breeders and professionals who work with breeds of dogs that are used for hunting. We are a grassroots movement working to protect the rights of dog owners, and to assure that the traditional relationships between dogs and humans maintains its rightful place in American society and life. Please visit us on the web at http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org or contact us at asda@csonline.net.
The American Sporting Dog Alliance also needs your help so that we can continue to work to protect the rights of dog owners. Your membership, participation and support are truly essential to the success of our mission. We are funded solely by the donations of our members, and maintain strict independence.
PLEASE CROSS-POST AND FORWARD THIS REPORT
The myth of the "vicious breed of dog"
Guest Editorial
This is the text of a Guest Editorial that I wrote for the Kentucky Enquirer published 7-25-08.
BSL and the myth of the vicious breed of dog.
Hollywood, the land of make-believe, has planted more thoughts into our nation's subconscious than any of us care to believe and politicians are the last people to admit where they get their ideas from. So begins the myth of the `vicious breed of dog'. There is a wave of hysteria sweeping across America called Breed Specific Legislation. Known as BSL, it is fueled by safety-conscious officials who seem unaware or unconcerned about the facts. The primary fact is that BSL promotes an illusion of public safety just as Gun Control once did. In fact, there are many similarities between BSL and Gun Control. Remember the politician who wanted to do something about gun violence so he calls for a ban on handgun ownership. Only law-biding citizens obeyed the law, the one's that had nothing to do with the problem in the first place. The criminal element ignored it and the violence increases. Who are the people who own vicious dogs? The drug dealers and the irresponsible jerks that crave bragging rights for having the biggest, meanest dog in the neighborhood. Who pays the price for BSL? Families that own, care for and raise their dogs with love and affection. The opposite of what it takes to make a dog vicious. No breed of dogs is born vicious, they are made that way and that should be a crime. The city of Newport ignored the facts when they wrote their BSL law. They ignored scientific proof from The American Temperament Test Society (www.atts.org) that showed test scores from over 28,000 temperament tests. BSL laws often refer to the "propensity" of certain breeds to be aggressive. Propensity means temperament and if a breed scores high in temperament it is less likely to be naturally aggressive. Punish the deed not the breed.
PET ANTI-BREEDING SYSTEM
DEXTER BLANCH | | 0
PROFESIONALS ENDORSEMENTS OF THIS PRODUCT. THIS IS AN INTRODUCTION TO THOSE THAT ARE WILLING TO TAKE A LOOK. MAYBE WE CAN GET THE GOVENOR OF CALIF. TO SIDE WITH US. I AM ABOUT TO LAUNCH THIS PRODUCT, THOSE OF US THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE AND PASSIONATE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR PETS WE HAVE TO HAVE ALL WE CAN TO FIGHT THEM WITH. I'M CHANNELING A LOT OF ENERGY IN THIS, I LIVED IN CALIFORNIA FOR OVER 20YRS. I'VE BEEN KEEPING UP WITH WHAT IS GOING ON AND I HAVED BEEN BLESSED TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL. I TRULY LOVE ANIMALS I KNOW THAT THIS CHASTITY SYSTEM WILL CONVINCE SOME CHANGE TO COMPRIMISE. WE NEED TO LOOK AT ALL POSITIVE ANGELS WE CAN AND HOPE THAT WE THAT ARE DRIVEN BY AB 1634 TO STOP IT. MY INFO. BLANCHDEXTER@BELLSOUTH.NET PH#318 636 7706 318 655 4368.PLSE CONTACT ME AND LET'S STOP THIS.
Nemo needs Your Help to win one for all Pet Owners!
Nemo urges you to vote
Hi Fellow PetPac members. My dog Nemo has been entered into the Bissell Company's MVP contest (Most Valuable Pet). The grand prize is $10,000 donated to a pet cause of the winner's choice. Mr. Nemo was an important part in our lobbying efforts against AB1634 so of course if he wins, the prize will be donated to PetPac. We have an opportunity here to raise people's awareness of PetPac's mission and hopefully garner some financial support as well. This contest is a symbolic reminder, especially in this particular year, about the importance of one vote.
We affect change in our country through the political process. We do that not only by voting but by coming together as communities of like minded interests. PetPac is one such community - for the first time - a grassroots organization dedicated to protecting the rights of animals and their owners. For too long we were complacent, thinking pets were too popular and the animal rights groups could not possible get a foothold. We have learned and are learning more every day that we were wrong - that while we stuck our head in the sand, the AR interests in this country were gathering strength, money and most importantly political savy. On PetPac's Blog page back in July, I wrote a piece called Keeping Our Voices Heard, which I ask you to read again. In that I urged us all to "start with one simple thing". We have a way today to start with that one simple thing. I ask you to place a symbolic vote by voting for Nemo in the Bissell contest. Let us tell the whole country that ALL of our pets are MVP's and finally, they and we have a voice to protect our rights.
Please go to this link http://www.bissell.com/redirect.asp?page_id=47201&Pet=1109 and enter your vote for Nemo and PetPac. Please vote now as voting is only open until April 22nd. If the link above does not work you can go to this page http://www.bissell.com/Page_id/47200/Locating_a_Specific_Pet.aspx then select the letter N and click on the photo of Nemo Schafer Meister ( should be 5th photo down on the right).
Nemo and I thank you for your support and look forward to working with all of you in the future in support of our rights and freedoms.
Beth
"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
PetPac, ab1634, dog, cat, bird, horse, vote, petowner's rights, MVP (all tags)
SAVE THE DOGS AND CATS
STARTED NEW GROUP AND PLANS FOR MEETINGS AT 6:30 PM ON 3RD TUES NITES OF THE MONTH AT SIMON PARK AT AUBURN AND COLUMBUS ST IN BAKERSFIELD CA!THIS WILL BE THE NITE BEFORE ANIMAL CONTROL MEETINGS HELD ON 3RD WED AT CITY BUILDING OF EACH MONTH. WE HAVE GOT TO STOP THIS GENOCIDE OF PETS!
