AB 1122
Assembly Bill 1122, Lieu - Oppose
PetPAC, an organization representing over 71,000 pet owners and dog and cat clubs in California is opposed to Assembly Bill 1122, Lieu. which would provide, that it shall be a crime, for any person to willfully sell, display or offer for sale or give away as part of a commercial transaction, a live animal on any street, highway, public right-of-way, parking lot, carnival, or boardwalk.
PetPAC has met with the author and proponents of AB 1122 to try to persuade them this bill has broad implications that would severely and detrimentally impact dog shows, cat shows, hunting, herding, police and farm training, as well as training and placing of service dogs, guide dogs, and dogs for the hearing impaired.
More grievously, AB 1122 makes the act of selling or even displaying for sale a violation of criminal animal abuse laws. In other words this bill makes the location of the sale, the crime. Not the condition of the animals, but the location. An owner selling his own property is not a crime. Animal abuse violations allow confiscation of all of the owners animals and prohibits the ownership or possession of any animals for five years. If a buyer wants to purchase a puppy from an exhibitor at a dog show, that is a criminal violation and animal abuse.
AB1122 exempts government animal shelters, SPCA and rescue groups. In essence it says it’s a crime for a citizen to sell his dog or cat at a specific outdoor location, but not for a government agency to sell their animals at the same location. What is wrong with this picture?
The latest amendments to AB 1122 to exempt dog, cat and bird shows were written without input from experts within the animal community. AB 1122 exempts:
(8) A cat show, dog show, or bird show, provided that all of the Following circumstances exist:
* (A) The show is validly permitted by the city or county in which The show is held.
* (B) Each and every participant in the show complies with all
Federal, state, and local animal welfare and animal control laws.
(C) The participant has written documentation of the payment of a fee for the entry of his or her cat, dog, or bird in the show.
(D) The sale of a cat, dog, or bird occurs only on the premises
And within the confines of the show.
(E) The show is a competitive event where the cats, dogs, or birds are exhibited and judged by an established standard or set of ideals established for each breed or species.
These exemptions cannot be met.
* Section (A): cannot be complied with as there are puppy shows that are held at public parks, without permits required.
* Section (B): Dogs in exhibition do not wear their license tags as it interferes with judging. Dogs in obedience and agility do not wear a leash as part of their training is off lead. Dogs at dog shows bark. If just one exhibitor or participant is in violation the entire show is not exempt. This is an impossible rule.
Proponents have stated they do not want to interfere with animal sport shows, but it is quite evident by these requirements their intentions is to do just that. No other species in AB 1122 were given anything but a blanket exemption.
AB 1122 even goes so far as to affect the training and sale of service dogs, police dogs, and guide dogs. These animals are trained with the potential new owner on public streets. This is a violation of AB 1122 and animal cruelty.
AB 1122 outrages purebred Dog and cat owners, exhibitors, trainers, breeders and clubs. This is a gross injustice that will affect hundreds of thousands of pet owners in California.
