ALERT OKLAHOMA-Message from RPOA
TX-RPOA E-News
>From RPOA Texas Outreach and
Responsible Pet Owners Alliance
Crossposting is encouraged.
February 20, 2012
Sir Winston Churchill: “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile – hoping
it will eat him last.”
The Animal Rights Brigade is a hungry crocodile that is never satisfied.
RPOA can personally attest to that as we’ve fought the battle in Texas for
over 20 years now. It is never-ending.
Please support RPOA’s Legislative Action Fund! Lobbyists, lawsuits and the
courts are our best hope to kill the HSUS beast in Texas. We have an
attorney on retainer to file a lawsuit against HB 1451 as soon as the Rules
are finalized – deadline of March 31st. Our lobbyist is already working on
the 2013 Texas Legislative Session
Donations are not tax deductible and can be made to RPOA Texas Outreach with
PayPal or mail-in :
www.rpoatexasoutreach.org
Our hands are tied without finances to fight this battle. This is one of
the most important years of our existence.
If not for RPOA and all our friends, the misnamed “Puppymill” Bill would
have passed the state legislature in 2009. Unfortunately we lost in the
recent 2011 Texas Legislative Session because some very naive animal
interest groups caved — believing that vaguely written exemptions for
certain dogs would keep the crocodile away from their doorstep. Wait until
the fine print comes out!
Read the information below regarding Oklahoma’s “Puppymill” Bill which
started out last year with dog and cat breeder licensing required for owners
of 11 or more Intact Females — just like Texas.
Three new Oklahoma bills have just been filed: SB 1118, SB 1295 and now SB
1933 which is of major significance as it lowers the previous “Puppymill”
Bill to allow more than SIX Intact Female Dogs or Cats to require a Breeders
License. RPOA just received the bill copy last night and we’re in the
process of analyzing it.
Oklahoma SB 1933 is called the “Companion Animal Care Act.”
A permit or EXEMPTION is valid for one year. Sporting and hunting dog
breeders must provide documentation each year of active participation in
working competitions sanctioned by a recognized organization — just as in
Texas law. Texas law requires such documentation for each specific dog
The OK bill defines a “Breeder” as: “A person, other than a sporting or
working dog breeder, engaged in the business of breeding animals for sale or
for exchange in return for a consideration, and who harbors more than SIX
(6) Intact Females for the primary purpose of breeding animals for sale.”
Animal owners who seek “exemptions” in proposed animal rights legislation
are digging their own grave. The Animal Rights Mantra is “get anything
passed and come back later.”
Check out the Oklahoma article on the new bills:
http://capitolbeatok.com/_webapp_3820211/Legislators_seek_to_overturn_%E2%80%9CPuppy_Mill%E2%80%9D_law
OR Tiny URL:
http://tinyurl.com/77s4ztv
There’s an excellent website to keep up with Oklahoma’s anti-pet
legislation:
http://petbreedersandowners.com/
Oh, yes! Did we neglect to say that the Texas HB 1451 “Rules” are
impossible to meet for most home-based dog and cat breeders with reported
estimates coming in of $35,000 to $50,000 for compliance. More on this
later.
……………………
While Texas RPOA has done a wonderful job and so many good things as well as helped with the legislative process of all things concerning responsible pet ownership; it would have been a greater cause for them to have addressed the issue of due process of the Texas 821 Health and Safety Code for seizing animals long ago including questioning whether it is constitutional. However, this blogger recognizes the shortage of funds for lobbyists and the process of challenging any law the legislature puts in place. Many things are changed as the laws themselves are written that do not require the approval of lawmakers.
PLEASE support RPOA so they can properly do their job of protecting owners and animals from lawlessness that comes from the creation of bad bills and statutes for Texas!!!
There has been another animal seizure, this time in Eastland County in Texas. Because of a relative being mean and making that dreaded phone call this poor lady had her dogs confiscated. Look at the Cisco Paper dated 2/23/2012 for details. This is horrible!!!!! It has got to stop.
Got it…TY for notifying me…When is it going to stop…Why did it ever get started…Who’s bright idea..
All signs point in one direction that can’t be denied…Animal Rights Extremists have created a war within our borders!!! Best -B
Abilene newspapers also printed an article today about the dog seizure in Eastland, Texas. It appears the officials will be thru with their investigation by the end of the week. They are planning to press charges against this woman. They had even brought in rescue people from California to help with their so called mission. Dallas Ft. Worth Humane Society were in on this. This goes to show that they had been making plans for to do this job for at least a couple of weeks. This woman didn’t even stand a chance! They bullied her!!!
I feel so sorry for dog and cat breeders. Since when did it become official business to start telling people how many dogs/cats they could have, to breed etc. Since when did people have to pay for the priviledge to do something that they truly enjoy doing!!!!
I live in Oklahoma and due to a recent move Burrage is now my Senator. Reading this it’s scary. I’ve written and called his office but he’s not going to listen to me because Sue Hamm is buying his vote, she’s buying lots of votes in our state.
Here is what I would like to do if someone could give me some advice on how to do it. I would like to send this bill to every constituent’s mail box and let them know exactly what their Senator is up to.
We don’t have many people in Oklahoma fighting back and sadly too many people in this state hear puppy mill and buy into everything hook, line and sinker and then you add the billions of dollars in Hamm’s bank account paving the way and our legislators have become her paid employees. Her dollars are speaking and unfortunately we don’t have legislators like Missouri that will fight back because they’re all too interested in Hamm’s money.
I remember when they came after the cock fighters and I had friends and neighbors who were telling me they will come after dog and cat breeders next, then it will be farms including small hobby farms where families are just trying to raise food for their own families. I made the mistake to laugh at them, because I thought they were exaggerating and I didn’t raise fighting cocks and really didn’t agree with fighting cocks, so I sat back and didn’t care if they outlawed it. I voted against it because I didn’t like how it was worded, but I didn’t fight for the cock fighters.
When they started talking about pet breeders laws, I thought everyone was nuts, there was no way a conservative state like Oklahoma with many rural citizens would ever happen. I was wrong, it passed.
None of us can afford to continue sitting back. I don’t know the answer and I’m not real sure how best to fight back. I just know if all of us don’t figure out how to stop it, my way of life will end. I’m not a breeder, but I own dogs. I raise cattle for my own family’s consumption and I raise goats and chickens and I also have livestock guardians and if this new bill passes then these people just have to suspect I’m a breeder because I do have 6 dogs, they’re not all intact dogs, but I’m not stupid enough to think that will stop them. I’m also not stupid enough to think they’ll have no problem with dogs living with livestock and sleeping in a barn. They also at times drink dirty water because they believe they are goats and goats get their water dirty even if you changed it out 20 times a day you’d still find grass, leaves, etc. in it.
Shelly- I appreciate your outrage but there’s no way to get something in everyone’s mailbox without big bucks and if you had big bucks then you’d be doing more than that!!! I’ll try to put something out later but I’m working on a few things right now and each needs immediate attention…You are not alone and the fight against bad bills and laws is not an easy go…I am shocked that it is happening so frequently in all states and these bills are are unacceptable for sure… -B
I just can’t believe they’d even consider a bill that is unconstitutional like this one is. Think they can force us to allow them to search without a warrant and if we don’t abide charge us with a crime just because they might suspect we’re a breeder?
I went to OK City and any of us who were against the first bill were treated like something they found on the bottom of their shoe. We were not allowed to voice our opinion.
I write, I call, I donate as much as I can. I call the media, but they only want to hear one side. I don’t understand why it’s such an unfair fight. I just am getting so frustrated because it seems as if it’s a losing battle.
.
Seriously, take a long deep breath…they have protocol…You start with a letter explaining what is wrong with the bill and why you are against it. You send your message to each member where the bill is proposed…whether the state house (HB) or the state senate (SB)…Their email addresses are listed in the state legislature…Same copy can be sent with one click…Dear Representative….A separate letter for each bill. Be polite and check for grammar and spelling (my personal downfall).
If you are on FB or other social network, write up both a cause and petition and start circulating it to your ‘friends’ and anyplace that you believe will be concerned and join your cause and sign your petition…It all takes time…Send me copy of your letters and to who it was sent to if you like…But there should be something going up shortly on this blog…After the legislature fight this past year in Texas, I know your frustrations, I just have to gear back up to the ‘kill the bad bill’ issues…ugh…I hate politics and apparently we have no choice!!!
Best -B
I actually write each senator or representative in the state when I see a bill like this. It takes loads of time, but I was told one time a legislator that although e-mails are read, they all take letters more seriously and to make sure they’re not chain type letters as they all do communicate with each other. So I write individual letters as well as e-mails and I call.
Although I will admit with this Burrage senator you take a risk if you own animals because there are some people I know who believe he puts those of us who oppose on a list. Some even believe he’s behind some of their inspections outside the rules. I’m not a breeder, so I’m not as worried, but if this bill passes it could put me on that list.
I’ve been actively involved since it became reality that this last bill was going to go through and I have given as much as I can afford to help the breeders who have hired attorneys.
Sadly in Oklahoma it’s hard to get those who are not breeders to realize what we’re fighting. I have gotten most of my agriculture friends and neighbors on board because it’s finally sunk in to them that they’re a part of this battle especially since HSUS released their video of hog farmers in Oklahoma.
It’s just at times it seems as if it’s a losing battle and sadly I don’t have the billions like the Hamms of the world do to help fight back.
The bill for the exotic ban was killed and there is no reason to believe this one…well both of these bills will survive…I hope you took action with both the House and the Senate