Responsible Breeders Act Set for June 23rd Senate Hearing

UPDATE 6/21/09: The Responsible Breeders Act (AB 241) passed the Assembly and has moved on to the Senate. The bill will be heard before the Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, June 23, 2009.

The Responsible Breeders Act will crack down on large-scale breeding operations known as "puppy mills" that contribute to pet overpopulation, shelter overcrowding and staggering euthanasia rates. Read the full story here.

Opposition to this crucial animal welfare legislation is becoming increasingly fierce due to its success in the California Assembly. The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) has issued an alert to its members stating that AB 241 would impose an “irrational ban on the possession of dogs and cats irrespective of the quality of care provided to the animals.” Organizations such as The American Kennel Club (AKC) and the National Animal Interest Alliance Trust (NAIA) have also urged their members to become active in opposing AB 241.

Your phone calls of support of AB 241are needed prior to the hearing on June 23rd to help this piece of legislation move forward on its way to becoming law in California.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Contact each member of the Senate Public Safety Committee to voice your support of AB 241.

Senator Mark Leno (Chair): 916-651-4003
Senator John Benoit (Vice Chair): 916-651-4037
Senator Gil Cedillo: 916-651-4022
Senator Bob Huff: 916-651-4029
Senator Darrell Steinberg: 916-651-4006
Senator Rod Wright: 916-651-4025

Posted by Carrie Jones, Best Friends Network Volunteer

Photo of Jo & Beth courtesy of The Amanda Foundation

Source: PetProductNews.com

** Best Friends supports legislation that promotes quality controls and quantity caps for commercial breeders of companion animals. Specifically, we support quality standards that incorporate strict guidelines to ensure that animals’ physical and mental health thrive. Periodic oversight by an authoritative state or local agency and notable penalties that seriously deters recidivism is important. Also supported are statues stating that failure to comply will result in the penalty that a person or entity no will longer allowed to be in the pet-for profit business.