TX House Bill 4277

[hrd2gt]

Please take time to email the sponsors of these bills and to write to
your State Legislator. If this passes breeders of hunting , herding
,livestock guardian dogs ,competition dogs will no longer exist in Texas .
Don't sit back and think it won't happen ..it COULD!!

Thanks


**Texas**** Mandatory Spay/Neuter Bills Introduced**

**Print This Article **

//[Monday, March 16, 2009] //

Two mandatory spay/neuter bills have been filed in the Texas
Legislature. House Bill 4277, sponsored by Representative Jose Menendez
of San Antonio, and Senate Bill 1845, sponsored by Senator Leticia Van
de Putte also of San Antonio, will require that all dogs over six months
of age be sterilized. The American Kennel Club (AKC) and its Texas
federation of owners, the Responsible Pet Owners Alliance (RPOA),
believe that** any attempt at restricting the rights and liberties of
responsible breeders–especially via mandatory spay/neuter laws–must be
defeated.** If adopted, these bills will have a profound negative impact
not only on responsible dog breeders in Texas, but also on all current
and prospective dog owners. Therefore, it is vital that all responsible
dog breeders and all concerned dog owners in Texas, as well as anyone
worried about such radical policy, contact their elected state
legislatives as well as the bills’ sponsors and respectfully let them
know that these draconian measures are unreasonable, unenforceable, and
unacceptable.

The American Kennel Club opposes the concepts of breeding permits,
breeding bans, or the mandatory spay/neuter of purebred dogs. Instead,
AKC supports reasonable and enforceable laws that protect the welfare
and health of purebred dogs and do not restrict the rights of breeders
and owners who take their responsibilities seriously. Additionally, we
strongly support and actively promote a wide range of programs to
educate the public about responsible breeding practices and the
responsibilities of dog ownership.

As currently written, HB 4277 and SB 1845 would:

* Require every person who owns a dog or cat at least six months of
age to have the animal spayed or neutered.
* Provide few exceptions, including one for owners of a dog or cat
who purchase an intact animal permit at a cost of $300 per intact
animal.
* Make each violation of this law a class C misdemeanor, liable for
fines up to $500 per violation.

**_WHAT YOU CAN DO: _**

All concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in Texas, as well as
all other concerned Texas residents, are strongly encouraged to write
their elected state legislators as well as the bills’ sponsors. Let them
know that mandatory spay/neuter bills are radical and unacceptable and
will have a profound negative impact upon the state of Texas.

To find out who represents you in the Texas House of Representatives,
click here <http://www.house.state.tx.us/resources/faq.htm#who_rep>. For
a customizable sample letter to send to your representative, click here
<http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/TX_Resident_Sample_Letter_State_Rep_2009.doc>.

To find out who represents you in the Texas State Senate, click here
<http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/Members.htm#FYI>. For a
customizable sample letter to send to your senator, click here
<http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/TX_Resident_Sample_Letter_State_Senator_2009.doc>.

//House Bill 4277 Sponsor Representative Jose Menendez//
//Capitol Office: EXT E2.204//
//Capitol Address://
//P.O. Box//// 2910//
//Capitol Station//
//Austin////, TX 78768//
//PHONE: (512) 463-0634//
//FAX: (512) 463-7668//
//To write Representative Menendez via e-mail, click here
<http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/email.php?dist=124&rep=jose.menendez>
for an e-mail form. //

//District Address://
//7121 US Hwy.//// 90 West, Suite 240//
//San Antonio////, TX 78227//
//PHONE: (210) 673-3579//
//FAX: (210) 673-3816//

//Senate Bill 1845 Sponsor Leticia Van De Putte //
//Capitol Office: EXT E1.704//
//Capitol Address://
//P.O. Box//// 12068//
//Capitol Station//
//Austin////, TX 78711//
//PHONE: (512) 463-0126//
//TOLL FREE: 1 (888) 279-0648//
//FAX: (512) 463-2114//
//To write Senator Van De Putte via e-mail, click here
<http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist26/dist26.htm> for
an e-mail form. //
//District Address://
//700 N. St. Mary’s Street, Suite 1725//
//San Antonio////, TX 78205//
//PHONE: (210) 733-6604//
//FAX: (210) 733-6605//

For a copy of the AKC’s //Disagree Diplomatically// brochure, please
click here <http://www.akc.org/pdfs/GILEG2.pdf>.

The AKC Government Relations Department will continue to monitor the
consideration of HB 4277 and SB 1845 and will notify the purebred dog
community when these bills are assigned to a committee. Contact
information for committee members will be provided and purebred dog
owners should express their strong opposition to these bills to their
respective committee members at that time.

For more information, please contact AKC’s Government Relations
Department at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>; or contact the Responsible Pet Owners Alliance
at (210) 822-6763, at www.responsiblepetowners.org
<http://www.responsiblepetowners.org/>, or at [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>

 

[apbtmom76]

Texas Attorney General declines to proceed with opinion on breed-specific legislation

March 28, 8:24 AM ·

In November, 2008, outgoing State Rep. Tony Goolsby asked Attorney General Greg Abbott to issue an opinion regarding whether or not Breed-Specific Legislation actually is legal in Texas. The 10-term Dallas Republican, who was defeated by Democrat Carol Kent, wrote in his letter that “Numerous cities and counties have expressed a desire to enact municipal ordinances to ban or regulate breed specific dogs primarily Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds and Doberman Pinchers [sic].”

On February 20, 2009, Greg Abbot's office notified Rep. Charlie Geren (R-River Oaks), Goolsby's successor as Chair of the Committee on House Administration, that unless Geren asked Abbot's office to proceed with the request for opinion by March 23, Abbot's office "would consider the request withdrawn and not issue a written opinion."

A letter from Abbot's office dated March 24, 2009 indicates that Abbot's Opinion Committee did not receive a letter or e-mail from Geren's office, stating, "If [Rep. Geren] would like to pursue an attorney general opinion on this matter at a later date, please resubmit your request at that time."

The Oklahoma Attorney General's office issued opinions in 2005 and 2007 reaffirming that Oklahoma state law does not allow local governments to enact and enforce breed-specific legislation.

http://www.examiner .com/x-2924- Dallas-Pet- Laws-Examiner~ y2009m3d28- Texas-Attorney- General-declines -to-proceed- with-opinion- on-breedspecific -legislation

 

[hrd2gt]

Geez!! I cant read politics!!!

What does that mean? We ok???

 

[deladobies]

I think that means they never received anything regarding the bill so it was smashed... but I dont speak politics either...

 

[hrd2gt]

awesome, think i will edit the title of the thread then

CRAP that took me 5 minutes to figure out, lol

 

[MLR]

Geez!! I cant read politics!!!

What does that mean? We ok???

No hrd2gt, you're not ok. All that means is that the States Attorney General's Office isn't going to get into the middle of all this. The Bills, TX House Bill 4277 and Senate Bill 1845, are still pending!!!!

 

[MLR]

Excert regarding Attorney General's opinion: "The Oklahoma Attorney General's office issued opinions in 2005 and 2007 reaffirming that Oklahoma state law does not allow local governments to enact and enforce breed-specific legislation."

What this basically means is that right now local municipalities can't regulate by BSL. This in no way negates the states two branches of government from moving forward and adding to state law thereby changing that. Those two Bills which are pending, if passed, would make it permissible for city's, townships and villages to make up any ordinances they so desired restricting ownership of certain dog breeds. Counties could do likewise and their rules would supercede the local units of goverment's ordinances if they weren't as strict as the county's..

 

[apbtmom76]

Thank you MLR, THESE two bills are still pending, please come to the capitol on the 8th, next Wed if you would like to voice your opinion. We need as many bodies there as possible. If you want to talk to the floor you have to call and set up a time. I and several of my group members will be there. I am not good at public speaking and would likely faint but I do have someone who is going to speak. Please come and at least let your presence be known there.

We are soooooo not out of the woods on either of these bills.

 

[MLR]

Tye, a little advice if I may. Whenever I have to speak to our commission on an important issue I always write it out ahead of time. It helps to keep focused when speaking. Also, most of these hearings have time constraints on how long you get at the mic. If you pre-write what you're going to say you can practice it out loud at home and time it. If it's too long you can always edit it ahead of time. It's too late when you get there to do that. I've found that about 250 words is about all the time you will get to speak at the podium. So you need to make every word count.

 

[apbtmom76]

THANK YOU MLR!!!!!!! I appreciate the words.