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Final Report : April MAWC successful in fighting new DNR regulations in 2008! |
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URGENT LEGISLATIVE ALERT Partial Victory – SB 318 (see below) has been withdrawn by its sponsor. Your MAWC representatives testified at the February 18 hearing as did other people who own and breed dogs. All pointed out the fact that this bill goes far beyond just prohibiting “puppy mills.” The sponsor, Senator Gladden, commented that she was contacted more on this bill than she was on her bill to repeal the death penalty! SB 318 was killed also due to the many letters, emails, telephone calls, and personal contacts by MAWC members. This clearly demonstrates what we can accomplish when we all pull together. Now, we are keeping an eye on the companion bill, HB 495. While it had a hearing on February 12 (at which MAWC testified as well), the committee has not yet voted on it. The death of SB 318 pretty much spells the end of HB 495 as written but we still need to be vigilant. Senate Bill 318/House Bill 495, Criminal Law – Crimes Relating to Animals – Limitations on Possession of Breeding Dogs SB 318 has been introduced in the Maryland General Assembly by:
As of Thursday, February 5, its companion bill, House Bill 495 has been introduced as well by the following delegates:
These are potentially devastating bills that, if passed would prohibit anyone from owning, possessing, controlling or otherwise having custody of more than 50 breeding dogs. For 10-49 dogs, there will be unreasonable requirements for kenneling and exercise. Please contact the bill sponsors and your own senators and delegates to let them know you are opposed to this bill. To reach the bill sponsors, just click on their names above then you can click on Biography under their photos to get to their phone numbers, snail mail or email addresses. To determine who your senators and delegates are and how to reach them by phone, email, or snail mail, follow this link: http://mlis.state.md.us/. This is the General Assembly home page, click on Contact or Find a Legislator and go from there. Below is a sample form letter for your use if you so desire (or click here to download a Word doc). Remember to be respectful! MAWC is offering an amendment that will exempt dogs used for hunting. Dear Senator (or Delegate) ________________: I am concerned about SB 318/HB 495, Criminal Law – Crimes Relating to Animals – Limitations on Possession of Breeding Dogs. I understand - and share - the desire to protect dogs from abuse but this bill carries that desire well beyond what is reasonable. It has far-reaching, and I hope unintended, consequences and would virtually put an end to hound sports which have been honorably practiced in Maryland for hundreds of years. Many foxchasing, beagling and basseting clubs have more than 50 “breeding” dogs. This number is necessary to enable us to only hunt a certain number at a time thus not putting undue stress on any hounds. Maryland already has stringent animal abuse laws on the books. In addition, current Maryland kennel inspection laws exempt premises “where hunting dogs are kept, if the buying, selling, trading, or breeding is incidental to the main purpose of housing, keeping, and using dogs” (10-616). There are reasons for this. Our members take great pride in their hounds and go to great lengths to care for them. Also, county animal control units routinely inspect our kennels. Therefore, I respectfully request that you consider exempting dogs used for hunting sports from the bill. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Sincerely, (Name, address, email, phone #) |