AZAWAKH: Thin Is In!

Beautiful expression and head study of an archetypical Azawakh taidit. Neshroon Idiiyat-es-Sahel (3 images) Iférouane Idiiyat-es-Sahel, ~6 months old (2 images) Tombouktou's Enayat ~4-1/2 months old (1 image)

Monday, April 6, 2009

CA Legislative: Red Alert

What was CA SB 250 Amended, Set for Hearing – Opposition Needed! AB 1634 that we killed last year has now morphed into SB 250. California Senate Bill 250 has been amended and set for a hearing in the Senate Local Government Committee for April 15th. We need all California fanciers, responsible dog owners and breeders, and clubs to write and oppose this legislation. Letters must be received by April 8 to be reflected on the committee analysis. SB 250’s primary intent is to penalize owners of intact animals and force sterilization of an at-large or unlicensed dog or cat on a first offense. This is an unreasonable standard as even a responsible owner can have a single incident where an animal is let out by a meter reader, neighbor or faulty gate. As amended on April 2; SB 250: ∙ Allows an unaltered license to be revoked if one citation is issued for a dog being at-large or stray. ∙ Requires a person selling, trading, or placing for adoption an unaltered animal to post the license number if the animal is older than four months, or the age required by the local licensing agency. (The prior version of the bill required a licensing number for any sale of an unaltered animal, and it was unclear how this would affect the sale of puppies and kittens younger than four months who were not required to be license.) ∙ Requires any unlicensed intact animal that is impounded to be sterilized, even on a first offense. ∙ Adds a new definition of “custodian” as follows; “Custodian” means any person who undertakes the personal care and control of a dog or cat, or any person who intentionally provides care, security, or sustenance for a dog or cat on the person’s property for any period exceeding 30 days. “Custodian” does not include a licensing agency.” Existing state law already requires owners of intact animals to pay a license fee that is at least double that to license a sterilized animal (Food and Agriculture Code Section 30804.5); and provides for enhanced and graduated fines for owners whose intact dogs are impounded (Food and Agriculture Code Section 30804.7). These statutes are sufficient to incentivize owners to sterilize their animals and to address animal control concerns with specific intact animals who are repeatedly impounded. To find out who represents you in the State Senate, please click here. Encourage your club to send a letter opposing SB 250. Please click here for a sample letter for your club to personalize. Send your letters to the author and members of the Senate Local Government Committee. Click here for sample letter in pdf or in Word Senator Dean Florez (Author), State Capitol, Room 313, Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 651-4016, Fax: (916) 327-5989 Senator Patricia Wiggins (Chair), State Capitol, Room 4081, Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 651-4002, Fax (916) 323-6958 Senator Dave Cox (Vice Chair), State Capitol, Room 2068, Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 651-4001, Fax: (916) 324-2680 Senator Sam Aanestad, State Capitol, Room 3063, Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 651-4004, Fax: (916) 445-7750 Senator Christine Kehoe, State Capitol, Room 5050, Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 651-4039, Fax: (916) 327-2188 Senator Lois Wolk, State Capitol, Room 4032, Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 651-4005, Fax: (916) 323-2304