Monitors, please feel free to move this if it is posted at an incorrect spot.....
I don't usually jump onto the soapbox....but I will make an exception in this case. I feel very strongly about this. If we don't become proactive & stop this bill...it may mean the end to small breeders ability to make choises about breeding their dogs. This bill is Bad news & must be stopped. Please help do that by e-mailing & writing you representatives in Washington & telling them to VOTE NO to the PAWS bill. Please pass this on to your friends & family to do the same. We need everyones' help. The following Bill has been introduced:

Pet Animal Welfare Statute (PAWS) 2005
Senate Bill 1139/House Bill 2669


PAWS has the potential to affect all small/hobby breeders, all clubs, all registries in the US, all rescue groups, and all imports of dogs/cats. This bill is very bad news, not only because of the damage it may do to hobby breeders (breeders who raise their dogs/puppies in their homes.) For example: a possibility of no more puppies raised in the breeders homes, all dogs/pups must be raised in USDA Licensed Kennels. It will also be the end of most or all rescue groups, and it will definitely be the end of almost ALL cat breeders. Another reason for voting "NO" to the PAWS Bill, is that the PAWS bill will give a foot through the door for the Animal Rights factions to further their cause, which is--"the elimination of all breeding of pet animals".
The following comment was written by Dr. Carmen Battaglia, a well respected AKC Board of Director who voted against the PAWS Bill: "One of the most dangerous parts of PAWS is that for the first time it will inject the federal government into regulations about whether, when and how animals (dogs) can be bred".
This is a very dangerous, poorly written bill that takes the place of the Puppy Protection Act that was defeated several years ago.
Please help by e-mailing, calling, and more importantly, writing (snail mail) and saying "NO" to the PAWS Bill S1139 & HR2669. I have provided you with just a few sites that give the information on the bill, of who to write to, an on-line petition, and even more basic information on this bill. Also, please forward/crosspost to all of your animal lover families and friends, and ask them to help. It only takes a few minutes of your time. And Time is of the essence, because they will be voting on this bill soon.


You can find all the information of who to call and write at the following link: http://www.showcockers.com/Nopaws.html

http://www.hosanna1.com/aaaweblog/opposePAWSlegislation.html Please take the time to fill out the following online petition.


More info at the following links:

http://saova.org/1139.html About AKC/Sen Santorum/PAWS Bill

http://saova.org/1139battaglia.html Letter from Dr. Carmen Battaglia (WELL KNOWN AND RESPECTED AKC BOARD OF DIRECTOR)

http://www.mofed.org/PAWS.htm

I forgot to add... that although the original bill (that evolved into this paws bill) was directed at the 'puppy mills' for the most part & the poor treatment & inability to control these types of 'home' breeders....the broad spectrum that this bill will reach out & touch goes far beyond the puppy mills into the lives of small home breeders & small breeding facilities. Many of these wonderful, caring, dedicated & well respected home breeders are active on this board. You can help stop this bill. It is aimed at you. Thanks for your help to stop this kind of govt control.

I just went to some of the links read the bill plus all the other anti info to this new bill. I really don't understand all this hoopla to it. I am sorry, but anybody who breeds more than 6 litters a year, and/or has more then 2 breeding pairs in my opinion is not a Hobby breeder, but someone who does breeding on a commercial basis, and there should be some kind of an oversight and regulations over these type of breeders. It is all for the welfare of the animals, and isn't that the most important. I have seen too many "so called Home Hobby Breeders" which had so many dogs in dirty circumstances with unkept dogs, it is getting time somebody regulates these people. This bill shouldn't affect a Hobby breeder at all, and the others should be regulated.

Isabell Norman

The biggist issue with this bill is the fact that it will open the door to the passing of future bills with even more imposing regulations for even smaller scale breeders. It is just the begining...not the end of this issue of control over the small scale breeder with the passing of this bill. The idea of being able to control the poor conditions that some small scale breeders raise their litters in is a good idea in of itself. It is an issue that should be addressed...but not at the future expense of the small scale breeder that does the upmost job in whelping his litters in the best way possible.

I read the bill, and I'm not clear as to why it's a problem. I think this is the gist of it: it requires dog breeders who annually raise more than six litters or sell more than 25 dogs per year to be licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Is it the license cost that's objectionable, or what? I guess I'm not getting how it limits hobby breeders' choices.

On the face of it, it appears to me to be a positive step. I need specifics about how it harms hobby breeders, I guess.........I wasn't thinking of hobby breeders as people who raise 6 litters or sell 25 dogs in 12 months.

I'm open to listening -- but so far, I'm lost.

The question is - What does it take to get that license? Is it a facility? A fee? Records? Home visit?
And who is going to enforce it?

Those are good questions. Is there something in the answers that is very upsetting? Or is it that we don't know the answers?

The initial protest posts were and still are unclear to me. Are these questions you present the reasons that Anne Jones has protested the S.B.?

The thing that bothered me when reading this bill is it describing a licensed dealer as . The term ''dealer'' means any person who buys, or sells any dog for hunting, security, or breeding purposes. would this not effect people like Ed, Will or anyone else that sells even one dog to be used for pp work?

this whole section here to me is troublesome-

The term ''dealer'' means any person who buys, or sells any dog for hunting, security, or breeding purposes.

New AWA (PAWS) language shown in red and key wording highlighted in bold.

"The term ''dealer'' means any person who, in commerce, for compensation or profit, delivers for transportation, or transports, except as a carrier, buys, or sells, or negotiates the purchase or sale of,
(1) any dog or other animal whether alive or dead for research, teaching, exhibition, or use as a pet, or
(2) any dog for hunting, security, or breeding purposes, or
(3) any dog imported from outside the United States, unless the dog is imported by the person for the use and enjoyment of the person,
except that this term does not include-
(i) a retail pet store except such store which sells any animals to a research facility, an exhibitor, or a dealer, or which sells any dogs imported from outside the United States;

Another thing I thought of, if, say Ed (sorry) did have to get a license for selling and breeding his dogs, and part of getting that license included a home(kennel) visit, just how do you think they would feel about Raw feeding? and if they didn't approve, you would be required, in order to get your license, to change to a kibble food. how exactly would this benifit dogs?

SB 1139 refers to dealers who raise more than six litters or sell more than 25 dogs per year or are paid more than $500. So the terms defining a dealer are only part of the language of the bill.* It's about dealers (as defined) who also "raise more than six litters..," etc.

I believe that part of the protest might derive from the inadequacy of the funding already to regulate wholesale breeders, and the fact that this bill increases the load on under-manned and under-funded agencies. The proponents of the bill respond that the license fee would be used for that purpose.

The questions about the guidelines already in effect (and which this bill seeks to extend to the dealers described above) are detailed at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/index.html

* ....."except that this term does not include (ii) any person who, during any calendar year (I) (aa) sells not more than 25 dogs or cats at wholesale or to the public; or (bb) does not whelp more than 6 litters of dogs or cats and sells only dogs or cats bred or raised on the premises of the person directly at retail to persons who purchase such animals for their own use and enjoyment and not for resale; and (II) derives not more than $500 gross income from the sale of other animals;"