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CDF's position statement - Senate Bill S.B. 499 - spring 2009
Senate Bill S.B. 499 An Act Concerning a Pet Lemon Law and the Release of Rabies Vaccination Records to Animal Control Officers
We must defeat S.B. 499, as changed by Amendment No. 6389 and passed by the Senate on April 30, 2009!
The bill has been assigned House Calendar Number 591 and could go to a House vote as early as Tuesday, May 5 2009.
CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES TODAY AND AGAIN TOMORROW. PHONE CALLS HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE AT THIS LATE DATE.
FOR A LIST OF REPRESENTATIVES CLICK HERE. FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE, THE TOWNS UNDER EACH REPRESENTATIVE ARE SHOWN, ALONG WITH PHONE NUMBERS TO BE USED.
TO CONTACT THEM AT THE LEGISLATIVE OFFICE BUILDING IN HARFORD. THEIR DISTRICT OFFICE PHONE NUMBERS ARE ALSO SHOWN IF THEY WERE AVAILABLE TO US. FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE AND CALL IMMEDIATELY. EVERY CALL COUNTS!
You will have the best chance of getting your points across if you use a short message that clearly states your position, with reasonable rationale, and is non-confrontational, along the line of, "Here are my thoughts. I hope they help you in making an informed decision on how to vote."
Here are some sample “talking points”:
I strongly oppose S.B. 499 because it has unreasonable veterinary exam and reporting requirements for private breeders of pedigreed dogs in this state. It also includes references to undefined “congenital defects” and would impose unduly harsh penalties for even the most minor violations.
S.B. 499 will cause unnecessary hardship to reputable and responsible private breeders in this state who provide the best source of healthy pets for the community, and who were not the original targets of this bill.
S.B. 499 could have the unintended consequence of holding responsible breeders accountable for undefined “congenital defects” that are beyond their control.
Requiring responsible breeders to have their puppies examined by veterinarians every 15 days is simply unnecessary and unreasonable. Their puppies are not exposed to the diseases and stresses encountered in breeding farms (puppy mills), “commercial kennels”, and many pet shops.
Requiring that an animal seller file a certificate of origin for that animal with the Department of Agriculture within two days of the sale is a mandate that is virtually impossible to meet, and the penalty imposed for a violation is grossly overstated.
Pet sellers and buyers deal with living beings. It is unrealistic, and may by harmful to the pets, to encourage buyers to regard animals in the same way as they do manufactured products.
As a taxpaying citizen of Connecticut during the current economic crisis, I strongly oppose setting up a new, burdensome, and expensive system of inspection and control by the Department of Agriculture to administer and enforce the provisions of this bill.
The public would be better protected by statutes that provide for the education of consumers prior to the sale of animals, enabling them to distinguish more easily between responsible and irresponsible sellers.
To help consumers educate and protect themselves from irresponsible animal sellers under existing statutes, they would be better served by directing them to organizations such as Cat Fancier Association and the American Kennel Club (and parent clubs for specific breeds) to learn more about those breeds in which they are interested prior to purchasing.
All living creatures are biological organisms, not manufactured products. Quality control, as is done with most manufactured products, is impossible with animals. In a perfect world, no animal would be permitted to suffer from a “congenital defect “, but all dogs and cats carry six or seven genes for various defects. Research programs funded by many dog and cat associations, along with selective breeding, seek to minimize or eliminate the effects of those genes. Repressive requirements imposed upon responsible breeders would cause many of them to cease operations and severely jeopardize on-going research projects. Legislative efforts to accomplish these efforts by punitive means are unlikely to succeed.
I support laws that are intended to protect sellers and buyers equally from fraud, misrepresentation, and quality problems that are known at the time of transfer of animals, whether the transaction is purchasing or adopting. S.B. 499 in its present form does not do that
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