Subject: Caution HSUS plans a sneak attack

Forwarded post from Legislative Liaisons/NAIA and Maine Legislative canine
lists. Please read with your thinking cap on, and make your own judgments.
I personally lean toward believing him, as I've not found him to be prone to
exaggeration in my limited past dealings.
Forwarded:

This alert was actually first forwarded by APRI but did not originate with
them. It came from Frank Losey, who is an attorney and the lobbyist for the
Missouri Pet Breeders Association. He was credited with the editorial
comments, but it is fairer to say that the entire alert came from him. He
released this alert last weekend at the Missouri Pet Breeders Association
legislative seminar and stated that if we could get ten emails to every
congress member, we'd stand a good chance of stopping whatever HSUS has in
mind.

Subject: Caution HSUS plans a sneak attack


Please cross post to dog breeders and all interested parties that support
breeders and owners' rights.

CAUTION: HSUS plans a sneak attack
Today is Monday August 17 , 2009
* After more than 6 years of restraint and gathering of information to
expose the HSUS...it is time...NOW!
* HSUS plans a sneak attack - we must act right away.
* Please be patient and read the following report:
* WHY IT’S NOW TIME TO USE YOUR "POWDER!"
(Editorial Comments of Franklin W. Losey)

For over 4 years I have repeatedly "preached" the importance for
responsible breeders to strive to improve their credibility by doing
such things as
"publicly condemn" substandard kennels. To that end, I am pleased to
report that pet breeder organizations in Iowa, Pennsylvania and Indiana have
followed the lead of the Missouri Pet Breeders Association (MPBA), and
have publicly condemned substandard kennels. And I believe several other
state pet breeder organizations will soon do the same.
In a similar vein, I have "preached" for over 6 years that it is
important to "keep your powder dry," and not overly contact your
personal U.S.

Senators and Representative until you really need to use those "chits."
In this regard, if you overly use your "Contact your Member of Congress
Chits,"
they may tend to be blasé when you really need for them to go to battle
stations.

After six years of "personal restraint," I believe that if ever a time
existed for responsible breeders to use their powder, NOW IS THE TIME FOR
EACH OF YOU TO CONTACT YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, AND DO IT NOW, FOR
THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

1. I BELIEVE THAT THE REASON THAT NO BILL HAS BEEN INTRODUCED SO FAR
THIS YEAR THAT WOULD AGGRESSIVELY AMEND THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT IS
BECAUSE HSUS IS EXECUTING A STRATEGIC "SNEAK ATTACK" PLAN SO THAT NO ONE
WILL HAVE TIME TO MOUNT OPPOSITION. THE REASONS WHY AND DETAILS OF THE
"SNEAK ATTACK STRATEGY" ARE SET OUT BELOW.

2. During an HSUS co-sponsored workshop in Washington DC in March 2009,
Congressman Jim Moran from VA told the audience that the best way to
amend the Animal Welfare Act is to, in effect, "sneak" amending language
into a "must-pass" bill, such as an Appropriation Bill, at the eleventh
hour so that there will be no time for breeders to mount opposition to
the language.

3. It is not a coincidence that no "PM" Bill has surfaced so far this
year, especially in light of the fact that the "Stop PMs Campaign" is
constantly referenced on the HSUS Home Page, EACH AND EVERY DAY, 24-7,
and is listed as a top legislative priority of HSUS. In short, it is
obvious that HSUS has adopted the "game plan" laid out by Congressman
Moran in March.

4. It is noteworthy that Congressman Moran is on the House
Appropriations Committee, and Senator Durban, who sponsored the PUPS
Bill in the last
session of Congress, is also on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and
is in a Leadership Position in the Senate. Thus, both of these Members of
Congress are in positions that will enable them to influence potential
last minute amendments to an Appropriation Bill.

5. HSUS has given Senator Durbin a 100% rating and Congressman Moran a
100 % rating on its "Humane Scorecard!"

6. Congressman Moran is Co-Chair of the Friends of Animals Congressional
Caucus.

7. When Congress returns from its August Recess, it will need to act on
the Appropriation Bill for the Agriculture Department - - the vehicle that
Congressman Moran suggested could be used to sneak amending language
into the Animal Welfare Act.

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO RAISE QUESTIONS IN THE MINDS OF MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS ABOUT THE CREDIBILITY OF HSUS?
When I began "preaching" about the importance of publicly condemning
substandard kennels, I simultaneously began laying the groundwork for a
strategy to set into motion potential issues that could raise questions
about the self-righteous credibility of HSUS. The first part of the
strategy was to discreetly orchestrate the insertion of amending
language into the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, which expanded the
"protected class" to include breeders and pet stores. That amendment
occurred in 2006.

HSUS was caught off guard and could not stop it.
Next, I began writing to Mr. Pacelle, President and CEO of HSUS, and I
specifically requested that HSUS, in the same manner as MPBA had publicly
condemned substandard kennels, publicly condemn those who explicitly
violate the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA). He responded twice
to my letters, but each time he parsed his words and did not explicitly
condemn those who violate the AETA. Instead, he suggested that the Animal
Enterprise Terrorism Act was an unjust law, and that in the same manner
as the Reverend Martin Luther King had engaged in "civil disobedience"
to undo unjust laws, "civil disobedience" was an activity supported by
HSUS, even though this Federal Terrorism Statute contains no "civil
disobedience" provisions. Thus, I have a "paper trail" that conclusively
provides a basis for raising questions as to why HSUS refuses to
publicly condemn those who explicitly violate the Animal Enterprise
Terrorism Act - - a Federal Terrorism Statute!

Adding more potential "fuel to the fire" of questionable practices of
the HSUS is what appears to be excessive "Lobbying Activities" of HSUS,
which IRS recognizes as a "public charity." In this regard, public charities
that exceed permissible limits on lobbying activities are subject to
losing their tax-exempt, public charity status, which could really crimp their fund
raising activities! In this regard, if IRS were to log onto the HSUS
Website, and type in "Lobbying," 100 - - that’s right - - 100 stories
detailing lobbying activities of the HSUS would appear. So if you are
going to contact your Members of Congress, why not throw in a comment
about excessive lobbying activities?! ?!?!?!? After all, "what is good
for the goose" is supposed to be "good for the gander!"

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if HSUS were put on the defensive for a change!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!

SO WHAT CAN RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS DO IN ANTICIPATION OF THE HSUS "SNEAK
ATTACK?"

Call or Send a written letter by FAX or E-Mail to your two U.S. Senators
and your U.S. Representative. AND DO IT NOW!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!

WHAT DO I SAY OR WRITE TO PUT HSUS ON THE DEFENSIVE?
1. Remember to always be polite - - and remember that you are asking
your Members of Congress for a "favor."
2. Use the following "script" for your calls, letters or E-Mails.
3. Urge all other responsible breeders to follow the same script, and
tell them to do it now!!!!!

SUGGESTED "SCRIPT"
I am a Federally licensed breeder, and my kennel is located in
(City_______ ). I am (calling) (writing) to ask that you not vote in
favor of any Bill or language that would amend the Animal Welfare Act
until the Humane Society of the U. S. (HSUS) tells you:

1. Why HSUS will not tell the American Public and Members of Congress
why it refuses to publicly acknowledge that Federally licensed and
responsible breeders in the U.S. have publicly condemned substandard
kennels?

2. Why HSUS dances around questions concerning the Animal Enterprise
Terrorism Act, which is a Federal Terrorism Act, and why the HSUS
suggests that "civil disobedience" is a justification for individuals to
potentially participate in expressly prohibited and defined terrorist
activities?

3. Why HSUS refuses to publicly condemn those who engage in activities
that are specifically listed as prohibited activities and a violation of the
Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act?

I’m (calling) (writing) to express my concerns about the potential lack
of candor and the appearance of excessive lobbying activities by public
charities, such as the HSUS, because I have learned that a Member of
Congress suggested during an HSUS co-sponsored workshop at the Georgetown
Law Center in Washington DC in March of this year that the best way to
amend the Animal Welfare Act is to sneak in language in an Appropriation
Bill or some other must-pass bill at the eleventh hour.
Thank you for your attention to my concerns.

Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Phone Number

NOTE 1: If you decide to mail a letter instead of calling or E-Mailing,
it will have more of an impact on the Member of Congress if you actually
legibly write or print it, than if you typed it.

NOTE 2: NUMBERS DO MATTER - - THE MORE CALLS AND LETTERS AND E-MAILS
that Members of Congress receive, the more likely they will "NOT" accept
at face value everything that HSUS says is true.

SHORTCUT TO CALLING OR SENDING AN E-MAIL TO YOUR U.S. SENATORS AND US.
REPRESENTATIVE

1. Log onto a search engine such as www.congressmerge. com.
2. Click on "Find who represents you in Congress."
3. Fill in your address and ZIP Code.
4. Phone and FAX numbers for each of your Senators and U.S.
Representative will be listed by their name.
5. Shortcut for finding the telephone number of your U.S. Senators and
Representative: Call the Capitol Hill Switchboard at 202-224-3121, give the
operator the name of your Senator or Representative, and ask to be
connected to his or her Office.
6. For E-Mail, click on the name of the U.S. Senator or Representative,
and then click on their respective E-Mail address. Be sure to add your name
and phone number at the end of your E-Mail.
7. Note: The addresses of the Local Regional Offices of Members of
Congress in your State will also be listed. If you are going to mail a
letter to your U.S. Senators or U.S. Representative, mail it to the
Local Regional Office in your State, instead of to their DC Address.
Delivery of
mail addressed to the DC Addresses of Members of Congress may be delayed
by up to 4-6 weeks, as it will be screened for Anthrax - - that is why
calling or sending an E-Mail is the quickest way to express your
concerns to Members of Congress. (Alternatively, you may FAX your
letters to the FAX numbers that may be found by following Steps 1-4 above.)

For more information please call:
Thank You!
Michael Glass mg@aprpets.org 484-880-7962 Rob Hurd hurdkennel@aol. com
515-962-7552 America's Pet Registry, Inc in Arkansas: 479-299-4418

From the article: _Definition of Ear Cropping_

From the article: _Definition of Ear Cropping_
(http://dogs.about.com/od/dogandpuppyhealth/g/ear_crop_def.htm)



Ear cropping and tail docking are age-old procedures done on some purebred
dog. However, they have become increasingly taboo in today's society. Many
veterinary groups disapprove of cosmetic procedures on dogs, and they are
even banned in some countries.
Where do you stand? Are ear cropping and tail docking inhumane and
unnecessary, or are they harmless procedures that uphold the integrity of certain
dog breeds? Should they be banned or not?
Please do not attempt to reply to other users or treat this as a
discussion or debate. Use this as tool to explain your platform on the issues of
tail docking and ear cropping.

_Speak your Mind_
(http://dogs.about.com/u/ua/dogandpuppyhealth/elective_sx_UA.htm?from=lb#ua_form)

Spread the word, forward as needed....

None of us think it will happen to us...and then they knock at the door and take your dogs. Can't even imagine what this woman must be going through.

http://neveryetmelted.com/2009/08/05/spca-outrage-in-philadelphia/

"The Murder Hollow Bassets of Philadelphia (a private pack* founded in 1986) is one thirteen organized packs of basset hounds recognized by the National Beagle Club hunting in the United States."

"But neither gentility nor middle-aged respectability was sufficient to protect the Murder Hollow's Master Wendy Willard from a full scale raid by Philadelphia police, nor did it prevent 13 hounds from being taken from their kennels and turned over to a private animal rights organization hostile to hunting."

Assemblyman: Hands Off that Dog!

The following is appeared on the Maine Legislative Canine list:


FG/CH News A division of the New York Times

August 4, 2009, 4:35 pm

Assemblyman: Hands Off that Dog!
By Sarah Maslin Nir
http://tinyurl.com/assemblyman-ahs-Aug6
Let's just put a name on it right now: The Laika Law.

Laika, the Husky "dog-napped" by a well-meaning passerby from the front of a Fort Greene shop where she was tied last week - and since found - has inspired a new bill that would make dog-napping a crime.

Assemblyman Joseph R. Lentol, who represents part of Fort Greene, wants to make sure pet-napping is taken seriously by the law, said his media coordinator, Amy Z. Cleary.

Under current law, stealing a dog is treated the same as stealing a VCR. That shouldn't be, Ms. Cleary said. Society, she said, has evolved to the point where a pet is considered a member of a family, and Mr. Lentol wants the law to reflect that, she said.

The bill aims to raise dog and cat-napping (the stealing, not the sleeping) to a Class E felony with two years of jail time if convicted. If a dog-napper aims to sell the animal for scientific research or for malicious purposes (such as for use in dog fighting, an issue Mr. Lentol has campaigned against since 2007) the crime would be upgraded to a Class D felony, under the bill. This would entail four years of jail time if convicted.

Mr. Lentol is most concerned about those who would sell the animals for scientific research, Ms. Cleary said. But that crime appears to be rare: The National Association for Biomedical Research says that 3 percent of all cats and dogs used in lab tests are not sourced from breeders or lab animal dealers. About 66,000 dogs are used in scientific research yearly.

And not everyone is Cruella de Vil, hoping to turn Dalmatian puppies into fur coats. In the week since Mr. Lentol proposed the legislation, Internet commenters have expressed concern that the law could be a deterrent for would-be rescuers, who might fear prosecution if they take in a distressed animal.

"There is a very strong element of intent with this," said Ms. Cleary. Nevertheless, Mr. Lentol will add "safe harbor" proviso to the proposed law, similar to those that permit mothers to abandon babies at hospitals without fear of reprisal. This would prevent a "chilling effect" on do-gooders, she says.

"You have to know that you are taking someone else's animal from their possession," she said, "not an abandoned animal or street or one that got lost." Only if this level of intent is proven in court by a prosecutor and then affirmed by a jury or judge would a person be convicted, she said.

However, Ms. Cleary said, such a law would likely apply to Giusseppe Francis Leonardo and his wife, who took Laika believing she was abandoned after she was left tied up outside a shop for several hours. Though Mr. Leonardo believed he was saving the dog, Ms. Cleary says that under this legislation, if he knew the animal belonged to someone else, he would be open to prosecution.

"In that case you're supposed to call the ASPCA. You can't just take someone else's animal," she said.

However, "If he truly believed the animal was abandoned," she said, he would not be convicted.

July 22, 2:50 AM

The AKC and AVMA disagree on whether ear cropping is humane.
In recent months, the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the American
Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) have been involved in a disagreement over
whether ear cropping, tail docking and other types of cosmetic surgery on dogs
should be encouraged.
AVMA toughens stance on ear crops, tail docks
In November, 2008, the AVMA executive board made a decision to strengthen
their stance opposing the cropping of ears and docking of tails as well as
other surgeries performed on pets for purely cosmetic reasons. This decision
was made amid a great deal of controversy, with the Utah Veterinary
Medical Association (UVMA) even submitting a resolution to the House of Delegates
of the AVMA asking for a more tolerant stance toward these surgical
procedures.
The resolution, also supported by the AKC, was eventually voted down by the
House of Delegates and a new position statement opposing cosmetic
surgeries such as ear cropping and tail docking was adopted by the AVMA.
AKC creates Canine Health and Welfare Advisory Panel
Following the defeat of the resolution asking for a softer stance on the
performing of cosmetic surgeries, which the AKC supported, a new panel was
created by the American Kennel Club. This 12 member panel, dubbed the AKC
Canine Health and Welfare Advisory Panel, is made up of individuals gathered
from all over the United States with a wide variety of credentials, each
bringing his/her own knowledge and experiences to the newly created panel.
According to the AKC, the purpose of the panel is to "strengthen
opportunities for the public to admire, love and own purebred dogs and to foster
greater public education about health concerns relevant to all dogs." The
panel's goal, according to a press release issued by the AKC, will be "to
provide factual and impartial information by creating a forum for proactive
discourse based on scientific and ethical concerns".
Though the AKC did not mention the recent policy debate concerning ear
cropping and tail docking in certain breeds of dogs, it seems likely that this
panel will address the issue at some point in the near future.

California Mandatory/Spay Neuter Bill Held in Committee

California Mandatory/Spay Neuter Bill Held in Committee

7/15/09

An outpouring of opposition by California sportsmen has applied the brakes
to a bill that would trample the rights of sportsmen and dog enthusiasts.

Senate Bill 250, which would with few exceptions mandate that all dogs be
spayed or neutered, appeared on the fast track this year. It passed the
Senate last month and recently cleared the Assembly Business and Professions
Committee. However, during a hearing on July 15, more than 100 opponents
turned out and rallied afterwards. During the rally, they heard from
numerous speakers including longtime sportsmen's supporter, Sen. George Runner (R-
Lancaster) a member of the Outdoor Sporting Caucus.
The bill remains "suspense file" which is where bills with a fiscal
impact go. Once a bill has been placed there, legislators must vote to remove
it before the bill can be considered again.
"The turnout today as well as the calls, letters, and emails from
sportsmen and dog enthusiasts made a difference," said Rob Sexton, U.S. Sportsmen's
Alliance (USSA) vice president for government affairs. "Although we're
not out of the woods yet, this kind of grassroots support is what can really
get the attention of legislators. "
In addition to USSA, opposition has come from dog and sporting groups
across California, including key partners such as the California Outdoor
Heritage Alliance (COHA), Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America, NRA,
California Rifle and Pistol Association, and Pet Pac.
Take Action- California sportsmen should continue contacting their
Assembly members and inform them of your continued opposition to SB 250 without
full protections for sporting dog owners.

AVMA House Rejects Policy Change on Ear Cropping and Tail Docking

AVMA House Rejects Policy Change on Ear Cropping and Tail Docking

Posted: Friday, July 10, 2009, 7:46 p.m., EDT

The _American Veterinary Medical Assn.'s_ (http://www.avma.org/) House of
Delegates on July 10 rejected Resolution 4, which would have revised its
policy on ear cropping and tail docking of dogs.
The action came during the legislative body's semi-annual session, held in
Seattle, Wash., before the AVMA's annual convention.
Submitted by the Utah Veterinary Medical Assn., the resolution would have
eased the AVMA policy, adopted by the executive board in November 2008, that
opposes ear cropping and tail docking when done solely for cosmetic
reasons.
The revision would have noted that the procedures, though offering limited
or no therapeutic value, are condoned by the _American Kennel Club_
(http://www.akc.org/) and many members of society. Because of that acceptance,
the policy would have stated that it is "imperative that the procedures be
performed by trained, licensed and caring veterinarians using current stand
of care" while continuing to support the elimination of those procedures
from breed standards.
In addition, the resolution would have revised AVMA policy to ensure that
association members "conform to all state mandates concerning the
procedures."
The November 2008 policy significantly altered the AVMA's position against
the two procedures; previous policy recommended only that veterinarians
discuss with clients the cosmetic nature of the procedures before performing
them.
A major reason for the resolution was to defend veterinarians willing to
perform such procedures who might otherwise be ostracized by the profession
for going against AVMA policy.
In its argument in favor of the resolution, the Utah VMA said the AVMA
should be wary of restricting pet owners' rights because it supports the
concept of pet ownership.