Labrador Retriever Forum
the nitty gritty comes from Norma Bennett
Woolf, President of the Ohio Valley Dog Owners, Inc.
OVDO, Inc., address is:
6241 N. State Route 48
Lebanon, OH 45036
(513) 932-3176 (Phone & FAX)
http://www.canismajor.com/orgs/ovdo/
We aren't thru with California yet, and here comes Ohio..........I know
we have plenty of list members in Ohio who are active breeders and
exhibitors...are you all aware of this bill? I have to admit I haven't
actually read it yet, I'm just repeating what I'm told ......I think you
don't have much time, tho...the hearings are NEXT TUESDAY. It seems
they intend to "get 'er done."
I'm told Ohio SB 173 will end show breeding in the State of Ohio.
It requires dog breeders to be fingerprinted and undergo background
checks. I'm told 19 out of 33 Senators are behind this bill.
Please read the bill...it is on the Ohio government website at:
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_SB_173
Remember...Ohio is the place where they had a "seize and kill pit
bull" law which was struck down because they couldn't describe a pit
bull...........who elects the people who make these laws? You do! (We
do)..........
SB 173 will be heard in the State and Local Government and Veterans
Affairs Committee at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 26. Place is the south
hearing room in the State Capitol building in downtown Columbus. It
is unusual to schedule both sponsor and proponent testimony in the
same hearing...this indicates that the sponsor is anxious to get the
bill done before the summer break!
Here is the list of bill sponsors. If your senator is on the list,
please let him know you oppose any bill that micromanages dog housing
and care, requires vendor licenses for all breeders who sell even a
single dog, and treats breeders as potential criminals based on the
number of dogs they have in their kennels. Ask your friends to call or
write as well. If you need a fax number, you have to call the senator's
office; faxes are not included on the websites.
Senator Gary Cates, West Chester, chief sponsor and chairman of the
committee hearing the bill, 614/466-8072; Email:
SD04@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator J. Kirk Schuring, Canton, 614/466-0626; Email:
SD29@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Randy Gardner, Bowling Green, 614/466-8060; Email:
ra_gard@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Ray Miller, Columbus, 614/466-5131; Email:
rmiller@maild.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Timothy Grendell, Chesterland, 614/644-7718; Email:
SD18@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator David Goodman, Columbus, 614/466-8064; Email:
dgoodman@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Larry Mumper, Marion, 614/466-8049; Email:
SD26@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Tim Schaffer, Lancaster, 614/466-5838; Email:
SD31@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Steve Stivers, Columbus, 614/466-7662; Email:
sd16@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Dale Miller, no city given but perhaps Cleveland,
614/466-5123; Email: SD23@maild.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Jeff Jacobs, Butler Township, 614/466-4538; Email:
jjacobso@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Lance Mason, Cleveland, 614/466-4583; Email:
senatormason@maild.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Patricia Clancy, Cincinnati, 614/466-8068, Email:
sd08@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Teresa Fedor, Toledo, 614/466-5204; Email:
fedoroffice@maild.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Robert Spada, North Royalton, 614/466-8056; Email:
rspada@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Sue Morano, Lorain, 614/644-7613; Email:
senatormorano@maild.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Kevin Coughlin, Cuyahoga Falls, 614/466-4823; Email:
kcoughli@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Tom Roberts, Trotwood, 614/466-6247; Email:
troberts@maild.sen.state.oh.us
SB173 and HB223 are one and the same. I've already written to Randy Gardner and Lynn Wachtman. We'd better hope and pray that it's not too late to get this thing killed!
Typically there are 2 bodies on each legislative branch of government. Each body will create their own version of a bill and then will decide which version is preferred or will make a hybrid of the 2 of them. Hence - the senate bill and the house bill.
Call AND Fax AND email AND write your Ohio Legislators and tell them you are OPPOSED to such over-reaching legislation. To find out who *represents* you in your district go to...
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/
You can also probably use the Naia Capwiz site if you need help getting started with your letters.
This is being lauded by pet people as a cure all for puppy mills and the like. At a lab meeting this week people were actually for this until they were read some of the points of the proposed law. Fingerprinting, nails too long, dogs without proper shelter in 90 degree weather, bonding, insurance, keeping puppies for 90 days. Is a pup at 8 mos of age considered an "adult". It is by whoever wrote this confounded thing. Write, Email, Fax, Telephone -- whatever it takes. Thanks Gina for all of your hard work on behalf of all pets :)
For those who may not be sure as to who is really behind this bill, you need only look at the article in the Toledo Blade newspaper (June 11) by Meghan Gilbert. She explicitly refers people to the HSUS site for more detailed information regarding puppy mills (I'm sure that it includes gruesome, heart-wrenching pictures) and the need for such bills. You can bet that if the HSUS is supporting/pushing this bill, PETA can't be far behind...and we all know what their long-term goals regarding any/all dog-related activities are!
These are NOT scare tactics, but reality checks! Please, people, contact your senator or representative MONDAY (if you haven't already). Be calm, but let them know that there's a LOT hidden within this bill that will likely ruin many serious, hobby breeders in this state. My thinking is that, if it passes, eventually the only ones who will be able to afford all the licenses, fees, extra registrations, bonding, etc., will be the puppy mills themselves due to their production volumes!
BE HEARD ON MONDAY! Tuesday may be too late.
Okay, I just did a little checking on the senate hearing schedule for this coming week. Yes, there IS a 1st hearing Tuesday morning at 10:00 for SB173. However, it is ONLY for sponsor/proponent participation. There is no mention of opponent or general public participation at this meeting.
So that gives us a LITTLE more time to get our voices heard before a 2nd hearing or a vote. As Gina mentioned once, I think, faxes and snail-mail letters are more influential than emails since there's a hard copy involved. If you write a letter, be sure to keep a copy.
And, if you haven't already done so, try to read as much of the actual bill as you can. Share what you find with friends/other breeders. Get as many people to contact their government representatives as possible in the next week or so. I'm sure that the sponsors of the bill are hoping to push this through while the general public is enjoying their summertime activities and not paying attention to what's going on in Columbus.
