Labrador Retriever Forum
We all need to get back in letter writing mode and defeat this! It is being heavily backed by the HSUS and will affect all breeders if it passes...
June 15, 2012
SAOVA friends,
Animal ownership continues to be under attack at an alarming rate. The APHIS proposed rule changes the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and USDA responsibility forever by broadly extending regulation throughout the retail sector. Concerns for potential invasions of privacy that would result if federal inspectors began enforcing cleaning, sanitation, handling, and other regulatory requirements in private homes is why Congress has previously not amended the AWA and USDA has not revised its long-standing policy to regulate only within the wholesale sector. In the retail sector breeders, sellers, and rescuers work in widely varied environments utilizing practices which work best for them, their breeds, and their goals. Attempting to cover retailers with a one-size fits all blanket of regulation is not only unworkable but will be disastrous for many animal owners.
If you are not clear on the impact federal licensing and regulation will have on you, please read the attached document, “Living with USDA Licensing”. The file is also posted at the SAOVA website.
If you care about the future of pets, health and genetic diversity of breeds, the ability to exchange breeding stock between friends, or the ability to maintain a small business, then you MUST submit a comment through the Federal Register portal before July 16.
This is not a race for signatures so petitions and form letters to APHIS only count as one comment from the organizer. Your individual comments and how this affects you make the difference.
Susan Wolf
Sportsmen’s & Animal Owners’ Voting Alliance
Working to Identify and Elect Supportive Legislators
saova@earthlink.net
STOP THE PROPOSED APHIS RULE IN THREE EASY STEPS
The Cavalry Group, June 14, 2012. Once again, we face a fundamental threat to our right to animal ownership in the United States. USDA, through its bureaucratic agency APHIS, is proposing a new regulation to require that ALL pet breeders who have five or more intact females and sell pets outside of the area where they were bred (i.e. online or at a tradeshow) obtain a USDA license and come into compliance with the Animal Welfare Act.
That means if you sell even ONE animal outside of the premises of your breeding facility, you will be required to spend thousands of dollars complying with the AWA and to open your business for USDA inspection. As you know, small breeders cannot afford these onerous regulatory burdens. MANY small American breeding businesses will be bankrupted by this rule, and MANY American jobs will be lost. We have also engaged our attorneys and experts at Olsson, Frank, and Weeda to provide a legal opinion and flowchart for your reference. http://tinyurl.com/7mof5hk
THIS RULE MUST BE STOPPED!
The Cavalry Group, a member-based organization which supports and defends the Constitutional rights of American animal owners, has prepared a plan of action to DEFEAT THIS RULE. If you do nothing else, please complete Step 1, as political pressure from Congress will have a HUGE effect on the decision made by USDA. Steps 2 and 3, however, are also important parts of our program. These easy steps should take no more than a few minutes of your time and could very well save your business!
Step 1: Contact your Congressman
Congress determines the levels of funding for USDA and APHIS. When a Congressman calls, USDA is sure to answer. We need to let OUR Congressmen know that we do not support this rule, and that its passage would cost their district JOBS. The Cavalry Group has developed a sample letter and contact form to make this process as simple as possible. Remember it is always best to customize your letter and make it personal. Follow this link here and TAKE ACTION NOW! http://tinyurl.com/7qqdlqn
Step 2: File a Comment with USDA
APHIS is required by federal law to accept and respond to any comments about the proposed rule that are submitted. The Cavalry Group has provided an easy to use guide to commenting on proposed rules. We need to let the bureaucrats know how this rule will affect our businesses! Follow this link and comment today! http://tinyurl.com/7vd9xd5
Step 3: Contact Secretary Vilsack
Everyone knows 2012 is an election year. We need to let the current administration know that putting pet breeders out of business is not the way to turn this economy around! The Cavalry Group has prepared a sample letter and contact form to get our message to the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack. Follow this link and send a letter today! http://tinyurl.com/82qnr3l
The Cavalry Group believes that American citizens have the right to raise and sell animals without federal agents regularly snooping through their property. If everyone follows the above steps and lets their elected representatives know that we can raise our own animals without help from the nannies in Washington DC, we will DEFEAT this rule and deal a major blow to the enemies of American agriculture.
