EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

Keep contacting your Senators!!  Spread the word to others to contact as well!


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May 17, 2011

HB 1451 passed out of committee and is now going to the Senate Floor for a
vote -- that is if Senator Whitmire can get the votes to pass it. He does
NOT have the votes at this time but is talking amendments with other
senators to win over votes. All we need is 11 senators to vote "NO" and we
can block the Floor Vote and kill the bill for this session. Keep up the
good work and contact all your conservative friends and relatives; ask them
to call their senator and request that they vote "NO" on HB 1451. Senate
offices commented today that our side is flooding them with calls. Tell
them that this bill is fundamentally flawed and can't be fixed with
amendments. Unfortunately some people are trying to get the bill amended,
even some AKC breeders who should know better. Kill Bill!
Your senator can be found on the state website: www.capitol.state.tx.us

TWO good articles below.
http://www.texastribune.org/
Texas Senators Work to Narrow "Puppy Mill" Bill
A controversial bill meant to shut down puppy mills has drawn another
outspoken opponent in state Senator Dan Patrick, R-Houston.
"I'm a barking 'no,'" Patrick said during a public hearing on the bill that
turned into a raucous affair last week.
<CONTINUED AT LINK ABOVE>.

AND SECOND ARTICLE:

QUORUM REPORT
(must be subscribed to access)
May 16, 2011
PUPPY MILL BILL APPEARS TO HAVE LEGS
Whitmire looking to clean up bill as it heads to Senate floor

The Senate sponsor of the so-called "puppy mill bill" is negotiating with
interested parties, including an opposing senator, in the wake of a
contentious hearing last week.

Sen. John Whitmire (D-Houston) convened a meeting this afternoon with Sen.
Dan Patrick (R-Houston) and others to work on HB 1451 by Rep. Senfronia
Thompson (D-Houston). The Senate Criminal Justice Committee reported the
bill Friday 5-0, with Patrick and Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Southside Place) both
absent, apparently due to scheduling conflicts.

Floor amendments reportedly may be forthcoming, and perhaps even a floor
substitute, according to sources familiar with the legislation.
Nevetheless, Whitmire, the committee chairman, has vowed to pass a bill to
address the inhumane treatment of dogs and cats bred and hoarded for sale by
unscrupulous, clandestine operators.

Patrick, a longtime owner of Old English sheepdogs, criticized the bill at
Thursday's public hearing, which attracted a roomful of ardent opponents. He
said the bill appears to go after dog breeders more than puppy
mills because it would assess fines for not complying with licensing,
inspections, and standards of care, rather than targeting the sources of the
problem.

In an interview with QR today, a leading advocate for anti-puppy mill
legislation characterized much of the testimony against the bill as
"misinformation."

"Sometimes confusion is intentional," observed Skip Trimble of the Texas
Humane Legislation Network. Acknowledging the passionate nature of the
debate, he said passions can interfere with logic in legislative
controversies such as this.

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) would have oversight
of the industry, which breeders and trainers contend is inappropriate due to
its lack of experience with animal regulation. The bill
would require the agency to conduct criminal background checks of workers
and volunteers at breeding facilities, ostensibly to weed out animal cruelty
offenders.

At the hearing, Executive Director William Kuntz defended criminal
background checks as necessary, comparing them to searching for any history
of sexual assault in the records of licensed repairmen who enter people's
homes.

"Well, that's a crock," Patrick said. "That's beyond reasonable licensing;
that's just ridiculous." He then asked, "How does that help close down
puppy mills?"

"I don't know how to answer your question," Kuntz replied, prompting
Patrick to wonder aloud who could, if not the agency that would be
responsible and that helped draft the bill.

Kuntz defended one of his drafting attorneys against insinuations of a
potential conflict of interest in working on the bill language. Patrick
brought up an April 6 article in the Texas Tribune reporting that Della
Woods Lundquist is an animal rescue volunteer who posts animal rights
messages on her Facebook page.

"That's her private life; it's not her professional life," said Kuntz, who
acknowledged being familiar with the story.

The committee heard a litany of complaints from breeders, hobbyists,
trainers, law enforcement officials and a former prosecutor who's also a
breeder. However, Trimble said several witnesses stated things the bill
would do that it would not, as well as things it would not do that it does.
He believes many of them were referring to previous versions, including the
bill as filed.

For example, Trimble said the bill would not create a "dog Gestapo" or
authorize warrantless searches. It would, however, mandate unannounced
inspections but require inspectors to notify owners before entering the
premises.

There would be no limits on the number of dogs allowed, Trimble said.
Several witnesses contended that the threshold of 10 healthy females is too
low. But Trimble maintained that only breeders who actually used 10 or more
females to breed puppies for sale, not just house them on site for training
or showing, would be regulated.

Exempting show dogs is not feasible, he added, because virtually all breeds
are shown. The bill currently exempts hunting dogs.

Patrick argued that a regulatory framework in which "breeders are paying
through the nose and neighbors are reporting them to the dog police . sounds
back-ackwards to me."

"Sounds like to me you're a 'no'," Whitmire remarked.

"I'm a barking no," Patrick replied.

Whitmire dismissed assertions that the bill was being promoted by animal
rights advocates opposed to all dog breeding. He said he would work to
improve the bill to address "a real problem," not address conspiracy
theories.

Patrick praised both Thompson and Whitmire for their efforts and sincerity,
adding, "I'm sure he'll write a bill that won't punish dog breeders."

Trimble was unaware of today's negotiations but expressed confidence that
the Senate would pass a good bill soon.
By Patrick Graves

Good Deal, Folks Lets Keep up the Calls and Letters and Faxes to Senators!!!!!! We have got to se this one through until the end!