Previously Posted: Puppy Mills Get the Green Light…
Here is the post from Best Friends which includes addresses that you can use to contact the governor and let him know how disappointed you are that he has vetoed a bill that would have greatly reduced the number of animals that are suffering and abused in California puppy mills. Remember I told you his reason for vetoing the bill was that it would potentially criminalize the legal activities of reputable breeders and charitable organizations raising service dogs? Remember also in my post that I said that was a load of crap because no reputable breeder or organization raising service dogs would have more then 50 unsterilized animals in their care?
Well that’s exactly the take Best Friends took on the Governor’s stand as well. Read on…
October 15, 2009, 9:34PM MT
By Francis Battista
Best Friends’ co-founder Francis Battista urges Californians to take action on behalf of animals following the veto of AB 241.
Dear California Members and Friends,
Governor Schwarzenegger’s veto of AB 241, The Responsible Breeder Act, was a loss for the animals and a win for puppy mills.
Please contact Governor Schwarzenegger to express your disappointment with his failure to act either in the best interests of California’s taxpayers or California’s pets.
Call, fax, mail:
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-558-3160 (new number)
Even though the bill had been weakened through legislative compromise in its intent to sharply curtail exploitive breeders, its signing would have signaled the governor’s support for a measure aimed squarely at commercial breeders, i.e., puppy millers.
The governor’s explanation for not signing AB 241 – potentially criminalizing the legal activities of reputable breeders and charitable organizations raising service dogs, is without merit. Reputable breeders do not house more than 50 intact animals at a time and neither do breeders of service dogs. Reputable breeders raise their pups a litter at a time in their home. Their dogs are pets. A reputable breeder does not keep fifty intact dogs in their home.
Meanwhile, nearly $300 million taxpayer dollars are spent every year in California to house the nearly one million animals that enter our municipal shelters, over half of which are euthanized. It’s one of the largest reimbursable mandates in a state that is bankrupt, and puppy mills are contributing significantly to that crisis. Surely Californians would prefer their taxes to be spent on other programs and services our state desperately needs – healthcare, school programs, increased fire and police protection, etc.
As always, thanks for caring for the animals.
Francis Battista
Co-founder
Best Friends Animal Society
Become a fan of the Puppies Aren’t Products campaign to learn more about how you can take action to combat puppy mills and urge people to adopt companion animals instead of shop.
Photo by Clay Myers
Send Governor Schwarzenegger an email now. Join in on letting him know that this veto is completely unacceptable to those of us who care about how animals are treated in the Pets for Profit industry.
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