An Open Letter to New York State Legislators
Re: A1204 (Zebrowski)/S2271(Grisanti) “restricts the performance of devocalization procedures on dogs and cats”
OPPOSE
Dear Members of the New York State Legislature:
The Dog Federation of New York is a not-for-profit coalition of individual dog owners and dog-related organizations committed to responsible ownership, with a membership that spans the State of New York. Our members are animal shelter volunteers, dog trainers, pet owners, purebred dog breeders and exhibitors, animal control officers, and animal lovers. We are committed to helping public officials respond appropriately to the concerns we all share, including providing for the public’s health and safety while addressing concerns on animal welfare issues.
We write to express our strong opposition to the above-captioned proposal and our grave concerns regarding the damage enactment could do to the lives of caring dog owners and their pets.
The people of the State of New York deserve laws based on facts, and legislative proposals should correct shortfalls in existing law in order to safeguard public safety. Sadly, A1204 appears to be based on internet rumor and would subject both dog owner and licensed veterinarian to severe sanctions and penalties for a simple, humane and even life-saving procedure.
Contrary to the tall tales circulated by individuals who choose not to understand, bark softening or canine devocalization is a minor, humane procedure accomplished by licensed veterinarians. It is an unusual measure occasionally used as a last resort by dog owners desperate to prevent uncontrollable, loud and frequent barking which has become an issue with their neighbors and within their communities.
We note that the published policies of the American Veterinary Medicine Association do not support regulatory meddling in responsible veterinary care decisions such as the measures proposed by A1204.
The Dog Federation of New York always encourages dog owners to be sensitive to the concerns of their neighbors and community. When all other measures have failed, "bark softening" may be the last option for dog owners struggling to keep a beloved pet in their home, and out of over-burdened shelters which may have no choice but to kill a dog that simply barks too much.
Thank you for your consideration.
_____________________________
Note to concerned dog owners: We encourage you to immediately contact your New York State Assemblymember and Senator to express your opposition to the above proposal. We are happy to make this flyer available to assist you in your discussions.
Text of the proposal: click here
"Duke" needs help now
[following written by DFNY member Susan Beals]
I volunteer at a small shelter in a small city in upstate
NY. I am very lucky in that it is a VERY
good shelter. They consider themselves to
be no-kill, and they do not euthanize for space, or convenience or just because
they can. But they also consider that
they have a duty to the public to make sure the dogs they adopt out are truly
adoptable – safe to be in the community.
Now, this is a small
shelter in a small city in a largely rural area. They are not tied in to the rescue
communities active in the large cities.
As a no-kill shelter, they have a small network of local volunteers and
foster homes. And they have good volunteers
and good foster homes, but they don’t have anyone with the skills to handle the
doofus in the picture above. Their
volunteers and foster homes work with dogs that have medical issues, or puppies
and kittens found abandoned and too young to wean, or animals that need to
learn how to live in a home with a family.
They don’t work with 100 pounds of untrained, mannerless, anxious
adolescent. 30 pounds – sure, 60 pounds
– maybe, but 100?
So where does this shelter, with its limited contacts and
its limited resources, find a rescue or a volunteer rehabber for this dog? According to last year’s version of CAARA it
is up to the shelter to make that happen.
Who knows what this year’s version will say? But in any case, it is not a do-able thing
for this shelter. I sent an email a
couple of days ago to a man who writes a blog talking about his rescue
activities in and around New York City, asking for suggestions. Maybe he doesn’t check his email very often,
but I haven’t heard back yet. What else,
Rescue Community, do you suggest I do on behalf of this dog. Where do I find him the placement he needs
before the shelter director has to decide that he has been given all the time
and resources they have for him?
I do believe this dog is savable. He came in as a stray, so we have no idea of
his story, but based on working with him over the past several weeks I can come
up with a scenario that describes how to get a dog with the behaviors he
exhibits. Imagine, if you will, a
college student with his first off-campus apartment who goes to visit his
girlfriend’s parents. Their dog has a
litter of 5 week old puppies and he takes one back to his new apartment – an
apartment with 4 other 19 or 20 year old phys ed major boys. The puppy is cute and they have a lot of fun
with him. They like it when he wrestles
and they never teach him to keep his teeth off the humans. They play with him, and they wrestle with
him, and they never calm him down – always escalate. No one trains him, or teaches him how to
behave or how to be calm when people are around. No one pets him – any touch leads to a
physical game. They play stupid college
jokes on him. And then one day they
realize he is 100 pounds and completely unmanageable so they drive him
somewhere and dump him out of the car.
I’ve been working with him for 3 weeks, and there is a good
dog in there. But an hour once a week is
not going to bring that good dog out. He
needs a foster situation with daily skilled interaction and clear, consistent
rules and expectations. I can’t do
it. The shelter can’t do it. The volunteers and fosterers for the shelter
can’t do it. The shelter is deciding his
fate next Thursday and right now it’s not looking good.
This is exactly the situation that CAARA is supposed to be
there for. So come on, Rescue Community,
put your money where your mouths are and help THIS dog.
Re: Docket No. APHIS-2011-0003 Animal Welfare;
Retail Pet Stores and Licensing Exemptions
OPPOSE
To Whom It May Concern:
The Dog Federation of New York is a not-for-profit coalition of individual dog owners and dog-related organizations committed to responsible ownership with a membership that spans the State of New York. Our members are animal shelter volunteers, dog trainers, pet owners, purebred dog breeders and exhibitors, animal control officers, and animal lovers. We are committed to helping public officials respond appropriately to the concerns we all share, including providing for the public’s health and safety while addressing concerns on animal welfare issues.
The rate of pet ownership is at an all-time high in the United States and a strong majority of citizens are pet lovers, based on the estimated 62% of households which include at least one pet animal. The most common pet, of course, is the family dog. The growth of the pet industry continues to significantly outperform many sectors of the national economy. Despite the recession, Americans spend record-breaking amounts of money on their pets.
In short, we are a nation of dog owners and pet lovers, and our desire to obtain and live with pet animals shows no sign of abating.
Prospective purchasers currently enjoy a range of responsible sources for pets, including small “hobby” or non-commercial breeders, shelters and rescues, and pet retailers. The Dog Federation of New York believes that it is vital to the public interest to support and encourage lawfully conducted and humane breeders and retailers and to resist efforts to unreasonably curtail the supply of healthy pet animals to families in our country.
We write to express our opposition to the above-captioned proposal and our concerns regarding the damage implementation could do to the lives of caring animal owners and the pets they love by pointlessly and counter-productively suppressing the responsible breeding and sale of pet animals through over-reaching and poorly-considered regulation.
Such regulation will only further restrict public access to healthy pets.
Click here to continue reading.
As a follow-up on the likely impact of proposed new rules for a host of pet and animal suppliers, DFNY encourages members of the rescue community to carefully consider the ramifications of USDA regulation on the activities of shelters and rescues if and when the federal government includes them within the scope of the Animal Welfare Act, USDA regulation and APHIS enforcement.
Not just a problem for "breeders."
The author of this essay, and the earlier one posted below, is Susan Beals.
If you pay any attention to internet lists, you may have seen a big flap that started in the middle of May about the new USDA proposed regulations. Well, it is a big deal. Federal regulation impacting your ability to own pets is something you need to understand, form an opinion about, and then submit a comment to USDA during the public comment period. You should also send copies of your comments to your senators and to your congressional representative. If you own pets and want to continue to be able to own the pets of your choice – all pets, not just dogs or cats – you can’t just let this one slide and expect someone else to take care of it for you.
First a little history.
USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), in the person of its enforcement arm APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service), has been responsible for the administration of the rules and regulations written to enforce all of the various animal welfare acts beginning with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act passed in 1966 to the Animal Welfare Act of 1976 and the Food Security Act of 1985. As part of this enforcement, APHIS has been responsible for the licensing and inspection of anyone who, for compensation, acts as a broker or dealer of animals, or operates an auction house, or transports animals, or uses animals in an exhibition such as a zoo or rodeo, or operates a research facility using animals. In other words, APHIS has primarily been concerned with animal wholesalers, exhibitors and researchers. All of these people or businesses or organizations have been required to be licensed and to meet minimum standards for care and treatment of their animals and to comply with the other regulations written for enforcement of these Animal Welfare Acts for many years – those standards being enforced by APHIS through regular inspections of records and property.
The regulations to which we have all been subject since at least 1971 do contain some exceptions. If a person or company meets the exception, they are exempt under the federal law and are not required to be licensed or inspected by APHIS. The current exemptions are for:
1. Retail pet stores that sell nondangerous, pet-type animals at retail only;
2. A person who receives no more than $500 gross income from the sale of animals (not including dogs, cats, or wild or exotic animals) in the course of a year, no matter whether they are sold wholesale or retail;
3. A person who maintains no more than 3 breeding female animals and sells only their offspring born and raised on the person’s premises for pets or exhibition;
4. A person selling less than 25 dogs or cats in a year for research, testing or teaching, or to a research facility;
5. A person arranging transportation of animals solely for purposes of breeding, purebred showing, boarding, grooming or medical treatment;
6. A person who buys, sells or transports animals only for the purposes of food or fiber;
7. A person who breeds and raises domestic pet animals for direct retail sales to another person for the buyer’s own use (e.g., a purebred dog or cat fancier); or
8. A person who buys animals solely for his own use or enjoyment.
Continue reading by clicking HERE
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