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March 2010 Where the Buffalo Don’t Roam Paws Down! To Jackie Doyle Hill for killing 51 buffalo who roamed onto the Niblo ranch where he was foreman, and to Edmund Cassillas of the QB ranch for running a canned hunting operation from which the buffalo escaped. According to news reports, “A ranch foreman in West Texas shot 51 buffaloes that wandered onto his ranch. The owner of the buffaloes says the slaughter is a ‘terrible injustice,’ even though the buffaloes were hunted for sport on his own ranch.” According to reports, this is not the first time Cassillas’s buffalo have wandered off his ranch through breaks in his fence. Source: www.nowpublic.com/environment/mixed-views-slaughter-51-loose-buffalo-texas-ranch www.scpr.org/news/2010/03/22/texas-buffalo-shooting-triggers-culture-clash/ # Elephants Need Our Protection Paws Down! To the Sedgwick County Zoo board of directors for considering creating a new elephant exhibit and breeding facility. At a time when some zoos are closing down their elephant exhibits and retiring these giants of the animal kingdom to reputable sanctuaries where they can receive appropriate and humane care, the board of directors of the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas, is considering doing just the opposite. Source: www.kansas.com/2010/03/20/1233715/rights-group-may-target-county.html # Wolves at Risk Paws Down! To the Alaska Board of Game for allowing wolf trapping in Denali National Park and Preserve. According to news sources, “The Alaska Board of Game…approved opening the northeast periphery of the Denali National Park and Preserve for wolf trapping. The 4-3 vote, over vigorous opposition of those who wanted the wolves protected, eliminates the current ‘buffer zone’ outside of park lands in which wolf trapping was prohibited.” Source: www.adn.com/2010/03/05/1169822/area-around-denali-park-opened.html?story_link=email_msg # Support Animal Cruelty Laws Paws Up! To the Idaho Senate for approving additions to the state’s animal cruelty laws. According to news sources, “The Idaho Senate approved additions to the state animal cruelty laws…that would outlaw cockfighting and define and penalize the torture and neglect of animals.” SB 1317 passed 34-1. People convicted under this bill would face up to five years in prison and $50,000 in fines. Source: www.spokesman.com/blogs/boise/2010/mar/01/cockfighting-chicken-farming-bills-pass-senate www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/idaho_senator_on_cockfighting.html # Animal Felony Cruelty Bill Dies in Committee Paws Down! To the chairman of the Mississippi House Agriculture Committee for allowing a felony animal cruelty bill to die in committee. According to news sources, the chairman of the Mississippi House Agriculture Committee, Greg Ward, did not address Senate Bill 2623, which would have created a felony animal cruelty law. It was sent to his committee for a report out to the full House. Ward did not act on the bill, so it died in committee. The bill passed the Senate overwhelmingly. Source: www.animalconcerns.org/external.html?www=http%3A//www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp%3FS%3D12073212&itemid=201003022227560.628 # Home State Special Report Paws Up! The state of West Virginia—home base to NHES’s national office—has several important animal welfare bills before county and state legislators for the 2010 legislative year! From anti-dog fighting measures to increased spay/neuter efforts, each of these bills has the potential for huge positive change for companion animals in the mountain state. Animal Fighting SB 380 To amend current WV law against animal fighting by classifying the bloodsport as a felony offense and clarifying what activities constitute participation, to include wagering. Penalties for a felony conviction under this bill include fines, imprisonment, or both. SB 208 and HB 4216 To amend current WV law against animal fighting by making it a felony offense to wager in or manage wagers in animal fighting. Penalties for a felony conviction under this bill include fines, imprisonment, or both. Puppy Mill Regulations HB 4333 To amend current WV dog and cat welfare law by adding a section creating “regulations for the commercial dog breeding operations.” This important bill establishes vital criteria to include, but not limited to: mandatory licensing, housing and breeding standards of care, and yearly caps on dogs bred and sold. Penalties for violations under this bill will include fines, imprisonment, or both. Spay/Neuter Initiatives SB 231 To amend current WV tax law creating “a personal income tax credit for persons who choose to spay or neuter their pets.” Under this bill, WV taxpayers will be able to claim a tax credit for “up to three companion animals, dogs and cats, per household in a taxable year.” SB 225 and HB 4406 To amend current WV commercial law to fund the creation of a spay/neuter program. Under this bill, the commissioner will set “an additional commercial feed distributor permit fee of not less than $5 per year…for the purposes of funding the Spay Neuter Assistance Program of West Virginia.” Source: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/ # |
