While Michael Vick has returned to playing professional football and even starred in his own reality show, state governments have continued to build during the 2009-2010 session on 2008 gains in giving law enforcement the tools needed to deter or stop animal fighting crimes like his.

Update: The pro-gassing bill, H.B. 27, was defeated in Committee today. That bill is now dead. Davie's Law, H.B. 6/S.B. 199 is also dead.

Despite their promises during their election campaigns last year, neither Gov. Perdue nor Sen. David Hoyle said a word in support of Davie's Law or any gas chamber ban.   

For more read Animal Law Coalition's earlier report below.   

Mark your calendars! May 2, 2009 at 1:00 p.m.  A protest rally at the dog pound of St-Lin, Saint-Lin-Laurentides, Quebec.

This dog pound services at least 30 municipalities. Some say no effort is made to find owners of impounded animals.

by Laura Allen 

Yesterday, I told everyone to take a page from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and put a positive spin on the Obamas' choice of a dog.

The Obamas finally, almost reluctantly, acknowledged that they were not adopting a homeless dog from a local shelter as President Obama promised when he was candidate Obama.

Update Nov. 17, 2009: Pennsylvania's anti-tethering legislation, H.B. 1254, is still in the state House Judiciary Committee.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Join the Pennsylvania Coalition to End Tethering and help us end this inhumane practice.

We can not do this without your support and your direct involvement.

Update:  These bills that will limit farm animal protections have now passed, and the governor has signed them.

______________________

Oklahoma's legislature is set to pass H.B. 2151 which would prohibit local governments from passing or enforcing any "order, ordinance, or regulation concerning the care and handling of livestock within its jurisdiction that is more restrictive than rules promulgated by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry". 

Following the passage of Proposition 2 in California last November, a ballot initiative that will mean some room to move around for factory farm victims, a similar measure has been filed in Massachusetts.

Update June 22, 2009: By a vote of 95-10 the legislature has overridden South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's veto of S.B. 453. The bill is now law.

For more on this bill, read Animal Law Coalition's reports below. 

And more states are proposing bans on horse slaughter.

The Rhode Island House of Representatives has passed a resolution calling for passage of the Equine Prevention of Cruelty Act, H.R. 503/S.B. 727, which would stop the slaughter of American horses for human consumption.

H.R. 6026 recognizes that:

A Massachusetts bill that would limit everyone, breeders and others, to 25 intact dogs over the age of 6 months, is making its way through the legislature.  More than enough, of course.

The bill would limit breeding to dogs between the ages of 18 months and 8 years of age, and females could have only one litter per year.

Enforcement

The gas chamber at the Macon, GA Animal Control shelter was torn down Monday, April 13.  

Swings with the sledgehammer were sold for $10 for the benefit of the animals at the shelter.
 
Macon City Councilperson Nancy White, said, "Central Services & Macon Animal Control is poised to move forward with building modifications to end the gas chamber and switch to euthanasia by lethal injection. This represents a lot of selfless effort and sacrifice on the part of many volunteers in our community."

Several breeds of dogs are now banned from Pilot Grove, Missouri. 

Under Ordinance No. 42 these dogs are prohibited in the town: pit bull breeds, chinesischer kampfhunds (shar-peis), Dobermans, chows, and rottweilers.

There is a statement in the ordinance that these breeds were selected for banishment because they "have shown a sufficient propensity of viciousness or ability to inflict serious injury such."

Update Sept. 11:  S.B. 250, the California mandatory spay/neuter bill, failed to pass the Assembly on a third reading, but a motion to reconsider was granted. 

It is not known when the bill will be called up for another vote.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council has banned the retail sale of dogs and cats. Yes, pet stores can no longer sell dogs and cats in that city.

The new law is effective May 5, 2009, but retailers of puppies have 2 years to comply. Only one store, Broc's Puppies, sells puppies in South Lake Tahoe.

Update: This bill died upon adjournment of the state legislature. 

A pending Arkansas bill, S.B. 864, would require state licenses for all owners of 12 or more dog or cats.

Authorities would be able to enter the premises during business hours and inspect the animals and areas where they are kept for violations of the licensing provision.

Update Oct. 12, 2009: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed AB 241, the anti-puppy mill bill that would have limited commercial dog and cat breeders to a total of 50 breeding animals.

Update June 2: This bill, AB 15, has now become law, after passing with overwhelming majorities in the Assembly (31-11) and the Senate (21-1).  

The bill passed without exemptions for a number of dogs  that had been proposed by breeder groups.

For more, read Animal Law Coalition's original report below. 

Update April 16: The County Affairs Committee does not intend to vote on this bill, H.B. 1982. The bill is dead for this legislative session. Good news for the dogs!

Update April 7: The County Affairs Committee heard testimony yesterday on this bill but has not yet voted on it. It appears there will at least be some changes made to it before a vote.

Massachusetts H.B. 1997 and S.B. 406/2172 offer competing views on breed specific legislation.

Update Oct. 29: New York Governor David Paterson has signed into law AB 999!  This law bans the use of CO gas chambers to kill shelter animals and requires shelters to dismantle and remove them!

For more on this bill, read Animal Law Coalition's original report below. 

Aug. 29: Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has now signed into law S.B. 38, a bill restricting the use of gas chambers. 

by John Holland and Vicki Tobin, Founders, Equine Welfare Alliance (reprinted with permission)  

With their vote to resume the barbaric practice of horse slaughter in the State of Montana, seven politicians may have ended once promising careers.

Senators Terry Murphy, Taylor Brown, Ken Hansen, Verdell Jackson, Rick Ripley, Bradley Hamlett and Donald Steinbeisser should be removed from office.

Update June 3: This bill did not advance and died upon adjournment of the Nevada legislature. 

Original report: Nevada S.B. 241 would require licensing with a $500 annual fee for all commercial breeders and impose the following restrictions:

(1) All litters would be required to be registered.

(2) All dogs and cats would be required to be micro-chipped before sale

Update June 1: The Texas legislature has now adjourned for the 2009 session. This bill did not advance further and is now dead. 

Update May 13: HB 3180, the Texas puppy mill bill, has now passed the state House of Representatives by a vote of 149-0. A unanimous vote! 

The bill is now in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.  

by John Holland (reprinted with permission) 

The auctions call them "loose" horses because they are run through the auction ring without riders and are sold mostly to "killer buyers".

Update May 13: This bill was pulled before the scheduled hearing and is now dead for this session.  

Update May 11: The Senate Judiciary 1 Committee will vote on S.B. 695 tomorrow, May 12. To survive, this bill must pass the committee and the full senate by the May 14 crossover date.

For more on this bill to restrict chaining of dogs, read Animal Law Coalition's original report below.

Update Jan. 28, 2010: Arizona U.S. District Court Judge David G. Campbell has issued an opinion agreeing 2 of the plaintiffs suing Petland can proceed with their cases.

Miami-Dade County, Florida (March 19, 2009) Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation (MCABSL) and Animal Law Coalition applaud a hearing officer's ruling that the Miami Dade County Pit Bull ban is too vague, and the county cannot enforce the finding by animal control that a dog named Apollo is a pit bull that must be euthanized or removed from the county. 

June 7: West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin has now approved S.B. 501 which bans new CO gas chambers and restricts operation of existing ones.

Update April 7: Gov. Bill Richardson has made it official. H.B. 265 is now law in New Mexico.  CO gas chambers can no longer be used to kill dogs and cats in public shelters!

Gov. Richardson also signed into law a direct licensing bill that will allow public shelters to obtain drugs used for euthanasia directly instead of having to rely on a local veterinarian to obtain them. 

Update June 6: The Nebraska legislature has now adjourned for this year. Neither breeder regulation bill passed. 

There were several bills and resolutions introduced and some passed in 2009 in state legislatures. The resolutions call for the defeat of the federal anti-horse slaughter bill, H.R.

New York's Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick  wants to make sure not only is the slaughter of horses for human consumption illegal in that state, but also that horsemeat or flesh does not come into or pass through the state for that purpose.

Update June 4, 2009: This bll did not pass, but its language was added to another bill, S.B. 408, which did pass and has been sent to Gov. Rick Perry for his signature. 

This law allows people divested of ownership of animals seized from them for cruelty or neglect to appeal to a county court and receive a new trial. This will make authorities think twice about seizing cruelly treated animals. It will make enforcement of animal cruelty laws more costly. 

Update: This bill, H.B. 667, died upon adjournment of the legislative session. 

The BSL in New Mexico's proposed amendments to the state's dangerous dog law, H.B. 667, was dropped.

But the proposed law sponsored by Rep. James Heaton would still have required owners of dogs declared dangerous to obtain $250,000 in liability insurance for injuries and damages cause by the dog.

Update Mar. 3, 2009: Oregon State Senator Bruce Starr has withdrawn his bill to ban pit bulls!

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Reps. Jim Moran (D-VA) and Elton Gallegly (R-CA) announced today that they will co-chair the newly formed "Congressional Animal Protection Caucus (CAPC)," a bipartisan organization committed to raising awareness of animal welfare issues in Congress. 

CAPC replaces the Friends of Animals Caucus that existed in previous Congresses.

Update: This bill, H.B. 529, has now been signed into law by Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue.

H.B. 529 will stop local communities from regulating factory farms through ordinances, rules, regulations and resolutions. 

Update May 13: The Judiciary II Committee in the North Carolina House has said no to a pro-gas chamber bill. By a vote of 7-5, the committee killed the bill. It is now dead for this session. This is thanks to your faxes, emails and calls.

For more on this bill, H.B. 27, read Animal Law Coalition's report below.

Update: Since the decision of a Wilkes County, North Carolina judge that 127 dogs including puppies must be euthanized, there has been increasing outrage in the animal welfare community. 

Most of that anger has been directed at the Humane Society of the United States because its employees offered opinions at a court hearing held to determine the fate of the dogs, that these were champion fighters, dangerous, and even the puppies showed aggression. HSUS told the court the dogs had been bred for aggression.

Update: Gov. Phil Bredesen has signed the puppy and cat mill bill into law.

For more on this new law, H.B. 386, read Animal Law Coalition's reports below.  

Update June 19: H.B. 386, the Tennessee puppy mill bill, has now passed the state Senate as well. The vote was 26-2.

Former Mayor Paula Bacon

City of Kaufman

Kaufman, TX  75142

Dear State Legislator:

Update May 1: Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer neither vetoed nor signed H.B. 418, the pro-horse slaughter bill. That means the bill became law.   

Update April 1, 2009: The Illinois House has tabled H.B. 583, Rep. Jim Sacia's bill to repeal the 2007 horse slaughter ban.

Good news for the horses. Rep. Sacia was not able to put together the 60 votes needed to pass this measure. Sources say the bill is dead for this year. 

Read Animal Law Coalition's original report for more on this bill. 

The topic is horse slaughter.  And there is a lot to talk about.

Update April 16, 2009: This bill, HF 486, was consigned to the Public Safety Committee.  Please also help pass the Senate version, S.F. 69. The bill is in the Agriculture Committee. 

Washington, D.C. Council member Jim Graham has proposed the "Pit Bull Protection  Act of 2009".

Yes, that's right, the "Pit Bull Protection Act" which would ban the "the importation, possession, displaying, selling, trading, bartering, exchanging, adoption, or giving of pit bulls in the District of Columbia". 

Update May 5, 2009: H.B. 925 which would have amended the Texas state ban on BSL to make certain restrictions on pit bulls is now dead for this session!  

The bill would have made it a crime for pit bull owners to allow children 15 years of age or younger to "handle or care for" a pit bull dog without adult supervision.

Update May 27, 2009: Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons has approved S.B. 132, and it is now law!  (A copy of the new law is attached at the end of this article and can be downloaded.)