A new Legislative Alert has been posted on the AKC’s Web site. To view this alert, please click on the following link, or cut and paste it into your web browser http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=3883.
CA SB 250 to be Heard in Assembly Business and Professions Committee
Senate Bill 250 has been referred to the Assembly Business and Professions Committee and will be heard next Tuesday, June 30th. It is vital that concerned fanciers, dog owners, breeders, and clubs immediately notify the committee members of their ongoing opposition to the measure.
We are still awaiting the amendments that Senator Florez promised as the bill left the Senate. The amendments are expected to address exemptions for working dogs or those involved in hunting activities. A second amendment will require sterilization the 2nd time a dog is at-large, rather than the first. Until we see the text of these amendments, we cannot know their impact.
The American Kennel Club opposes Senate Bill 250 as it continues to use sterilization as a punishment for any violation of the animal control ordinance and for failure to license. Strict limit laws and unreasonably high license fees contribute significantly to people’s failure to license their animals and these issues should be examined in dealing with the over animal control issues in the state.
Finally, existing state law already requires that owners of intact animals pay a license fee that is at least double that to license a sterilized animal (Food and Agriculture Code Section 30804.5); and provides for enhanced and graduated fines for owners whose intact dogs are impounded (Food and Agriculture Code Section 30804.7). These statutes are sufficient to incentivize owners to sterilize their animals and to address animal control concerns with specific intact animals who are impounded repeatedly.
This legislation will not improve the lives of cats and dogs, will negatively impact responsible owners and breeders. Additionally, by placing additional burdens on owners of intact animals, this measure may lead to an increase of animals in shelters. Concentrating animal control efforts on dogs whose behavior demonstrates that they are a problem for the community, regardless of their reproductive status, would be a much better use of taxpayer funds.
What You Can Do: * Attend the Business and Professions Committee hearing to oppose SB 250. June 30th at 10am State Capitol, Room 447 Sacramento, CA 95814
* Contact the members of the Assembly Business and Professions Committee and ask them to oppose Senate Bill 250. For a sample letter visit this link: http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/CA_Resident_Sample_SB_250_ASM_B_P.doc
* Ask your club to write a letter opposing SB 250. For a sample letter for your club, please visit this link: http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/Club_Sample_Letter_SB_250_ASM_B_P.doc.
Business and Professions Committee Members
Assemblymember Mary Hayashi (Chair) Assemblymember.Hayashi@assembly.ca.gov P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0000 Phone (916) 319-2018 Fax: (916) 319-2118
Assemblymember Bill Emmerson (Vice-Chair) Assemblymember.emmerson@assembly.ca.gov P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0000 Phone: (916) 319-2063 Fax: ((16) 319-2163
Assemblymember Connie Conway Assemblymember.Conway@assembly.ca.gov P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0000 Phone: (916) 319-2034 Fax: (916) 319-2134
Assemblymember Mike Eng Assemblymember.Eng@asm.ca.gov P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0000 Phone: (916) 319-2049 Fax: (916) 319-2149
Assemblymember Edward P. Hernandez Assemblymember.Hernandez@assembly.ca.gov P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0000 Phone: (916) 319-2057 Fax: (916) 319-2157
Assemblymember Pedro Nava (Author) Assemblymember.nava@assembly.ca.gov P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0000 Phone: (916) 319-2035 Fax: (916) 319-2135
Assemblymember Roger Niello Assemblymember.niello@assembly.ca.gov P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0000 Phone: (916) 319-2005 Fax: (916) 319-2105
Assemblymember John A. Pérez Assemblymember.John.Perez@assembly.ca.gov P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0000 Phone: (916) 319-2046 Fax: (916) 319-2146
Assemblymember Curren D. Price Jr. Assemblymember.Price@assembly.ca.gov P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0000 Phone: (916) 319-2051 Fax: (916) 319-2151
Assemblymember Ira Ruskin Assemblymember.Ruskin@assembly.ca.gov P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0000 Phone: (916) 319-2021 Fax: (916) 319-2121
Assemblymember Cameron Smyth Assemblymember.Smyth@assembly.ca.gov P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0000 Phone: (916) 319-2038 Fax: (916) 319-2138 
Sarah Sprouse Manager, AKC Government Relations