SAOVA Friends,
At SAOVA there is always some type of work or research needed and
volunteers are both welcome and appreciated.
We also encourage readers to send in news from your area of pending
legislation. If you are a writer, feel free to submit articles for review and
posting on the SAOVA blog. Cross posting
of our news briefs is encouraged and helps keep others informed.
The world not only belongs to those who show up, it's controlled by the
best informed and most motivated.
Thank you for reading.
Susan Wolf
Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance
NEW CONGRESSIONAL ANIMAL CAUCUS FORMED
Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL12) and Representative Henry Cuellar
(D-TX28) announced that they will launch a new animal caucus, focusing on ties
between people and animals. The two congressmen will co-chair the ‘Caucus for
the Humane Bond’ which “was created to strengthen the humane bond between
people and animals, unleashing the power of our connection to benefit both and
create healthy, sustainable and humane communities.”
"From children with cancer to veteran dog handlers and their dogs,
animals have played important roles in people’s lives,” said Congressman Bilirakis.
“It is up to all of us to promote these roles in ways that benefit both people
and animals.” Congressman Cuellar added, "Animals comfort, protect, entertain,
and sustain us. It is important for all of us to make sure that bond works to
benefit animals and people, and create a more humane and sustainable world.”
Launch of the caucus on June 3 at the Cannon House Office Building
included country singer Naomi Judd; movie director Jon Turteltaub; military
hero dog teams Corporal Jeff DeYoung and Military Working Dog (MWD) Cena and
Specialist Brent Grommet and MWD Matty; and Crystal the Capuchin monkey from
the "Night at The Museum" movies.
According to the American Humane Association (AHA) news release, the
bipartisan Caucus for the Humane Bond is devoted to bringing a commonsense,
scientific and rational dialogue to the issues surrounding the physical,
emotional, and even medical connections between humans and animals. The caucus
will play an important role strengthening the humane bond between people and
animals in working environments, our homes, hospitals, educational settings,
the wild and agriculture, unleashing the power of our connection to benefit
both and create healthy, sustainable and humane communities.
AHA President and CEO Dr. Robin Ganzert praised the formation of the
caucus. “From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank Congressman Bilirakis and
Congressman Cuellar for their vision and their leadership in creating the
Caucus for the Humane Bond,” said Dr. Ganzert. “The animal space often brings
out strong emotions and passions, and national dialogue has at times been
contentious with different competing agendas.
Ganzert continued, “The American Humane Association doesn’t believe in
animal abolitionism, whereby we remove problems simply by removing animals from
our lives. We believe in coming up with sustainable, moral solutions that
enrich and benefit both people and the creatures that share our earth. In a time of partisanship and polarization, it’s encouraging that
leaders are willing to put differences aside and work across the aisle to
create the Caucus for the Humane Bond. In doing so, they will make a more
humane world for animals, including those in our homes, working environments
and agriculture, while helping children, families, our military veterans, the
ill and the elderly.”
Sources: Congressman Gus Bilirakis website; The Hill http://tinyurl.com/po2tfld ; American
Humane Association news
WILD HORSE LISTING ON ESA REJECTED BY USFWS
The
Cloud Foundation and the Friends of Animals filed a petition June 2014 with U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) in support of including the horses in the
Endangered Species Act, requesting wild horses be considered a Distinct
Population Segment (DPS). Petitioners argued that wild horses are markedly
separated from other horse populations by ecological, physiological, and
behavioral factors. Petitioners maintained that wild horses are better suited
for living in the wild than domestic horses because they can survive longer
without water, have different hooves, and have a more highly refined flight
reaction. Following a 90-day review of the petition and sources provided, USFWS
found that the petition did not present substantial information that the
population of North American wild horse may be discrete (markedly separated
from other populations of the same taxon) under the DPS policy. Therefore, wild
horses are not a listable entity under the ESA. Docket with petition and USFWS
denial http://tinyurl.com/nccebbe
GRAY WOLF LISTING UNDER ESA DENIED BY USFWS
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced June 30 that it
has determined that a petition to reclassify all gray wolves in the
conterminous U.S., except for the Mexican wolf in the Southwest, as a
threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) does not present
substantial information indicating that reclassification may be warranted. The
determination was in response to a January 27, 2015 petition from the Humane
Society of the United States (HSUS), The Center for Biological Diversity, The
Fund for Animals, Born Free USA, The Detroit Zoological Society and over a
dozen other groups requesting that the gray wolf, excluding the Mexican wolf
subspecies, be reclassified as threatened throughout the conterminous United
States. USFWS determined that the petition did not provide substantial
scientific information indicating gray wolves may be likely to become
endangered species within the foreseeable future. USFWS further determined that if the petition
had presented information with respect to other sources of mortality, other
than overutilization of hunting and trapping, the existing state plans
regulating take of wolves would only allow take above certain population
thresholds. Those plans have a built-in response that if the other causes of
mortality increased above certain levels, hunting and trapping would be reduced
to prevent the population from dipping below those thresholds. Docket FWS-HQ-ES-2015-0072
http://tinyurl.com/pc238fx
INDIANA SENATORS WANT HSUS INVESTIGATION
State Senators Jean Leising, Brent Steele, Susan Glick, and other
members of the Indiana Senate Republican Caucus sent a joint letter to Indiana
Attorney General Greg Zoeller urging him to investigate the deceptive
fundraising activities conducted by HSUS. The letter to Zoeller stated,
“Hoosiers are donating their hard-earned money with the belief that their
donations will be used to help local shelters and the abandoned animals they
see in the solicitations from HSUS. However, Hoosiers would be well-served to
know that their donations may go to high-powered lobbying and public relations
experts of a national organization that has attacked institutions, traditions
and practices that are part of Indiana’s heritage, such as farming, ranching
and hunting.” The group requested that Zoeller issue a consumer alert about the
fundraising efforts by HSUS to address the misconception between HSUS and local
human societies. Letter at link http://tinyurl.com/ns9val7
ULSTER COUNTY NY PROPOSED LEGISLATION
The County Legislature is expected to begin discussing two proposed
bills this month. One law would create
an animal abuse registry. Anyone convicted of an animal abuse crime under the
Agriculture and Markets law would be required to register with the Ulster
County District Attorney’s Office as an animal abuser. Anyone who has been
convicted of an animal abuse crime must remain on the registry for 15 years and
for life if there is a subsequent conviction. The Ulster County DA is
authorized to contract with a rescue or animal protection organization to
establish the registry.
The second law would require any person who sells more than nine dogs
or cats per year or more than one litter per year to obtain a no-cost permit
from the county Health Department, agree to standards of care related to
housing, sanitation, feeding and watering, veterinary care, and exercise. The new law would also include consumer
protection and record keeping requirements.
Breeders must check the animal abuse registry to ensure a potential
buyer isn’t listed.
The Ulster County Legislature will now vote to schedule a public
hearing concerning the laws during which members of the public can provide
input and opinions. The public hearing
is anticipated to be in August. See more
at: http://tinyurl.com/nbxcew5
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