California fanciers will recall that the Assembly Appropriations Committee placed AB418—a bill to ban ear cropping—on the Suspense File in April due to concern over its potential financial impact on the state's economy. On May 25th, the committee will hold a hearing to announce which bills will be released from the Suspense file to the Assembly floor. (Only released bills can proceed on their journey to become law.) Which bills are released will be determined in large part by Committee staff recommendations but also by the bill sponsor's requests and political climate. No testimony is permitted at this hearing.
What You Can Do:
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There are just a few short days left for fanciers to contact their own Assembly member and ask him or her to oppose AB418. It is imperative that we keep the calls, e-mails and faxes coming, even if you have written before, in order to increase the chance that the bill remain on the Suspense File. To find out who represents you in the California legislature, click here: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html. It is critical that legislators hear from their own constituents!
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Purebred dog owners should also contact their veterinarians and urge them not to support AB418. Point out that veterinarians should be concerned about allowing the government and public opinion too much control over their practices.
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Share this information with other fanciers and dog clubs. We need everyone's help!
Why Passage of AB418 Will Negatively Impact California's Economy:
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It is extremely likely that passage of AB418 would have a negative impact on the entire dog show world in California, much to the detriment of the state's economy. Whether out of protest or fear of harassment, it is likely that many owners of cropped dogs would choose not to show their dogs in California. This would result in a substantial decrease in dog show attendance and certainly in the number of shows held annually throughout the state.
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Fewer dogs (who travel with owners, handlers, vendors and families) and fewer shows will result in a huge loss of revenue for retailers, as well as a loss of tax revenue for the government on all services including hotels, airline passengers, restaurants, auto rentals, gas stations, show site rentals and catering services. Tourist and shopping dollars will be lost and sales of products related to dogs will also decrease substantially.
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AKC sanctioned nearly 1400 events in California last year which drew hundreds of thousands of people from both within and outside of the state. Approximately 185,000 dogs were entered in those competitions, and over 23,000 of those were of breeds who customarily crop ears–just over 12 percent.
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A two-day dog show with 2,000 participants contributes approximately $345,000 to the local economy. AKC estimates that passage of AB418 could therefore result in a loss of over 100 million dollars in revenue.
Other Points to Consider:
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When appropriate veterinary care is provided, ear cropping is a safe, acceptable practice.
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Owners, in close consultation with their veterinarians, should make informed decisions about their pets' health care—not the government.
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Once legislators determine they can ban certain elective procedures, they may be just a short step away from removing veterinarians' and owners' rights to make informed decisions about animal care and treatment.
California fanciers will recall that the Assembly Appropriations Committee placed AB418a bill to…