Oregon House Bill 2470 has passed the Legislature and is going to the Governor. This bill limits dog ownership, imposes regulations on anyone owning 10 or more intact dogs, and includes offensive legislative findings. It is imperative that all responsible dog breeders and fanciers in Oregon contact the Governor and ask him to veto House Bill 2470.
The American Kennel Club's mission includes working to protect the rights of all dog owners and promoting responsible dog ownership. The AKC strongly supports the humane treatment of dogs, including providing an adequate and nutritious diet, clean living conditions, regular veterinary care, kind and responsive human companionship and training in appropriate behavior. The AKC believes that numerical limits do not address the underlying issues of responsible ownership and proper dog care. Instead, the AKC supports reasonable and enforceable laws that protect the welfare and health of dogs without restricting the rights of owners or breeders who take their responsibilities seriously.
The AKC opposes the following provisions, among others, in HB 2470:
- Limits any person from possessing, controlling, or otherwise having charge of more than 50 intact dogs that are two years of age or older. The AKC believes that numerical limits do not address the underlying issues of responsible ownership and proper dog care.
- Imposes strict operational and record-keeping requirements upon anyone who possesses 10 or more dogs eight months of age or older. The AKC believes that strict engineering requirements for facilities should be replaced by performance-based requirements to ensure higher rates of compliance. Strict engineering requirements are also difficult and costly to enforce.
- Provides four problematic legislative findings that represent an indictment of certain responsible purebred dog breeders. The AKC opposes the implication that all large-scale breeders are irresponsible by nature and contribute to pet overpopulation. This bill does not recognize the important role responsible breeders play in caring for dogs and placing them in loving homes.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Contact Governor Ted Kulongoski and ask him to veto House Bill 2470. His contact information is as follows:
Governor Ted Kulongoski
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, Oregon 97301-4047
Phone: (503)378-4582
Fax: (503) 378-6827
Click here to e-mail the Governor
For a customizable sample letter, click here.
For more information on this or other legislation, contact AKC's Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org; or contact AKC's Oregon federation, the National Animal Interest Alliance at NAIA@naiaonline.org.
Oregon House Bill 2470 has passed the Legislature and is going to the Governor. This bill limits…