Massachusetts House Bill 5092, a bill featuring many anti-responsible dog breeder and owner provisions, will be heard by the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government on Thursday, October 23rd, at 10:00 AM, in Room A-2 of the State House in Boston. The AKC encourages all concerned dog breeders and owners in Massachusetts to attend Thursday's hearing and respectfully oppose HB 5092.
Among the many problematic provisions to HB 5092, the most egregious include:
- Imposing mandatory spay/neuter of all dogs over 12 months of age; or in the alternative, owners will have to qualify for and annually purchase an intact animal permit at a cost of up to $500 per dog.
- Limiting the number of reproductive events per female dog to one litter per year, with few exceptions.
- Requiring the reporting of all sales of puppies to local jurisdictions.
- Eliminating the practice of humane tethering, without allowances for hunting or sled dogs.
- Allowing towns and cities to impose breed-specific ordinances.
- Instituting state-mandated vaccination schedules, instead of allowing vaccination schedules to be provided by, and in consultation with, a veterinarian.
- Establishing unreasonable nuisance laws that can result in the forced sterilization, banishment, or euthanization of dogs.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
All concerned dog breeders and owners in Massachusetts are encouraged to attend Thursday's hearing and respectfully oppose HB 5092.
In the alternative, Massachusetts residents are encouraged to write, e-mail, or call the members of the committee and express their opposition to the bill if they have not already done so.
SENATOR ANTHONY W. PETRUCCELLI
Room 413-B, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-1634
E-Mail: Anthony.Petruccelli@state.ma.us
SENATOR PATRICIA D. JEHLEN
Room 513, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-1578
Fax: 617-722-1117
E-Mail: Patricia.Jehlen@state.ma.us
SENATOR STEVEN A. BADDOUR
Room 208, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-1604
E-Mail: Steven.Baddour@state.ma.us
SENATOR SUSAN C. FARGO
Room 504, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-1572
E-Mail: Susan.Fargo@state.ma.us
SENATOR RICHARD R. TISEI
Room 308, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-1206
Fax: (617) 722-1063
E-Mail: Richard.Tisei@state.ma.us
REPRESENTATIVE VINCENT A. PEDONE
Room 540, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2090
Facsimile: 617-626-0551
E-Mail: Rep.VincentPedone@hou.state.ma.us
REPRESENTATIVE MARTIN J. WALSH
Room 540, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2090
E-Mail: Rep.MartinWalsh@hou.state.ma.us
REPRESENTATIVE MATTHEW C.PATRICK
Room 540, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2090
Facsimile: 617-722-2848
E-Mail: Rep.MatthewPatrick@hou.state.ma.us
E-Mail: repmattp@cape.com
REPRESENTATIVE STEPHEN R. CANESSA
Room 443, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2460
Facsimile: 617-626-0839
E-Mail: Rep.StephenCanessa@Hou.State.MA.US
REPRESENTATIVE DENIS E. GUYER
State House, Room 443
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2460
E-Mail: Rep.DenisGuyer@Hou.State.MA.US
REPRESENTATIVE SARAH K. PEAKE
Room 473F, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2210
Facsimile: 617-626-0551
E-Mail: Rep.SarahPeake@Hou.State.MA.US
REPRESENTATIVE JAMES J. O'DAY
Room 39, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2014
Facsimile: 617-626-0884
E-Mail: Rep.JamesO'Day@Hou.State.MA.US
REPRESENTATIVE PAUL MCMURTRY
Room 443, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2460
Facsimile: 617-722-2353
E-Mail: Rep.PaulMcMurtry@hou.state.ma.us
REPRESENTATIVE SEAN GARBALLEY
Room 134, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-2400
Facsimile: 617-722-2850
E-Mail: Rep.SeanGarballey@Hou.State.MA.US
REPRESENTATIVE F. JAY BARROWS
Room 542, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2488
Facsimile: 617-722-2390
E-Mail: Rep.FJayBarrows@Hou.State.MA.US
REPRESENTATIVE TODD M. SMOLA
Room 156, State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2240
E-Mail: Rep.ToddSmola@Hou.State.MA.US
For more information, contact AKC's Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3503, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org. Please also contact the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners at http://www.massfeddogs.org/.
Massachusetts House Bill 5092, a bill featuring many anti-responsible dog breeder and owner…