Well there goes earthworth and coursing in America

[Autumnbriar 0]

and we didn't even care what was happening! THE HSUS which is like your RSPCA, has gotten an anti ANIMAL fighting law, because of the blanket term of ANIMAL, the use of any animal against another can and will be covered under this bill. Any animal that harassas, harms , kills maims another is covered! I have tried and tried to get people to understand what was coming and like typical AMERICANS they just think the freedom country isn't going to take such things away....... say good bye to hunting with dogs! Ask the hogdoggers how protected they feel!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 3, 2007

 

 

President Signs Animal Fighting Bill Into Law

 

Dear Cecily,

 

I wanted to be the first to share with you some fantastic news. Today President Bush signed the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act into law. This is the culmination of an almost six-year campaign by The Humane Society of the United States and our allies to enact meaningful federal penalties for animal fighting.

 

The law takes effect immediately. It provides felony penalties for interstate commerce, import and export related to animal fighting activities, including commerce in cockfighting weapons. It will make it much harder for criminals who engage in dogfighting and cockfighting to continue their operations. Each violation of the federal law may bring up to three years in jail and up to a $250,000 fine for perpetrators.

 

We are fortunate to have had steadfast Congressional leadership on this issue. But this campaign would not have been a success without your tireless efforts. Thank you again to each of you who sent emails, made phone calls, wrote letters and visited your federal legislators on Capitol Hill and in their home districts.

 

This victory reminds us to never to give up, and that there are rewards for compassionate action and perseverance. Please share this tremendous news with others and let them know that you had a part in making it happen.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

 

 

Wayne Pacelle

President & CEO

The Humane Society of the United States

 

Copyright © 2007 The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). All Rights Reserved.

The Humane Society of the United States | 2100 L Street, NW | Washington, DC 20037

humanesociety@ hsus.org | 202-452-1100 | www.hsus.org

 

 

 

We are committed to protecting your privacy, so your email address will NEVER be sold, rented, or exchanged. This message was sent to cec92@yahoo. com. Visit your subscription management page to modify your email communication preferences or update your personal profile. To stop ALL email from The Humane Society of the United States, click to remove yourself from our lists (or reply via email with "remove" in the subject line).

[skycat 6,174]

I just copied this from the Bill itself online:

 

`(1) the term `animal fighting venture' means any event which involves a fight between at least two animals and is conducted for purposes of sport, wagering, or entertainment except that the term `animal fighting venture' shall not be deemed to include any activity the primary purpose of which involves the use of one or more animals in hunting another animal [struck out->] or animals, such as waterfowl, bird, raccoon, or fox hunting [<-Struck out] ;

 

 

Now I could be wrong, but it does look as though 'hunting' as an action is not included in this bill: though I admit I haven't read through all of it!

[spindolero 1,111]

I'm sure Patrick Burns will sort it out

[Autumnbriar 0]

Yes, but it's a foot hold, it's another step, hog hunters have aready come under the gun, and it will not be long until they expand this law......

[Stabs 3]

Does this apply to those states where cock fighting is legal?

[bshadle 5]

I'm not Pat, but have been involved with discussion and research on this issue on other boards.

 

The letter from HSUS claiming "victory" is another of their fund-raising campaigns to show their supporters they've done something with the money they collect. The bill that passed did increase penalties for animal fighting that has been illegal here for about the same time that it's been illegal in the UK. The only new action made illegal was interstate trafficing in implements of cockfighting.

 

Since cockfighting is already illegal in almost all our states (48 or 49 of 50, depending on who you ask), and I don't know much about it anyway, I don't know how big a deal that really is. IMO, it's about on par with making it illegal to defy gravity.

 

Under our Constitution here, Congress has the legal authority to regulate interstate commerce. You can certainly make a case that any law restricting freedom is a bad law, but this bill was neither the "fantastic news" HSUS claims, nor the "sky is falling" news that some of the people who tried to defeat it claim either. If HSUS wants to spend its money increasing the penalties for actions already illegal, I don't know that that's a bad thing. It uses the resources they could be using to create mischief in other areas. If I were intent on breaking the law, I don't know that an increased penalty would particularly change my mind.

 

The thing to keep in mind is that HSUS (as an organization, anyway) doesn't care a whit about animals. They care about money for their officers and power to tell other people what to do. Of all the millions of dollars raised by HSUS here, NOT ONE DIME goes to fund the local shelters that actually take in stray and unwanted animals. IMO, they are the worst sort of hypocrites.

 

If anyone is truly interested, I can dig up and post the full text of the law passed, and you can decide for yourself just how big a deal it is.

[bshadle 5]

Does this apply to those states where cock fighting is legal?

The law specifically exempts states where it's legal. The interstate commerce aspect might apply though. I'm not certain of that without re-reading the actual language.

[Autumnbriar 0]

What bothers me most is that these simple "blanket termed" laws get amended, and it's always their goal to just get their foot in the door. In several states where dog fighting laws where labeled as such, nobody noticed when the term "Dog" was changed to "ANIMAL", it was on such a change that caused the seizure of 95 catchdogs in Alabama.

[bshadle 5]

I may know you from other boards, AutumnBriar, and you may be familiar with some of the discussions there.

 

The new legislation actually removed some restrictive terms regarding animals that might have been used by a skillful attorney to at least try to stop many earthdog trials here. Don't know if that change counter-balances the harm done to people who want to engage in activities related to cockfighting or not. Guess it would depend on your viewpoint and interests.

[Autumnbriar 0]

Well your one up on me as I may know you too but not by the handle your using here. I am fully aware of bills that have been put up and to be honest it's a bit daunting to try and keep up with all that is going on state by state. There are a few groups working on regional area's but surely not all can be covered. My state (PA) is under heavey attack right now as they are trying hard to outlaw tethering. Which for now is on the back burner but surely is not dead. The problem with blanket laws is how they are change , that single paragraph of three sentences can be altered or omitted.... and we are looking down the barrel of a rifle held by a blind man!

[bshadle 5]

Well your one up on me as I may know you too but not by the handle your using here.

Sorry, my mistake. Just a case of recognizing your kennel name from some previous research on terriers, and thinking I knew the person attached to it. I use the same name on all the boards I frequent.

 

I'm from Pa. as well, and though I try to stay up on pending legislation in areas of interest, am not familiar with the "tethering"" issue. Care to elaborate? PM might be more appropriate if you wish.

[Autumnbriar 0]

bshadle, if you have a kennel license in PA, then you would be up on the amendment to the Kennel Codes, they were not trying to pass it as "LAWS" but pass it under the Kennel restrictions, which is the code the Dog Law goes by when regulating kennels....... it was shady and well fought by PiJac and another group. (who I forget of at the moment.... I will see if I can get you some of the articles......

[bshadle 5]

bshadle, if you have a kennel license in PA, then you would be up on the amendment to the Kennel Codes, they

Okay. Now I know what you're referencing. Last news I heard on this was:

 

Restrictive Pennsylvania Dog Regs Sent Back to the Drawing Board

Sportsmen’s Vigilance Still Necessary

(Harrisburg) – A Pennsylvania regulatory panel has scrapped proposed dog care regulations that would have wrecked hunting with hounds, field trialing, and sporting dog training. Legislators have sent the regulations back to the state Department of Agriculture for a complete rewrite.

 

A campaign coordinated by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and other dog organizations generated a torrent of sportsmen’s calls to Gov. Ed Rendell, state lawmakers and the Department of Agriculture opposing the original regulations. The action helped stop the initial proposal; however, houndsmen are not off the hook. The state will put forth a revised proposal, and sportsmen must keep up grassroots action to be sure their rights are not compromised.

 

Don't have a kennel license here in Pa. Wouldn't have the time nor patience to have 26 or more dogs a year on the property. I have been following it though and adding my voice, FWIW, to the effort. Thought it was pretty much dead, at least for the moment. I'll keep alert if/when it rises from the ashes as we know it will.

 

Thanks for the heads-up.

[PBurns 9]

Dog fighting and cock fighting has nothing to do with hunting with dogs and never has, plain and simple. To suggest otherwise is bunkum. This law is not a threat to hunting with dogs in this country, and changes very little. Dog fighting has been illegal for quite a long time in all civilized countries, including the U.S., and cock fighting has been illegal in all but three states for quite a long time as well.

 

As to hunting with dogs, I assure you that we have a lot of that in the U.S, from dog hunting for bear and cougar (mountain lion), to fox and raccoon. It remains entirely legal and in fact is expanding as the population of critters expands.

 

Bear, cougar, fox, raccoon and groundhog are at 100-year record populations in the U.S. We have 500,000 bear in the U.S. and in my little state of Virginia we shoot about 1,000 of them a year, most of them tracked with dogs. Across the U.S., we have about 15 times more raccoon now than we did years ago, and raccoon hunting field trials have recently been embraced by the American Kennel Club -- a bad turn of events for working dogs in my opinion, but some indication that the sport is not shrinking in popularity and in fact has joined the main. See >> http://www.akccoonhounds.org/ We have no shortage of mounted fox hunts, and they continue to do what they have always done. The U.S. Master of Foxhounds Association is about 20 minutes up the road from my house. A new mountain lion season is about to open up in South Dakota, and all mountain lion hunting in this country is done with dogs. Pig hunting is still going strong in all states with feral hog populations. There is an open season with unlimited take on groundhog. Clearly, things are not in retreat.

 

As to the notion that terrier work has anything to do with dog fighting, I can only conjur up one word: Nonsense. Those of us who actively hunt with terriers do not bait animals, we do not bet on animals, and we do not fight animals. We hunt, plain and simple, and hunting with terriers is not too much different than any other form of hunting other than the fact that is it less efficient and more humane (there are never any long-distance wounding shots). When quarry is dispatched (and often it is let go unharmed) it is done so with respect for the animal, and it is done quickly and humanely by the human.

 

To repeat: terrier work, hound work, and lurcher work has nothing to do with dog fighting, animal baiting, or betting. To suggest otherwise is to reveal ignorance, deceit, or confusion (and all three are often in effect when the Animal Rights lunatics are talking). There is nothing to hide about hunting with dogs in general, or terrier work in particular. In fact, if you can carry tools and dig, you are welcome to join me in the field. I generally hunt Sundays on the Maryland side of Washington. D.C. and I guarantee two things: you will be bone tired at the end of the day and we will have found quarry and accounted for it. Good boots and a sense of humor are required

 

Finally, as to the proposed Pennsylvania law governing breeding and boarding kennels, this has already been defeated thanks to a consortium of dog groups that included the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America -- a fact I reported on some weeks ago (see last bullet at >> http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com/2007/...ocation_22.html ). Bad legislation is defeated every day in this country, and this legislation did not get very far because it was poorly conceived. Not much news, in short, which is why "bshadle" missed it even though he lives in Pennsylvania and keeps his ear pretty tight to the rails. A bit more can be said, however, in the interest of clarification. The first point is that no one with an ounce of common sense is opposed to standards for dog care. The good news is that most states have those standards already in place, and we do not need any more, which is why the JRTCA and other dog groups moved to defeat this over-reaching Pennsylvania legislation. The bad news is that not everyone in Pennsylvania is living up to the basic standards of care we have in the law now. This is a great sadness for the current standards are common sense and not very onerous. If you are not meeting them, you are NOT doing right by the dogs. Enough said. A word to the wise is sufficient.

 

Patrick

Edited May 5, 2007 by PBurns

[Autumnbriar 0]

As to the notion that terrier work has anything to do with dog fighting, I can only conjur up one word: Nonsense. Those of us who actively hunt with terriers do not bait animals, we do not bet on animals, and we do not fight animals. We hunt, plain and simple, and hunting with terriers is not too much different than any other form of hunting other than the fact that is it less efficient and more humane (there are never any long-distance wounding shots). When quarry is dispatched (and often it is let go unharmed) it is done so with respect for the animal, and it is done quickly and humanely by the human.

 

Patrick do you really believe this boundry is followed by all that own terriers? Are you aware that terrier trials have been delayed due to people protesting the use of rats as bait?..... I think you giving some to much credit.

 

and I know you know but the anti's don't stop.... they just find another way.....

Edited May 5, 2007 by Autumnbriar