UPDATE: 1-8-08

PFSC & USSA met with the Gov. office and discussed their proposed legislative fix. We still have some concerns with current language, have offered some recommended changes, and are still reviewing some portions. See the following press release from USSA for more info.

801 Kingsmill Parkway, Columbus, OH 43229

Ph. 614/888-4868 • Fax 614/888-0326

Website: www.ussportsmen.org • E-mail: info@ussportsmen.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Beth Ruth (614) 888-4868 ext. 214

Jan. 4, 2007

Legislative Proposal Will Put Tight Leash on Sporting Dog Breeders

(Columbus) – Despite assurances by Pennsylvania’s administration that new kennel proposals are not intended to burden sportsmen, recent proposals to address abusive commercial dog breeders will continue to put sporting kennels and hobby breeders at risk.

Gov. Ed Rendell’s administration recently unveiled revised dog care regulations and a legislative package aimed at commercial breeding kennels and animal abusers. The proposals will continue to classify many sporting dog kennels as commercial breeders, which will mandate restrictions that will make it nearly impossible to maintain such facilities.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, along with members of its Sporting Dog Defense Coalition, alerted the administration of this and other flaws found during an initial review of the draft. The USSA will issue complete comments after analyzing the entire 100-page proposal.

Officials within the Rendell administration have agreed to consider sportsmen’s concerns. The USSA remains hopeful that these issues will be addressed as the process proceeds.

For nearly a year, the Sporting Dog Defense Coalition has been working with Pennsylvania’s sporting dog community and other dog interests to wage an education campaign aimed at the original dog law regulations introduced in 2006 by the Department of Agriculture. While the department claimed the regulations would have targeted only “puppy mills,” the regulations would have devastated sporting dog kennels, hobby breeders, boarding kennels, rescue kennels and more.

From the beginning the sporting dog community has argued that the problem must be addressed by the legislature where a clear cut distinction can be made in the dog law between large commercial operations and private kennels.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organization that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.

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U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance

801 Kingsmill Parkway, Columbus, OH 43229

Ph. 614/888-4868 • Fax 614/888-0326

Website: www.ussportsmen.org • E-mail: info@ussportsmen.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Beth Ruth (614) 888-4868 ext. 214

April 18, 2007

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.

On April 16, the Pennsylvania Independent Regulatory Review Commission directed the Department of Agriculture to revise overreaching dog care specifications. While the state is committed to enacting regulations to toughen health and safety standards for Pennsylvania kennels, the initial proposal would have made it impossible to breed and raise hounds and hunting dogs. Sporting dog owners nationwide feared that such a plan could have become a model for other states.

“Sportsmen responded to alerts issued by the USSA and campaign partners, delivering thousands of messages to elected officials and decision-makers to demonstrate their opposition to the dog care rules,” said U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Vice President for Government Affairs Rob Sexton. “Sporting dog organizations in Pennsylvania and across the country have joined the vital campaign to keep the Keystone State proposal from wrecking their sports.”

The Masters of Foxhounds Association of America, American Beagler Magazine; American Brittany Club, Inc.; American Cooner Magazine; American Field Magazine; American Plott Association; Better Beagling Magazine; Cabela's, Inc.; Full Cry Magazine; Hounds and Hunting Magazine; Hunter's Horn Magazine; German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America, Inc.; Jack Russell Terrier Clubs of America, Inc.; National Cur & Feist Breeders Association; National Hunting Beagle Association; Ruffed Grouse Society; The Rabbit Hunter Magazine; United Kennel Club, Inc.; Ardrossan Beagles, Inc.; Carlisle Beagle Club; Pennsylvania Beagle Gundog Association; Towanda Beagle Club and others are lending their support to the operation. The Pennsylvania Federation of Dog Clubs and the American Kennel Club are also coordinating with the campaign.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture proposed the regulations in December 2006. The rules, backed by national anti-hunting groups, were among the most oppressive that sporting dog owners had ever seen. Among the requirements were expensive animal housing upgrades, mandatory daily exercise, and the keeping of daily sanitation and cleaning records.

Pennsylvania sportsmen should continue to contact Gov. Rendell and state lawmakers. Ask them to make sure that the Department of Agriculture’s future dog care proposals do not contain complicated and contradictory requirements, which will prevent sporting dog owners from enjoying their sport. To find your legislators and for contact information, use the Legislative Action Center at www.ussportsmen.org. Use the resource to prepare a letter for the governor and lawmakers.

Send comments to Gov. Edward Rendell’s Office, 225 Main Capitol Building, Harrisburg, PA, 17120. Phone: (717) 787-2500. Fax (717)772-8284.

If you know someone in Pennsylvania, encourage them to help in the effort. Relay this message and encourage them to ask lawmakers and Gov. Rendell to make sure sportsmen’s rights are not compromised.

Sporting dog enthusiasts outside of Pennsylvania are urged to support the Sporting Dog Defense Coalition effort through a generous donation to prevent overreaching dog care regulations from becoming a model in your state. For more information, call (614) 888-4868.

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New Pennsylvania Kennel Regulations

Threaten Trainers, Breeders, Competitors

HARRISBURG, Pa. – A proposed revision in the regulations to enforce Pennsylvania’s existing kennel law would impose severe mandates on many dog trainers and breeders, is expected to put many kennels out of business, and imposes heavy fines and confiscation of dogs for noncompliance.

The Pennsylvania Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, an arm of the state Department of Agriculture, estimates that it will cost every licensed kennel in Pennsylvania between $5,000 and $20,000 to come into compliance with the new rules. Many kennel owners peg the cost as much higher. The Bureau also estimates its own costs at $15,000 initially for each of its dog wardens, plus $5,000 annually for each warden. The wardens are funded through kennel license fees. The Bureau maintains that there will be no cost to the general public, but the document does not consider that charges for services (boarding and training), or for the sale of puppies, dogs and stud services, will have to be increased to cover the additional costs borne by the kennels that survive.

Supporters of the measure argue that the stricter rules are needed to control alleged “puppy mills,” which they claim are common in Pennsylvania. Opponents of the measure say that the new rules represent an escalation of the “animal rights” agenda aimed at eliminating commercial animal operations, private ownership of animals and hunting. They allege that the “animal rights” groups see this measure as a victory as it will eliminate most kennels in Pennsylvania, thereby reducing the number and availability of privately owned dogs, and set a precedent that eventually would accord the same “rights” to farm animals and wild animals.

All kennels that house, buy, sell or raise more than 26 dogs or puppies a year are required to be licensed, and are subject to all of the provisions of the new rules.

The impact of the new rules on dog competitions in Pennsylvania remains to be seen. The rules call for current veterinary and rabies certificates for any dog entering the state, would appear to make the sizes of standard dog boxes, topper holes and airline crates insufficient, and would appear to make chain gangs and stakeouts illegal.

There are four basic thrusts to the new regulations:

· Strict requirements for improving kennel facilities. These new requirements would double the minimum size of kennel runs. For a typical bird dog, the smallest legal kennel would be six-feet wide and 15-feet long. Dog boxes would have to be large enough to allow a dog to lie on its belly or side, so that no part of its body, including its tail, could touch the sides; for a typical bird dog, a box would have to be at least five feet square to comply. For a typical bird dog kept on a chain, the chains would have to be at least 15 feet long. Waterproof solid shade structures would have to be built over part of each outdoor kennel and area for chained dogs. There also are many other new physical requirements for construction, surfacing and maintenance.

· Detailed and time-consuming management requirements. Among the new rules are requirements for each dog and puppy in the kennel to be exercised individually on a leash for 20 minutes a day. Allowing a dog to run free at the kennel or when hunting, training or exercising, would not meet this requirement. The rules also excludes conditioning activities such as roading in groups. The exercise and leash requirements apply even to dogs kept in the kennel owner’s home. Other rules would require daily sanitation of all kennels, panels, houses and bowls, and daily changes of bedding material. Dogs would have to be removed from the kennel during sanitation, and not be put back in until all surfaces had been dried. For people who work with dogs, onsite shower facilities must be provided.

· Restrictions on how licensed kennels could do business. A licensed kennel would not be allowed to purchase a dog from a private party, interstate sales would be strictly regulated and subject to inspection, sources of dogs and puppies could be investigated for dog law violations in any state, no dogs or puppies could be transported into or out of the state without a veterinary health certificate and rabies certificate, new dogs coming into the kennel (such as for training) would be subject to quarantine and veterinary inspection in certain instances (including signs of worms), all new puppies brought to a kennel would have to be quarantined for 14 days, and dogs would have to be strictly segregated according to size and gender. Short-haired dogs, which would include pointers, many Continental breeds and hounds, could not be kept in outdoor facilities when the temperature falls below 35 degrees, and all breeds in any kind of facility would require cooling when temperatures are above 85 degrees. In order to purchase a dog from a kennel out of state, the kennel would have to be licensed and subject to the approval of Pennsylvania agencies.

· Many record-keeping requirements. The new regulations impose a host of new forms, mandated bills of sale, and paperwork requirements. For example, no fewer than six separate forms would have to be completed each day for each dog in a kennel. These includes individual daily records for exercising, feeding and watering, sanitizing bowls, sanitizing the kennel, cleaning the kennel and cleaning houses. For a kennel containing 50 dogs, these individual forms would require completing 300 different forms every day. Records for each dog must be kept for two years.

I can state with absolute certainty that these proposed regulatory changes will put me out of business, and I think they will put many other kennels in the state out of business, too. In fact, I don't know of a single kennel anywhere that could meet the new standards. Even the most modern and fancy kennels that I know would not meet the standards in the proposed regulations.

John Yates

View Proposed Regulations:

http://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol36/36-50/2452.html

View Summary of Proposed Regulations:

http://www.pfsc.org/dogreg.pdf

House Ag Committee to Hold Hearing on Proposed Regulations

http://www.pfsc.org/HouseAg07.html

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These changes are not proposed legislation, are not subject to a vote of the state House and Senate, and will not require the signature of Gov. Ed Rendell. The measure rewrites regulations based on existing law. They interpret the law, describe enforcement procedures and impose penalties. The measure is before the Pennsylvania Independent Regulatory Review Commission. The Commission consists of four members appointed by each party in the House and Senate, and one member appointed by Rendell, who supports the new rules.

The Commission will accept public comments until March 16^th. Following the deadline, the Commission has 20 days to accept, reject or call for modifications to the regulations. The result is published a second time, and then immediately carries the force of law. There is a provision that does allow for the new regulations to be reviewed by the Senate and House Agriculture Committees, at their option.

In SAOVA's experience with such proposed agency regulations, the most effective way to block such measures is to pull out all the stops - contact the press, veterinarians, legislators, bureaucrats, other dog owners, farmers, vendors, family, friends, et. al. Make a long distribution list. Get everyone involved.

The PA Agriculture Department is inviting you and the public to submit written comments, suggestions, questions or objections. Even if you have no suggestions or objections and support the proposed regulation, please consider writing to the Department. By law, the Department is required to give each commentator (any organization or person that submits comments during the public comment period) the opportunity to request notice concerning the final version of this regulation. The Department may revise or change the regulation between the proposed and final stages of the rulemaking process. By commenting on the proposed regulation, you will also get a chance to review any changes to the regulation before it is published as a final rule.

Written comments on the proposed regulation should be sent to the following person and address:

Department of Agriculture

Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement

Attn: Mary Bender

2301 North Cameron Street

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110-9408

Telephone: (717) 787-3062

The last day to submit comments on this proposed regulation is March 16, 2007.

The Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) is also interested in your comments on the regulation. Please "cc" IRRC on your comments to the Agriculture Department by sending a copy to the following person and address:

Arthur Coccodrilli, Chairman

Independent Regulatory Review Commission

http://www.irrc.state.pa.us/ See website for more e-addresses

333 Market Street, 14th Floor

Harrisburg, PA 17101

Main Telephone: (717) 783-5417

Fax: (717) 783-2664

Email: irrc@irrc.state.pa.us

Please identify the regulation on your comments by using the regulation

ID #2-152 (#2559).

This proposed regulation will also be submitted to the House and Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committees for their review in the new session in 2007. You definitely want to contact these Committees and your individual State Representatives and State Senators about this proposal http://www.legis.state.pa.us/

See attachments for Harrisburg info. These are your most important contacts, IMO.

SAOVA is a nonpartisan volunteer group working to protect Americans from the legislative and political threats of radical animal rightists. It is the only national organization fighting this struggle for both sportsmen and animal owners, natural allies, in these arenas. Visit our website at http://saova.org for this program's goals, methodology and list signup details.