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Ohio Dog Owners

Please forward to anyone who might be interested in helping!

Ohio dog owners are asking residents of our state to sign petitions opposing two pieces of legislation that will be very harmful to everyone who owns a dog. Please read the petition below. If you agree with it, it is very important for you to sign it now, as these two bills are being pushed through the legislative process quickly. Soon it will be mandatory that every dog you own must be spayed or neutered by the age of 4 months or if you choose to keep your male/female “intact” you will be taxed $1,000.00 a year per dog. It is necessary to speak up now! Those of you reading this that live in other states, beware it will be coming your way soon if not already.

The two petitions are included below. For more information on these and other dog law issues in Ohio please visit the Ohio Valley Dog Owners website at: http://www.ovdo.org/

To add your name to this petition, please send an email with the following information to: OFDCSecretary@hotmail.com

1. Your full name
2. Your full address
3. Your County of residence
4. Your phone number

All information will be kept in strict confidence and used only for the purpose of this petition to the Legislature. If you wish to sign only one of the petitions please indicate this in your email.

Ohio dog owners wish to thank you in advance for your help.

Petition 1:
We the undersigned citizens of the State of Ohio urge the Legislature to reject House Bill 223 (Senate Bill 173) regulating kennels for the following reasons:

1. While the stated goal of this legislation is to regulate so-called “puppy mills,” the actual scope of the legislation places unfair and unreasonable burdens on all kennel owners, including this state’s most respected hobby breeders.
2. This legislation is a thinly disguised attempt to enact the animal rights agenda into Ohio law for the concealed purpose of reducing the number of people who own and raise dogs, and to eliminate the private breeding of dogs. It does this by imposing draconian licensing and enforcement procedures, and devastating penalties and liabilities, in an attempt to discourage people from raising dogs.
3. This legislation is an unconstitutional intrusion into the lives of law-abiding and conscientious dog owners that denies due process under the law, constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures, and violates privacy rights that are ensured for all citizens.
4. It treats honest, law-abiding and conscientious kennel owners as if they are criminals, by requiring fingerprinting, police background checks, and searches of citizens’ homes and personal records without a warrant and in the absence of probable cause.
5. It dishonors Ohio’s long heritage of dog ownership and the breeding of high quality purebred dogs that has made many kennels in this state among the most respected in the nation. This heritage remains a vital part of the lives of many Ohioans today. It should be honored and protected as a major asset to Ohio.
6. The legislation will have a serious and detrimental impact on the economy of Ohio. Millions of dollars will vaporize from Ohio’s already troubled economy every year in reduced demand for pet food, supplies, building materials, transportation expenses, veterinary services and personal income. Many jobs will be lost. Tax revenues will decrease.

NAME / FULL ADDRESS / COUNTY / PHONE NUMBER

Petition 2:
We the undersigned citizens of the State of Ohio urge the Legislature to reject House Bill 446 (animal control law amendments) for the following reasons:

1. It fails to address the actual causes of animal control problems in Ohio. The problems are caused by a lack of enforcement of existing licensing laws, and laws that prohibit dogs from roaming at large.
2. It places the cost of operating the state’s animal control program on the shoulders of law-abiding and conscientious animal owners, who do not cause the problem. Instead, this cost should be borne by people who break the law, through fines and penalties.
3. People who own several dogs would be subject to “double taxation,” by being required to have both a kennel license and individual licenses for every dog they own.
4. The legislation places many unfair and unjustified burdens on dog owners. For example, a requirement for a dog to wear a collar and license tag at all times is not workable for people who show dogs, or for puppies that chew collars. While a proposed amendment would exempt dogs from this requirement when they are inside their owners’ homes, it would not exempt them in the yard or in a kennel.
5. The legislation does not provide adequate protection for dogs that escape confinement, or when their collars break, accidentally come off or are chewed off. Animal control officers are not required to attempt to locate their owners in a meaningful way, and can euthanize or find adoptive homes for these dogs in only three days.
6. This bill also makes it harder for good Samaritans to help lost dogs. An amendment sets a 14-day timeframe to find a dog’s owner. At this time, the person who finds a lost dog must either license it in his or her name, or turn it over to animal control and probable euthanasia. No provisions are made to allow the dog to be taken to a no-kill shelter or to a private rescue organization.
7. This same provision makes it easier for animal rights extremists to steal a dog, as there is no provision mandating an examination of the dog for identifying microchips or tattoos. Dog thefts by animal rights extremists are becoming much more common, especially with dogs used for hunting.
8. And the legislation would make it illegal for people to give rabies vaccinations to the dogs that they own. There is no justification for a requirement for veterinarians to give rabies shots since there has not been a case of canine rabies in America for more than 10 years. Last year, the U.S. Center for Disease Prevention and Control declared that canine rabies is no longer a health problem anywhere in America. The legislation thus places unnecessary and unreasonable demands of a dog owner’s finances and time.

NAME / FULL ADDRESS / COUNTY / PHONE NUMBER

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