USDA/APHIS Proposed Regulation Changes

Alert!    Alert!     Alert!   Alert!    Alert!     Alert!  Alert!    Alert!     Alert!  Alert!    Alert!   


USDA/APHIS  PROPOSED REGULATION CHANGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Read with horror and take action!


http://www.ncraoa.com/newsletter/2012/NCRAOA_Special_Alert.pdf       



EASY STEPS TO COMMENT AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

Cut and paste the following urls into your browser. Talking points follow.

Submit a comment at the Federal Register portal:

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0003-0001

Send a letter to Congress. Extremely easy tool at the Cavalry Group site

http://tinyurl.com/c44mmew

Submit your own letter to Secretary Vilsack:

 http://www.thecavalrygroup.com/letter1.php

Sign the AKC petition to show your support for purebred dog breeders:

 http://www.akc.org/petition/

The proposed new USDA/APHIS rule and PUPS law would prevent most animals from being raised in a home and family setting. The Animal Welfare Act limits licensed breeders to only commercial/laboratory style settings.


Allow farmers, breeders, show competitors, hatcheries, working/service animal producers, shelters and rescues to choose any humane method that works for them, their animals and their goals. Please oppose PUPS legislation and the APHIS-2011-0003-0001 proposed rule, "Animal Welfare; Retail Pet Stores and Licensing Exemptions."

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MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DAMAGING USDA/APHIS PROPOSED NEW REGULATIONS

Be sure to have your comments submitted on line or sent by mail by July 16th. Note that letters sent by mail MUST be received on or before July 16th to be considered.  

When commenting on line, please note that there is a time limit (approximately 20 minutes) that you can keep the "submit comments" page open. If you want to take time to compose your letter, then it is most efficient to draft it in a word program and then cut and paste it onto the comment section.  

In writing your letters or comments, you may wish to use some of the following talking points:

• It would be cost-prohibitive for me to have to build a USDA-compliant kennel. I would be unable to continue breeding.
• I prefer to raise pets in my home for optimal socialization. I do not wish to keep them in a kennel.
• This proposal would be harmful to my rare breed. Buyers are usually distant and rarely visit the premises during a sales transaction.
• I am selective in the homes I approve for my puppies; I sell few pets locally, and must advertise and ship. This proposal would hinder my ability to find the best homes for my pets.
• This new rule would be financially devastating to me. I cannot afford thousands of dollars to build a kennel facility to come into USDA compliance.
• Requiring me to allow strangers into my home exposes my animals to contagious diseases. These can be fatal, particularly for young puppies and kittens.
• Strangers entering my home makes me vulnerable to criminals who could target me for robbery or other crimes.
• Strangers entering my home can include animal rights activists who are philosophically opposed to any pet breeding. These extremists may likely file unsubstantiated complaints against me, claiming authority by having entered my home.
• Rescue groups often rely on use of a foster home network. They could not comply with USDA requirements and would be forced to cease operations. Crippling rescue groups would cause shelter intakes and deaths to rise.
• This proposal is government overreach.
• This proposal is a violation of my right to privacy.
• As a pet owner, I am concerned about my future ability to purchase a well-bred, well-socialized pet for a reasonable price.
• I am concerned about the future availability of service dogs, such as guide dogs for the blind. These dogs must be exposed to a variety of social situations and external stimuli. If serious hobby breeders are forced to keep their dogs and puppies in kennels, those dogs will not be suitable for service work.
• As a hobby breeder who works away from my home, I cannot comply with the APHIS requirement to be available for unannounced inspections. I would be forced to quit breeding or face thousands of dollars in fines for noncompliance with this rules. 

(Many thanks to blogger  STARBREEZE"  and TIME4DOGS blog for this information:  http://time4dogs.blogspot.com/      )  

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Many thanks to the wonderful folks at Washington Animal Watch and The Cavalry Group for their fantastic work on the new APHIS rule proposal and the PUPS bill. They're savvy enough to present the information in an easy-to-understand visual format and are busily disseminating that information on social networks like Facebook. Here are two posters from WAW, along with a nice flowchart that was formulated by Mindy Patterson's Cavalry Group. Thanks Mindy! 

Please "LIKE" Washington Animal Watch and The Cavalry Group on Facebook and be sure to follow their respective sites (http://www.waanimal.blogspot.com/ and http://www.thecavalrygroup.com/) Great information to pass along to your family and friends who may not be intimately involved in the dog world. 

(Many thanks to blogger  STARBREEZE"  and TIME4DOGS blog for this information:  http://time4dogs.blogspot.com/      )   




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