U.S. Congress
Gives Pet Safety and Protection Act a Green Light
Contact Your Legislators NOW!
December 14, 2007
Dear Humanitarian:
Our companion animals may soon be
safe from thieves who make easy money by obtaining them illegally,
then selling them for experimentation. The U.S. Congress is
poised to adopt the Pet Safety and Protection Act (PSPA), also
known as “Buck’s Bill.” The legislation is named after
Buck,
pictured at left, a dog who was rescued from notorious animal
dealer C.C. Baird – the subject of the HBO special “Dealing
Dogs.” Sadly, because of a lack of much needed veterinary care,
Buck died. Though he was rescued, he could not survive the
ravages previously inflicted by heartworms.
Buck’s Bill would prevent Class B
dealers and unlicensed individuals from selling “random source”
dogs and cats to laboratories. As we enter what we hope is the
home stretch, we need your help to ensure success.
The House of Representatives
passed the PSPA in July as part of the FARM Bill, and it has
already been accepted as an amendment to the Senate FARM Bill. We
anticipate passage of the Senate version of the FARM Bill today or
next week. Next, House and Senate Agriculture Committee Members
will go to conference to iron out any differences in the language
of their respective bills. This final stage of the process is
expected to take place in mid-January 2008.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Anti-animal welfare members on
the conference committee may seek to eliminate or weaken the PSPA.
It is essential that all conferees be encouraged to support the
House version in the FARM bill, as the Senate version includes
a 5-year phase-in period, as well as potentially problematic
ambiguous language.
Please contact as many
conferees as you can, making those who represent your district
or state a priority. (A list of conferees and their phone and fax
numbers and mailing addresses can be found by clicking here:
House -
Senate.)
Please contact the conferees
as soon as possible.
- You can send letters by the
U.S. Postal Service, but please send them immediately to ensure
they are cleared through security and delivered to the
Congressional offices as soon as possible.
- You also can fax your letters
to the offices. Please be sure they are sent by mid-January.
- Another option is to call
conferees once they return on Monday, January 14th.
When contacting legislators,
please mention:
- Adoption of the PSPA will
prevent illegally acquired dogs and cats from being sold by
random source, Class B dealers for research.
- You appreciate that both
chambers of Congress have attached the PSPA to their versions of
the FARM Bill.
- You respectfully request that
he or she support the House version of the PSPA and hope
that this will be reported out of conference.
You may also wish to request that
a written response be sent to you, as both a way to formally
acknowledge your call and to confirm the stated position on this
issue.
Please share our “Dear
Humanitarian” letter with family, friends and co-workers, and
encourage them to contact their Members of Congress, too. As
always, thank you very much for your help. Happy Holidays and best
wishes for the New Year (including adoption of this measure!).
Sincerely,
Cathy Liss
Director, Government and Legal Affairs
www.awionline.org
www.compassionindex.org
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