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Email from the GRCA today: ....
There is only one "Hot Topic" this week, but it is a biggie. Drafting a
letter such as this in only a couple of days and getting input from all
12 Board members is not easy and consumed most of our time. Thanks to
our Legislative Liaison, Diane Makinney, who provided an initial draft
for us and to Chris Miele who reworked and reworked it and to all the
Board who contributed suggestions. The letter was faxed yesterday not
only to Chairman Eng but to all the representatives on the Committee.
If any of our California members are able to attend the hearing on April
24th and want to send me a brief summary of their impressions, I'd be
glad to post those to this list.
Barb Branstad, Sec'y
****************************************************
April 16, 2007, Faxed
The Honorable Mike Eng
Chair, Assembly Committee on Business and Professions
1020 N Street, Room 124
Sacramento CA 95814
Attention: Tracy Rhine, Committee Consultant
Re: CA AB 1634, "California Healthy Pets Act", as
amended April 9, 2007
WE WISH TO BE COUNTED AS OPPOSING CALIFORNIA AB1634
WE WISH TO BE COUNTED AS OPPOSING AMENDMENTS TO CALIFORNIA AB1634
Dear Chairman Eng:
The Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA) and its membership oppose
AB1634 and request to be included in the listing of those opposed. The
GRCA is the largest member club of The American Kennel Club with a
membership of over 5000 individuals. We have three large member-clubs in
the State of California as well as a significant membership of voting
age throughout the State. We ask our members to take note of those who
proffer broad legislation initiatives that criminalizes the educated,
careful and selective breeder while offering no solution to deal with
those who operate outside the existing laws and who always stay one step
ahead of enforcement.
I have to question whether anyone has truly thought out the unintended
repercussions of this bill other than a knee-jerk response to the scare
tactics of the wealthy animal rights groups. The lawmakers in California
who proposed this legislation have apparently not sought the expertise
and advice of the many responsible breeders, trainers, dog clubs and
service organizations, groups with significant experience in the matters
of the dog world.
Before you make your decisions we ask you to consider the enormous
positive impact our education efforts and good breeding practices have
brought forth to your constituents. Golden Retrievers and their owners
are often in the forefront of community service and volunteerism.
This includes but is not limited to the highly successful Paws for
Reading Program that has had a significant positive impact on children
with reading disabilities; the Canine assistance organizations that
provide hearing, seizure detection and guide dogs. Your own customs and
border patrol who use our dogs for drug and explosives detection with an
efficiency and low cost unmatched by other means. The volunteer Search
and Rescue groups that aid in disaster relief, lost children recovery
and senior center assistance. These are dogs that are pure bred by our
breeders where temperament, reliability and overall health are primary
elements that enter into careful selective breeding. Your proposed
legislation will be the end of these social services in the state of
California.
Purebred dogs, because of their genetic predictability, are also at the
forefront of both cancer detection and cancer research. The Golden
Retriever is a perfect model for detection and treatment of cancer in
humans. The GRCA makes significant donations of money, DNA and blood and
tissue samples for this important research. In addition, the Golden,
known for its extraordinary scent discrimination, has been reliable in
the detection of melanoma and other skin cancers and bladder cancer.
Along with our extensive education efforts, we encourage our membership
to consider the voting records of those elected officials in areas that
affect their rights as breeders and privileges as dog owners.
We sincerely hope you will reconsider your support of this bill and
consider our reasons for opposing it along with respect for our
extensive 75-year history of promoting education, research and
responsible dog ownership.
Yours truly,
Christine M. Miele
President, Golden Retriever Club of America, Inc.
On behalf of the Board of Directors GRCA, Inc.
There is only one "Hot Topic" this week, but it is a biggie. Drafting a
letter such as this in only a couple of days and getting input from all
12 Board members is not easy and consumed most of our time. Thanks to
our Legislative Liaison, Diane Makinney, who provided an initial draft
for us and to Chris Miele who reworked and reworked it and to all the
Board who contributed suggestions. The letter was faxed yesterday not
only to Chairman Eng but to all the representatives on the Committee.
If any of our California members are able to attend the hearing on April
24th and want to send me a brief summary of their impressions, I'd be
glad to post those to this list.
Barb Branstad, Sec'y
****************************************************
April 16, 2007, Faxed
The Honorable Mike Eng
Chair, Assembly Committee on Business and Professions
1020 N Street, Room 124
Sacramento CA 95814
Attention: Tracy Rhine, Committee Consultant
Re: CA AB 1634, "California Healthy Pets Act", as
amended April 9, 2007
WE WISH TO BE COUNTED AS OPPOSING CALIFORNIA AB1634
WE WISH TO BE COUNTED AS OPPOSING AMENDMENTS TO CALIFORNIA AB1634
Dear Chairman Eng:
The Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA) and its membership oppose
AB1634 and request to be included in the listing of those opposed. The
GRCA is the largest member club of The American Kennel Club with a
membership of over 5000 individuals. We have three large member-clubs in
the State of California as well as a significant membership of voting
age throughout the State. We ask our members to take note of those who
proffer broad legislation initiatives that criminalizes the educated,
careful and selective breeder while offering no solution to deal with
those who operate outside the existing laws and who always stay one step
ahead of enforcement.
I have to question whether anyone has truly thought out the unintended
repercussions of this bill other than a knee-jerk response to the scare
tactics of the wealthy animal rights groups. The lawmakers in California
who proposed this legislation have apparently not sought the expertise
and advice of the many responsible breeders, trainers, dog clubs and
service organizations, groups with significant experience in the matters
of the dog world.
Before you make your decisions we ask you to consider the enormous
positive impact our education efforts and good breeding practices have
brought forth to your constituents. Golden Retrievers and their owners
are often in the forefront of community service and volunteerism.
This includes but is not limited to the highly successful Paws for
Reading Program that has had a significant positive impact on children
with reading disabilities; the Canine assistance organizations that
provide hearing, seizure detection and guide dogs. Your own customs and
border patrol who use our dogs for drug and explosives detection with an
efficiency and low cost unmatched by other means. The volunteer Search
and Rescue groups that aid in disaster relief, lost children recovery
and senior center assistance. These are dogs that are pure bred by our
breeders where temperament, reliability and overall health are primary
elements that enter into careful selective breeding. Your proposed
legislation will be the end of these social services in the state of
California.
Purebred dogs, because of their genetic predictability, are also at the
forefront of both cancer detection and cancer research. The Golden
Retriever is a perfect model for detection and treatment of cancer in
humans. The GRCA makes significant donations of money, DNA and blood and
tissue samples for this important research. In addition, the Golden,
known for its extraordinary scent discrimination, has been reliable in
the detection of melanoma and other skin cancers and bladder cancer.
Along with our extensive education efforts, we encourage our membership
to consider the voting records of those elected officials in areas that
affect their rights as breeders and privileges as dog owners.
We sincerely hope you will reconsider your support of this bill and
consider our reasons for opposing it along with respect for our
extensive 75-year history of promoting education, research and
responsible dog ownership.
Yours truly,
Christine M. Miele
President, Golden Retriever Club of America, Inc.
On behalf of the Board of Directors GRCA, Inc.
