Pound Seizure
I am so pleased to announce that last Thursday, Rep. Espinoza filed HB 4663, Michigan’s new pound seizure bill. This bill was written by American Humane (I have personally spent 10 years of working on Michigan pound seizure issues), and the State Bar of Michigan Animal Law Section. Our colleagues at the American Anti-Vivisection Society and the New England Anti-Vivisection Society assisted with the language and have also endorsed the bill. Michigan Humane Society and Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine have also endorsed the bill. The bill’s original co-sponsors include Rep. Terry Brown, Jeff Meyers and Mike Huckleberry.
Attached are the following:
· Bill language = This is the strictest language we could craft that has a legitimate chance of passing and becoming law. It stops the dealers from taking shelter cats and dogs (period!) and seriously limits research facilities from taking the shelter pets (with 3 exemptions that are in the best interests of cats and dogs). The bill contains 3 important exemptions. Because of one exemption, we have secured the endorsement of an opponent on the previous bill (Mid-West Blood Services). Please read the fact sheet for information on these exemptions which benefit shelter pets.
Click to view attachment
· A one-page fact sheet = this will be helpful to educate others on this issue
Click to view attachment
· A Myth-and-Fact sheet = this will be helpful when handling questions from opponents
· A one-page endorsement form = This is only for professional endorsements (businesses, shelters, organizations, professionals, etc.). Please ONLY use the online petition below for individual endorsements.
Click to view attachment
We have set up an online petition in lieu of filling out the paper endorsement forms for individuals. If you have filled out a paper form as an individual endorsing the bill, please reenter your information on this website so that we have everyone listed. Although we will get out-of-state and foreign country endorsers on the petition, American Humane will be able to weed them out and create a separate list of Michigan supporters. The link is http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/649021463
Please forward this information to as many people as you know. If everyone could get 10 endorsements, we easily will reach our target goal. And we need to do this as quickly as possible since we will be asking for a bill hearing within a month or so. We are fortunate to have co-sponsors Rep. Meyers and Huckleberry on the pound seizure bill and they are on the Agriculture Committee where both bills are housed.
Humane Euthanasia Bill
Rep. Rick Jones filed the Humane Euthanasia of Shelter Animals Act in February. The bill and myth and fact sheet are attached. American Humane and the State Bar of Michigan Animal Law Section drafted the language. However, because that bill language had some information inadvertently deleted during filing, we have substituted language waiting in the committee. The current bill language bans gas chambers everywhere, whereas the substituted language bans the chamber from animal shelters and dealers and mandates the use of injection.
Click to view attachment
We have also prepared an online petition for this bill and the link is http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/900398769. Again, we will be able to weed out the non-Michigan endorsers so that we have a complete list for the legislature. Only individuals should use the online petition, and all others (businesses, shelters, etc.) should use the attached paper endorsement form.
It is crucial that we obtain as many endorsements (from Michigan) of both bills in order to show support to the legislators and potential opponents. Endorsers can be:
· Individuals (on-line petition ONLY)
· Veterinarians (especially for the euthanasia bill due to expected opposition)
· Animal Shelters and Rescue Organizations
· Businesses
· Doctors or medical professionals (especially for the pound seizure bill)
· And anyone in Michigan who wants to support these efforts
The paper endorsement form can be emailed or faxed to me.
An action alert on both bills was just issued so please go to http://www.americanhumane.org/advocacy/ and scroll down to Michigan to take action. Please consider contacting your local House Representative to ask them to support either or both of these bills.
Together, we can get both of these bills to pass this year and I’m so please to be working with all of you to make this happen!