The American Sporting Dog Alliance that two respected veterinarians in the sporting dog community will lead our efforts to combat onerous proposed kennel regulations in three states.

Californian Dr. Charles Hjerpe will represent us on proposed mandatory "spay and neuter" laws in his state. Dr. Hjerpe hunts and field trials widely throughout the West.

Ohio veterinarian Dr. Lori Hunt will represent us by providing expert testimony on proposed kennel regulations in Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. Dr. Hunt is active in hunt tests and NAVHDA tests with Italian spinonis, and also raises French Bulldogs.

by JOHN YATES, Director

American Sporting Dog Alliance

WASHINGTON – Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) has removed some of the more controversial provisions from the Pet Animal Welfare Act (PAWS), which has been attached to the 2007 Farm Bill as an amendment. The U.S. Senate is debating the Farm Bill today (Dec. 11), following an agreement Sunday that allowed the stalled measure to move forward.

In the agreement, the Senate Republicans and Democrats each will be allowed to attach 20 amendments to the Farm Bill (SA 3500), subject to the approval of the full Senate. Several hundred amendments had been on the table.

Durbin’s legislation would have proven onerous to sporting dog owners by:

1.                  Requiring mandatory federal licensing for all kennels that raise dogs of the sporting breeds, including home kennels.

2.                  Required mandatory federal licensing for all kennels that sell dogs or puppies for breeding purposes.

3.                  Essentially banning the importation of all dogs, including bird dogs from Canada, Llewelyn setters from Europe, and retrievers from England.

4.                  Mandating inspections of all small-scale home breeders if they produce six litters a year, or possess more than 25 adult dogs and puppies a year.

5.                  Allowed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to contract with private organizations to hire “third party” kennel inspectors to enforce the act. Contracts were expected to go to animal rights groups, such as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and registries such as the American Kennel Club, which appears to be abandoning it’s support for all but small hobby breeders.

It appears that Durbin’s revised bill today eliminates those provisions, for the time being.

At this writing, the Senate had not decided whether it will include the rest of Durbin’s legislation as an amendment to the Farm Bill.

The Senate’s action today follows an intense lobbying effort by The American Sporting Dog Alliance and several other organizations. ASDA sent strongly worded letters in opposition to the Durbin bill to several Senators and all member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

However, “PAWS 2” is not dead. Durbin plans to reintroduce it during the coming year, and HSUS President Wayne Pacelle calls this bill his highest priority. Pacelle and Durbin believe they have enough support to pass the “PAWS 2” legislation in 2008.

Thus, The American Sporting Dog Alliance and other organizations are urging all dog owners to continue to write to their senators and congressmen, and also to President Bush.

Your support has been vital in blocking the current animal rights legislation introduced by Sen. Durbin, but the fight is a long way from being over.