CFA Legislative ALERTS
California AB 1634
Last Updated: Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 5:59:54 AM
August 30, 2008 - Finally it is safe to say YOU DID IT !! California AB 1634 is dead!
The bill was still under reconsideration until the Senate Floor session
ended today. Though any chance of passage was extremely remote,
officially it was eligible for another vote. This afternoon's news
release verifies the sponsor's decision to not try to push it through.
CFA thanks all the cat and dog fanciers who never wavered in their
opposition to this bill from its start eighteen months ago all the way
through the 11th amended version. I personally thank Sharon Coleman, CFA
Legislative Analyst, and George Eigenhauser, CFA Legislative Information
Liaison, for their hard work and all the members of the CFA Board of
Directors who supported us and always had confidence in our stance on
this bill.
Over 800 clubs and organizations wrote letters to be on the Bill Analysis
OPPOSE list. Thousands of cat and dog lovers sent emails and faxes
multiple times as the bill shifted and new points had to be made.
Several major supporters were persuaded to remove their support and to
oppose the bill. Meetings with Senators were critical to their awareness
and we thank the many cat and dog fanciers who took the time to do this
in Sacramento and in the District Offices. Thank you to the over 100
individuals who came to both Senate Committee hearings to speak at the
microphone or testify and to hand deliver letters in the Capitol. Special
thanks to PetPAC and their lobbying work.
Last year and this year MANY organizations contributed to the opposition.
We especially appreciated the efforts of AKC and its member clubs, The
Animal Council, NAIA, SaveOurDogs; UKC, ADOA; NoAB1634; California
Federation of Dog Clubs, San Diego Veterinary Medical Association, CDOC,
Alley Cat Allies, the NRA, SAOVA, TICA, Sacramento Council of Dog Clubs,
various working dog organizations and numerous other groups that played
important roles. There were bloggers, newsletters and lists with
individuals who worked diligently to keep everyone informed and to offset
the supporters' misleading media coverage.
In CFA's view compromise on this bill or rewriting was never acceptable
at any time. Though there were different strategies causing some bumps
in the road the solidarity in the end helped to finally defeat the bill.
Thank you to all the people around the country who supported those in
California.
We resented the unfair and cruel implications by many supporters of
AB1634 asserting simplistically that this was a battle between those who
want to end the killing of pets in shelters and those who only want to
protect the breeding of pedigreed cats and purebred dogs. We care deeply
about animals in our shelters and homeless cats on the streets. We also
care about preserving the rights of pet owners to make decisions on
sterilization surgery. This bill was never a good answer for the complex
cat/dog population problems in this state or elsewhere. The lawmakers
finally understood that AB 1634 could not be fixed and would not achieve
anything positive for the animals, pet owners or the shelters.
The huge set back of AB1634 is a blow to the concept of mandatory
spay/neuter as a feasible model. This will have an impact on those
cities and counties in California or other parts of the country
contemplating similar laws. There are no easy legislative solutions to
cat and dog population problems. All of us must stay involved in the
fight for improved shelter programs, protection of pet owners' rights and
advocate for more access to affordable spay/neuter services. We will
continue our efforts to better the lives of dogs and cats, reduce the
numbers in shelters and increase public respect for cats including those
who are homeless or feral.
Enjoy a well deserved Labor Day weekend of fun.
Joan Miller
The Cat Fanciers' Association
CFA Legislative Coordinator
To correspond with the CFA Legislative Committee, please send email to legislation@cfa.org
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