Citizens for Responsible Animal Shelter Management

On February 12^th 2009 CRASM board members Amy Strickland and Rebecca Wegley joined the Humane Society of the United States as well as the ASPCA, Social Compassion in Legislation, and Born Free in Sacramento for a day of lobbying our elected officials. We met with Senator Abel Maldonado and Assembly member William Monning to urge them to vote:

For AB241 The Responsible Breeder Act of 2009. This would increase oversight on puppy mills by limiting the number of intact cats or dogs a seller can maintain to 50 (there is currently no restriction whatsoever). For more info on this bill visit: www.aspca.org/pressroom/press-releases/021209.html

For AB242 the Dog fighting Prevention Act of 2009. This would strengthen the dog fighting law in California by making being a spectator at a dog fight a felony. Currently it is a misdemeanor in California but a felony in all of the surrounding states; Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Arizona thereby creating an incentive for dogfight operators to conduct business here. For more info on this bill visit:democrats.assembly.ca.gov/templates/ademmain.aspx?articleid=771&zoneid=2

For SB135 which would ban painful and unnecessary tail docking of cows in factory farms. For more info on this bill visit: www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/calif_taildocking.html

Against the proposed vet tax or the Governor’s “Fido Fine”. The good news is when we reached the capitol we were informed that the Fido Fine had been eliminated from the budget altogether and that it had created a ‘ruckus’ due to the outpouring of citizen opposition. To everyone that emailed, called or wrote their legislators-GOOD JOB!! It worked!