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Ohio Legislative Updates: What You Can Do
From Dean Vickers, Ohio State Director of Ohio HSUS:
1. House Bill 55 (Reps. Williams and Combs): to revise the penalties and sentencing provisions regarding violations of the cruelty to animals statutes and to include the protection of companion animals in temporary protection orders, domestic violence protection orders, anti-stalking protection orders, and related protection orders.
Status: This bill is currently in the House Criminal Justice Committee. It has had sponsor testimony as well as the first proponent testimony where I spoke in support of the bill. It will need two additional hearings in the House before it can be passed out and sent to the Senate.
What You can do: Contact Representative Yates, Chair of the House Criminal Justice Committee and ask him to schedule HB 55 for another hearing. If your Representative sits on this committee, you can also contact him or her and voice your support of the bill as their constituent. Here is the link.
Additionally, if you know someone who would be able to provide proponent testimony, have them contact Rep. Williams or Rep. Combs to schedule their testimony. Suggestions would be: a victim of domestic violence who stayed because of her pets, a social worker who worked with domestic violence and battered women, law enforcement who have worked these cases or humane agents.
2. House Bill 70 (Reps. Gerberry and Hagan): to increase the penalty for violation of the prohibition against cruel treatment of a companion animal by the animal’s custodian or caretaker to a felony of the fifth degree.
Status: This bill is currently in the House Criminal Justice Committee. It has only had sponsor testimony.
What You can do: Contact Representative Yates, Chair of the House Criminal Justice Committee and ask him to schedule HB 70 for another hearing. If your Representative sits on this committee, you can also contact him or her and voice your support of the bill as their constituent. Here is the link.
Additionally, if you know someone who would be able to provide proponent testimony, have them contact Rep. Gerberry or Rep. Hagan to schedule their testimony. Suggestions would be: Someone who’s pet was treated poorly or died while in a kennel, (Think of High Caliber K9 {these are graphic pictures} – http://thespiritdog.wordpress.com/2008/11/08/profesional-dog-training-scumbags-animal-cruelty/ ) law enforcement who have worked these cases or humane agents.
3. House Bill 79 (Rep. Sears) : to remove pit bulls from the definition of “vicious dog” in state law.
Status: This bill is currently in the House Agriculture Committee. It has only had sponsor testimony.
What You can do: Contact Representative Domenick, Chair of the House Agriculture Committee and ask him to schedule HB 79 for another hearing. If your Representative sits on this committee, you can also contact him or her and voice your support of the bill as their constituent. Here is the link.
Additionally, if you know of a pit bull owner, trainer, veterinarian or someone who can speak to the good part of these dogs, that could be helpful.
4. House Bill 108 (Reps. Domenick and Blessing): to increase the penalty for cockfighting.
Status: This bill is scheduled for sponsor testimony next week.
What you can do: Since Domenick is both the sponsor and the Chair of the committee that will hear the bill, you can sit tight on this bill.
The Bad: HSUS has still not secured a sponsor for the Factory Farm Animal Confinement Bill, but is still looking for someone.
The Ugly: Puppy Mills
Rep. Grossman has been holding interested party meetings for a puppy mill bill similar to what HSUS looked at at Ohio’s Humane Lobby Day. The bill would utilize existing local control but with state oversight. It would require veterinary care once a year, basic shelter standards and caps on the number of unaltered dogs over the age of 6 months are housed at a facility. Since Rep. Grossman is a Republican, she is really interested in getting a Democrat to co-sponsor the bill. (It would stand a better chance to have a Democratic Co-sponsor in the Democrat controlled House) The bill is ready to go, although it will still have some revisions down the road, we just need that Democrat Co-sponsor)
*A side note: You may already know that the same bill that had been introduced 2 years ago has been introduced again. They are now: HB 124 (Hagan and Weddington) and Senate Bill 95 (Hughes and Cates).
Status: Rep. Grossman has been facing a barrage of opposition to her introducing the Kennel Cap Bill, a large percentage of the opposition comes from the drafters of the aforementioned bills. They have asked Rep. Grossman to kill her bill and when she refused, they began a negative campaign against HSUS and Rep. Grossman’s bill stating that HSUS is an ‘extremist’ organization and the Rep. Grossman’s bill is ‘unconstitutional. This is patently untrue as similar legislation has passed in other states. It is very frustrating because this makes all our legislation more difficult to advance because I am now in a position of defending HSUS from attacks initiated by people who are, generally perceived as animal welfare advocates. For the record, I contacted the sponsors for HB 124 and SB 95 and offered to work with them. I would never push to kill a piece of animal welfare legislation.
What you can do: Contact Rep. Grossman’s Office: Phone: (614) 466-9690
Email: district23@ohr.state.oh.us and thank her for addressing the need for controls on puppy mills on Ohio.
Additionally, and this is really important, contact your Democratic Representative and ask them to contact Rep. Grossman for details on her Puppy Mill Bill and encourage them to sign on as a sponsor. If you need them to speak with me as well, that is no issue. Just have them call me.
We don’t care which bill passes, or who gets the credit for it, we want protection for these dogs and puppies and don’t want to wait another 2 years while they languish in these poorly operated facilities. If there is an interest, I would gladly go over the pros and cons of both bills. If you have questions regarding any of the bills, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I will go into greater detail as the bills progress.
Contact Dean Vickers:
State Director – Ohio
dvickers@humanesociety.org
t 614-271-2462 f 614-573-6343
Why can’t they just ban puppy mills altogethew????
I just don’t undewstand..yes yes I know, it’s an eck-en-emic issue, but sheesh..go gwow some pot ow something instead.
I haven’t entewed the contest, cause Mommi says thewe awen’t any weally cute pictoowes of me
love and smoochie kisses
ASTA
Very interesting, thanks for posting it. I am going to contact Rep. Grossman and indeed thank her for addressing the need for controls on puppy mills on Ohio. I don’t think the pet-related bills get enough exposure so this is good that you’re bringing them to light.
God, thank you for posting this. I live in Ohio and there is NOTHING being done here about puppy mills. Its so sad. Its good to know the HSUS is working towards a solution at least. Now if they could just get it passed the house and senate and governor, put into law and then start PROSECUTING these jerks that run the mills. I can dream right?
This is good news I guess. I just hope that a common solution can be created and that abusive mills will get the punishment they deserve. I wonder if other states are doing things like this. They ALL need to be.
Hooray! Yay for Dean Vickers – at least someone is working towards ridding Ohio of this disgusting problem! Go HSUS! And who in the hell would ever say that HSUS is an “extremist organization???” We’re not talking about PETA here, now THAT’s extremist.
This is a great stride for the plight of puppy mill dogs, now lets just hope we can get it passed and that other states will do the same. Thanks for posting this.
I’ve emailed friends and family who live in Ohio. Thanks for posting this!
ohhhhhhhh dear friends…
Very interesting, thanks for posting it….
we miss you a lot!!!
Are you all ok???
you’re always in our hearts and thoughts!!!
have a wonderful weekend!!
We love you a lot!!!!
Sweet kisses and licks!!!!
Stop HSUS and Wayne Pacelle before they take our pets away. HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle was quoted saying he has no problem with the extinction of domestic animals. Yes that means our beloved cats and dogs. Stop donating to this animal terrorist organization! Please!
We agree that this is a very important issue. Thanks for posting this. Its vital that we get these types of protections in place.
And to “protecting our pets” I think you are confusing HSUS with PETA. HSUS is not for abolishing pet ownership as you say. Can you provide relevant and credible back up information to support your claim?
I will let my friends know about this, thanks for the info…
It’s a sad day when the drafters of a bill wage an ugly campaign against others who wish to help the dogs. I agree with Dean; it’s about the dogs NOT about who gets credit for drafting the legislation to help them! SHAME on those who would speak negatively against HSUS. They have done a LOT for the animals.
Protecting-ourpets: Please step down from your soapbox. Your spreading false statement about Wayne Pacelle. He has NEVER made such a statement.