Letter from the RMGSDC Legislative Watchdog Committee to Ranking Democrat, Patrick Leahy:

September 12,  2005

Patrick J. Leahy, Ranking Democrat
433 Russell
Senate Office Bldg
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

 Re:  Opposing S1139 (PAWS)

 Dear Senator Leahy:

 The undersigned members of the Rocky Mountain German Shepherd Dog Club, located in Colorado, have voted to oppose the proposed S1139-HR2669 (PAWS).  We believe this bill is poorly written, contains vague and misleading language, and is unduly demanding of the limited financial and labor resources of the USDA. It also represents an unwarranted federal intrusion into the lives and homes of hobby breeders.

The PAWS bill will remove many home-raised pet animals from the marketplace, thus depriving Americans of the option to purchase well socialized family pets — purebred dogs and pedigreed cats.
 
 Sufficient proof has not been presented that internet retail sales have generated such high-volume sales as to make this bill necessary.

There has also not been sufficient proof that there is a need, not already met by USDA, to protect the health of animals entering the United States or the health of domestic animals in this country.

Local and State laws and regulations are fully sufficient to monitor retail, residential sales of dogs and other pet animals, and we do not believe further federal intervention is necessary; in fact, we believe such intervention duplicates already existing regulations and places an onerous burden on private citizens.

This bill will result in the destruction of Animal Rescue Organizations because it will define them as “dealers,” making it impossible for them to continue doing the valuable work we count on them to do.

Creating "dealers" out of dog and cat breeders will create zoning problems and engender other local restrictions. Many dog fanciers are already fighting restrictive zoning ordinances. It is highly probably that local officials will consider a USDA license as evidence that a hobby breeder is engaging in commercial activity.

Please oppose SB1139 and HB2669, the Pet Animal Welfare Statute of2005 (PAWS). They will not improve the welfare of dogs or cats. Instead, they will take oversight resources from where they are most needed, large-scale breeding operations that sell through middlemen – the so-called puppy mills.

 PAWS will unnecessarily infringe on the privacy of thousands of Americans who breed, raise and place a few dogs or cats each year from their homes and whose primary concerns are healthy, well-socialized companion animals. Federal oversight of such operations is unwarranted and wasteful of limited USDA resources. It is also an unjustifiable federal intrusion into the private lives of U.S. citizens.

Stormy Hope
Legislation Committee Liaison Member

 Rocky Mountains German Shepherd Dog Club Members