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http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=3781.
Update: FL MSN Bill to be Considered Tuesday, March 24!
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[Monday, March 23, 2009]

Late Friday, Florida House Bill 451 http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_h0451__.xml&DocumentType=Bill&BillNumber=0451&Session=2009 was added to the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Committee’s agenda for Tuesday, March 24. The committee will consider the bill at 8:00 AM in Reed Hall, 102 HOB, at the Capitol in Tallahassee. HB 451 would require the mandatory sterilization of every dog and cat over four months of age, unless they meet strict criteria for exemption. In mid-February, several media outlets reported that HB 451 sponsor Representative Scott Randolph stated that he intended to issue a "strike all amendment" to replace the original bill with new language. However, such language has not yet been provided. Therefore, it is vitally important that all concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in Florida call, fax, or e-mail the members of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Committee and let them know that you strongly oppose this legislation.

The American Kennel Club opposes the concept of breeding permits, breeding bans, or the mandatory spay/neuter of purebred dogs. Instead, we support reasonable and enforceable laws that protect the welfare and health of purebred dogs and do not restrict the rights of breeders and owners who take their responsibilities seriously. Additionally, we strongly support and actively promote a wide range of programs to educate the public about responsible breeding practices and the responsibilities of dog ownership. AKC believes that any attempt at restricting the rights and liberties of responsible breeders—especially via mandatory spay/neuter laws—must be defeated.

As introduced, HB 451 would:

* Require owners of every dog or cat in Florida to have each animal sterilized within 30 days of the animal reaching four months of age, or within 30 days of the owner receiving the animal.
* Provide ambiguous exemptions, including dogs with veterinary certification showing that sterilization would endanger the animal’s health, until such issues no longer exist; Greyhounds currently used for racing, until retirement; show animals registered with an established breed registration organization to be approved by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; dogs or cats that have earned, or are in the process of earning, a competitive sports title; animals trained, or in training, for use in law enforcement, military, or rescue; and animals for which an owner holds a valid breeding permit issued in accordance with an ordinance of a county or municipality.

What You Can Do:

Concerned Floridians should contact the members of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Committee. Respectfully yet strongly let them know that you oppose mandatory spay/neuter laws, just as HB 451 demands.

Florida House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee:

Rep. Trudi K. Williams, Chair
303 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-2047
To e-mail Representative Williams, http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/emailrepresentative.aspx?MemberId=4338&SessionId=61.

Rep. Ralph Poppell, Vice Chair
222 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-3006
To e-mail Representative Poppell, http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/emailrepresentative.aspx?MemberId=4266&SessionId=61.

Rep. Mary Brandenburg
402 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-0260
To e-mail Representative Brandenburg, http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/emailrepresentative.aspx?MemberId=4281&SessionId=61.

Rep. Leonard Bembry
1003 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-7870
To e-mail Representative Bembry, http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/emailrepresentative.aspx?MemberId=4438&SessionId=61.

Rep. Debbie Boyd
1003 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-9835
To e-mail Representative Boyd, http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/emailrepresentative.aspx?MemberId=4371&SessionId=61.

Rep. Dwight Bullard
1401 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-5430
To e-mail Representative Bullard, http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/emailrepresentative.aspx?MemberId=4429&SessionId=61.

Rep. Rachel Burgin
317 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-9910
To e-mail Representative Burgin, http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/emailrepresentative.aspx?MemberId=4451&SessionId=61.

Rep. Steve Crisafulli
317 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-4669
To e-mail Representative Crisafulli, click here.

Rep. Faye Culp
1102 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-2770
To e-mail Representative Culp, click here.

Rep. Brad Drake
313 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-4726
To e-mail Representative Drake, click here.

Rep. Greg Evers
218 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-8188
To e-mail Representative Evers, click here.

Rep. Richard "Rich" Glorioso
222 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-0807
To e-mail Representative Glorioso, click here.

Rep. Mia Jones
1402 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-6893
To e-mail Representative Jones, click here.

Rep. Debbie Mayfield
317 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-0952
To e-mail Representative Mayfield, click here.

Rep. Mark Pafford
1401 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-0175
To e-mail Representative Pafford, click here.

Rep. Jimmy Patronis
1301 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-9696
To e-mail Representative Patronis, click here.

Rep. Ronald Renuart
317 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-0001
To e-mail Representative Renaurt, click here.

Rep. Ron Schultz
210 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-0805
To e-mail Representative Schultz, click here.

To see AKC’s original post on HB 451, click here.

For a copy of the AKC’s Disagree Diplomatically brochure, please click here.

For more information, please contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org.

Bill is to be scraped.

Posted: 24 Mar 2009 04:37 pm Post subject: WAY TO GO!!!

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Bill is up for consideration Tuesday morning

March 23, 2009 07:45:00 PM
By WILL HOBSON / News Herald Writer

PANAMA CITY — A mandatory spay/neuter bill up for consideration Tuesday morning in the state House has drawn criticism and apparently is being tabbed for reworking.

Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City, said Monday that HB 451, called the Sterilization of Dogs and Cats bill, is headed for a "strike all," meaning the bill will essentially be rewritten. Patronis said the sections drawing fire from some animal enthusiasts - the legislation would require spaying and neutering of all dogs and cats at four months of age with a few exceptions - will be removed.

"It's a crazy bill," he said.

Rep. Scott Randolph, D-Orlando, proposed the bill, but Patronis, who sits on the Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Committee that is scheduled to discuss the bill in Tallahassee on Tuesday morning, said Randolph has decided to do away with the required sterilization. The law would have exempted show dogs, guide dogs and a few other types from mandatory neutering.

Bay County Animal Control Director Jim Crosby is opposed to the bill and plans to drive to Tallahassee on Tuesday to attend the 8 a.m. (EDT) committee meeting.

"It's a bad bill," Crosby said Monday. "Mandatory spay-and-neuter laws have never worked, wherever they've been proposed."

Crosby said these laws often have the opposite effect of their intentions, causing more animals to be turned into animal control agencies because pet owners balk at the price of spaying, which can run upward of $200.

"It actually decreases the number of animals that get spayed and neutered because those people who can't afford to do so have no mechanism to seek assistance," said Crosby, who added he is working on ways to get low-cost neutering options for lower-income pet owners in Bay County.

"It takes our rights away from us. We're losing enough rights as individuals, " said Ann Robbins, a Panama City resident who enters her bullmastiff, Chief, in dog shows throughout the region.

Robbins pointed out that, although the law exempted show dogs from neutering - spayed dogs can not be entered in shows - it would require owners to decide in the first four months if the dog is good enough for shows.

"Four months old is not fully grown; it's just a puppy. In my case, if it's going to be a show puppy or not, I won't know until it's older," said Robbins, who has helped organize an effort to defeat the bill.

Like Crosby, Robbins felt voluntary spaying is the best way to go.

"I believe in spaying and neutering. ... I think that it's the responsible thing to do," Robbins said. "We have to teach people how to be responsible with their animals."

http://www.newsherald.com/news/spay_72832_%20__article.html/neuter_%20florida.html

New version of the bill no longer mandates sterilization of all pets older than 4 months.

Posted: March 25, 2009, 5 a.m. EDT

A mandatory spay-neuter bill under consideration in Florida has been revised so that it’s no longer required for pet owners to get their dogs or cats sterilized.

As of Tuesday morning, March 24, House Bill 451 was amended to remove all mandatory spay-neuter language. Instead, the new version of the bill gives the local government the option to use a $5 surcharge added to animal-control citations to help pay for low-cost spay-neuter programs.

The “strike-all” amendment to the bill was adopted by the Florida House Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Committee. As originally introduced, the bill called for most dogs and cats to be sterilized at 4 months of age.