"Stop Playing Political Football With Our Pets!"

A message from TX-RPOA E-News
From RPOA Texas Outreach and Responsible Pet Owners Alliance
www.rpoatexasoutreach.org

For animal owners, this is the most important Texas Legislative Session in history. RPOA with the help of many other animal interest groups in Texas defeated HSUS and Texas Humane Legislation Network attempts last session to regulate pet ownership out of existence and end all dog and cat breeding in Texas. We defeated Rep. Senfronia Thompson's Anti-Breeding Bill and Senator Leticia Van de Putte's Mandatory Spay/Neuter of all Texas dogs and cats. As expected they are back this session with a vengeance, spreading misinformation and campaign donations by the truckload.

Phone, fax and email your senators. Tell them you OPPOSE these bills

Last November's election clearly demonstrated the public's distaste for politics as usual and the expansion and overreach of government in our everyday lives. These bills must be OPPOSED for the following reasons:

* HB 1451 is in violation of the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the part of the Bill of Rights that guards against unreasonable searches and seizures and requires a judicially sanctioned warrant supported by probable cause.

* Animals are legally our property in Texas to love, care for and protect from all harm.

* With budget cuts this Session for essential social services, education, nursing homes and children's programs, adding HB 1451's bureaucracy at a cost of $1.3 million and 14.5 new employees (with benefits) is ludicrous.

* HB 1451 duplicates the existing Texas Animal Cruelty Statute which addresses (1) "failure to provide necessary food, water, care, or shelter for an animal in the person's custody." (2) "transports or confines an animal in a cruel manner;" (3) "seriously overworks an animal."

Rep. Thompson and THLN have both been quoted saying that Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) is sympathetic to her bill. So the revelation that Della Lindquist, Assistant General Counsel for TDLR, is an active "animal rights" extremist with Austin's Emancipet comes as no surprise. Their website links to Texas Humane Legislation Network. Lindquist recently visited several dog breeding kennels for TDLR. The extremists have infiltrated all levels of government, animal control departments, humane societies, and the Animal Law Section of Texas State Bar -- making it impossible to have an impartial advisory committee or enforcement team in this state.

HB 1451 has a new committee substitute by Patricia Halsell now simply entitled "The Dog and Cat Breeder Act" and defined as such. No more deceptions about regulating "commercial or high volume" dog and cat breeders! HB 1451 had 10 actions taken last Thursday and 2 actions Friday. We won't bore you with the details but we have Representative David Simpson to thank for objecting to the bill being on the Local and Consent Calendar as it was not "Local" and had opposition which should be debated on the House Floor. However after being "withdrawn from calendar, recommitted to committee, considered in formal hearing with committee substitute and favorably reported, HB 1451 is once again scheduled for consideration on the Local and Consent Calendar Thursday. Ask your representative to remove it from this Calendar once again for a House Floor vote!

Rep. Thompson and THLN have deliberately misled the media and legislators saying this bill does not affect hunting dogs or show/hobby breeders and that there are "no" regulations now on dog and cat breeders. This is not true!