Rep. Casorio Vows: ‘We’re Coming After You’

by JOHN YATES

American Sporting Dog Alliance

http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org

(This is the first in a series of reports on newly introduced Pennsylvania  legislation that will affect every dog and kennel owner.)

HARRISBURG, PA – Although the pomp and hoopla didn’t quite come off as advertised, three pieces of legislation were introduced Wednesday that will affect every Pennsylvania dog and kennel owner:

• H.B. 2525, sponsored by Rep. James Casorio (D-Westmoreland County) is the centerpiece of Gov. Ed Rendell’s plan to improve conditions in large commercial breeding kennels. However, it also gives the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement sweeping powers, cancels out public participation in developing regulations for all kennels, and sets severe fines, penalties, illegal searches and confiscation policies that will affect all kennels.

• H.B. 2532, sponsored by Rep. Thomas Caltagirone (D- Berks County) amends the ear cropping section of animal cruelty legislation to prohibit anyone except a veterinarian from performing surgical procedures, but also sets ambiguous restrictions on tail docking and subjects innocent dog owners to prosecution for a serious criminal offense. This legislation would curtail rescue program efforts for many dogs and make out of state residents guilty of a serious crime for things that are legal in their home states if they pass through or visit Pennsylvania for travel, dog shows and field trials.

• H.B. 449, which was introduced more than a year ago, is being resurrected. This legislation would make owners of dog seized for unproven animal cruelty allegations pay for the cost of the care at animal shelters.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance published detailed analyses of all three pieces of legislation over the past two weeks, and will continue to do so as the legislative process unfolds. Copies of these prior reports are available by request at asda@csonline.net. 

Wednesday’s unveiling culminated more than a year of planning following the derailment of “top-down” legislation last year. During this time, Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement Deputy Director Jessie Smith met with many concerned parties to gather input stemming from more than 16,000 written comments received last year – reportedly an all-time record for public comment on any kind of legislation in Pennsylvania.

Ceremonies, press conferences, pro-legislation demonstrations, and debate and testimony at a special meeting of the Dog Law Advisory Board were scheduled for Wednesday. There was a modest amount of smoke at these events, but little if any flame.

The pro-legislation rally on the Capitol steps was expected to draw hundreds of people to protest conditions in “puppy mills,” but only between 60 and 80 people attended to voice support. The number of actual participants could not be determined, but the actual participants were outnumbered by politicians, Bureau officials, reporters and television news crews. Even three owners of large commercial breeding kennels were observed on the fringes of the group.

There was little discussion at the Dog Law Advisory Board meeting, and most members did not comment. Only about a dozen people testified at the meeting, with comments running about three-to-one in opposition to the legislation. Several opponents of the legislation pointed to failed new regulations as reflecting either left-wing or extreme animal rights agendas.

The Casorio legislation has received strong support in the House of Representatives, with a reported 90 legislators signing on as co-sponsor; it takes 102 votes to assure passage in the House. He said he expects the legislation to be passed before the end of June.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance supports many of the changes to improve conditions in large commercial breeding kennels, but opposes the Casorio legislation as a whole because it trashes constitutional protections, gives virtually unlimited power to the Bureau, cuts out legislative approval for license fee increases and eliminates necessary public review protections for future regulations.

The legislation provides truly frightening fines, penalties and confiscation of dogs for even minor technical violations of regulations, and the planned regulations are being kept hidden from public scrutiny. In addition, the Casorio bill provides for unrestricted searches of homes, property and records, and calls for kennel license revocations if working people are not available for inspection at the Bureau’s convenience.

Caltagirone’s Animal Cruelty Act amendments would have a devastating impact on shelter and rescue programs, because most animals come to these facilities from unknown sources or without veterinary records. It would be illegal to possess a dog with cropped ears, scars from a Caesarian section or indications of surgical debarking in the absence of proof that the work was done by a veterinarian. It also would be illegal to possess a dog with a docked tail, if proof could not be provided that the work was done before a puppy was four days old, or by a veterinarian.

In addition, many Pennsylvanians may have lost veterinary records, or move here or buy a puppy from other states that do not have these laws. They would be automatically guilty of a serious criminal offense simply by being in possession of their dog, and would have no defense in court. Nonresidents of Pennsylvania would not be able to legally bring a dog with cropped ears or a docked tail to this state while traveling, to hunt, or to attend a field trial or dog show without veterinary proof.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance has been working through our members to show legislators the hidden problems with this legislation. Thus far, our members report that two legislators have withdrawn their co-sponsorship from the Caltagirone bill. We hope to be able to convince many more legislators to withdraw their support from both bills.

We plan to record every vote taken on this legislation and make this information available to the voters for the November general election. We have been working hard to develop a database of Pennsylvania dog and kennel owners, and now can reach more than 50,000 voters in this state.

(The next installment in this series will feature detailed analysis of the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement’s 2007 annual report.)

The American Sporting Dog Alliance is the unified voice of sporting dog owners and professionals in America. We work at the grassroots level to defeat unfair legislation and policies that are harmful to dogs and the people who own and work with them. Our work to protect your rights is supported solely by the donations of our members. Your participation and membership are vital to our success. Please visit us on the web at http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org.