NEFHS Legislative Update

The following update on “animal legislation” here in New England is just a partial list. For more information on these bills and others, you can browse the state legislative home pages provided, call the New England Regional Office of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) at 802-368-2790, or email nero@hsus.org.

• A bill to allow Sunday archery hunting on private property died.

• The Agriculture Commissioner will be required to investigate the expansion of the Animal Population Control Program (APCP) to include feral cats and animals owned by low-income residents with the passage of a study committee bill.

• Bills on humane education, animal control officer training, pet trusts, monk parakeets, dangerous dogs, and elephant inspection all died in committee but are likely to come up again in future legislative sessions.

• The Dog Protection Act was struck down on July 13th after a ruling in Suffolk County Supreme Court concluding that the petition's three provisions were not closely enough related and ultimately violated a relatedness limitation required in the initiative petition process. Initially on August 15, 2005, and August 29, 2005, representatives of Massasoit Greyhound Association, Inc. (Massasoit), and Taunton Dog Track, Inc. (Taunton), wrote to the Attorney General opposing certification of the petition. The Attorney General concluded that their objections to the petition were groundless. Following this a law suit was filed, plaintiffs claimed that by combining a controversial proposition like dog racing with other less controversial issues such as animal fighting and cruelty laws, the initiative would be misleading to voters. A ruling was handed down on July 13th 2006 concluding that the petition does in fact violate the relatedness limitation requirement of the initiative petition process and therefore the measure was shot down.

• Legislation to ban the use of exotic animals in circuses made significant progress. Sponsor Senator Robert Hedlund offered an amendment that will make it illegal to use any implement, such as a bullhook or ankus, to train, punish and control captive elephants.

• A bill to allow hunting on Sundays was defeated.

• Bills that would prevent the force feeding of birds for foie gras production, as well as allow students in Massachusetts the right to use a non-animal alternative to specimen dissection, are both still in committee.

• The passage of a “first-in-the-nation” law will allow judges to write protection from abuse orders to protect companion animals in domestic violence situations, as well as encourage human victims to leave safely with their pets.

• An internet hunting ban was also successful.

• A state study commission was created to develop a comprehensive plan for the evacuation and housing of pets and livestock in cases of emergency.

• A ban on internet hunting was successful, and the expansion of canned hunting of red deer and elk was defeated.

• Another attempt to strengthen the outdoors shelter for dog law failed, along with a bill that would have made drowning an animal a felony.

• A law that bans the breeding of cats over six months without a permit passed, making Rhode Island the first state to legislatively mandate sterilization.

• A bill to establish outdoor shelter and tethering standards for dogs is still pending.

• A bill which bans Internet hunting became law on July 14, 2006 without the Governor's signature.

• A law to allow judges to include pets in protection from abuse orders in domestic violence situations followed on the heels of Maine’s law.

• An emergency planning bill passed with several provisions for animals, including liability protection for building owners who allow pets in their facilities during disasters and emergency drills, and the inclusion of humane society representatives in a state emergency response committee.

• Internet hunting was banned, but an effort to ban the cropping of dog’s ears for cosmetic purposes was unsuccessful.

RELATED LINKS
www.congress.org or www.vote-smart.org: Links to help you find your elected officials.

www.hsus.org/ace/12505: Update on legislative activities being monitored by the New England Regional Office of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

www.hsus.org/ace/702: Update on state legislative activities being monitored by the Government Affairs Department of The HSUS. Provides links to HumaneLines, a free weekly electronic alert to keep you up-to-date on hot issues in animal protection, State Action Alerts, and Federal Legislation.

www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=lobby: The ASPCA’s Legislative Advocacy Center. Includes Action Alerts on state and federal legislation.