Fwded e-mail from Nicole Bruck:
A bill that effectively stops rescue groups from holding adoption events and bringing dogs into Connecticut from other states will become law on July 15th unless we persuade Governor Malloy to veto it.
We need your help to stop Substitute House Bill 5368 from becoming law.
The bill is designed to enable breeders and pet stores to sell more puppies by getting the humane groups out of the picture.
It requires humane groups to bring their dogs to a Connecticut vet within 48 hours of arriving in the state to obtain a health certificate. The dogs then have to see the vet every 90 days and within 15 days before adoption.
Breeders do not have to take their dogs to the vet at all. In fact, all dogs from humane groups are already spayed/neutered, have completed vet checks, and have received health certificates before crossing state lines, so the additional vet visits are completely unnecessary.
The new health certificates will cost about $200 for each dog. So to get 20 dogs health certificates in the first 48 hours would be $4,000. This is not affordable for rescues.
In order to hold an adoption event, the humane groups will have to notify the DOA and the municipal zoning office at least 10 days in advance, after having registered and paid fees to the DOA.
Breeders are not forced to register with the DOA or to notify the DOA and local zoning official before they start selling their puppies.
A local politician has advised us that the only way to stop this bill is to have Governor Malloy veto it. And Malloy will only veto the bill if he receives a deluge of e-mails and phone calls.
We have until July 14 to convince the Governor to veto the bill. Time is running out.
Please call and e-mail TODAY:
Governor Malloy’s office number is: (860) 566-4840
You can also send Governor Malloy an email:
Please tell the Governor that:
The law needs to apply to all dogs or to no dogs. As written, it discriminates against humane groups, while allowing breeders and pet stores to sell dogs that are neither spayed/neutered nor vaccinated.
It will prevent people from adopting rescue dogs, so they will turn to breeders and pet stores instead. Since these dogs are unaltered, this will lead to an increase in dog bites (97 percent of dog bites are by unaltered canines, according to the National Canine Research Council).
Unaltered dogs lead to an increase in pet overpopulation, which has financial implications for cities.
For more info about House Bill 5368, click here.
