Pennsylvania Moves to Outlaw Hunting With Dogs

[WhiteFeather]

Got this one the other day, thought some of you might be interested. I personally don't own any dogs, so I don't have a dog in this fight but any attack on any part on our hunting heritage or gun ownership is attack on our Constitutional rights.

So get busy and let your voices be heard or be prepared to be ruled over by your silence.


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From: News [mailto:News@ussportsmen.org]
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 8:11 PM
To: News
Subject: Pennsylvania Moves to Outlaw Hunting With Dogs



U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance

801 Kingsmill Parkway, Columbus , OH 43229

Ph. 614/888-4868 • Fax 614/888-0326
Website: http://www.ussportsmen.org • E-mail: info@ussportsmen.org



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Beth Ruth (614) 888-4868 ext. 214

July 11, 2007



Pennsylvania Moves to Outlaw Hunting With Dogs

State Muzzles Sportsmen Who Object



(Malvern) - Pennsylvania is taking steps to regulate sporting dog breeders with the same iron fist it intends for abusive commercial breeders. Today, sportsmen who tried to object to the oppressive dog care proposal were abruptly silenced.



At issue is a set of dog care regulations proposed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture in December 2006. Among the requirements are expensive animal housing upgrades, mandatory daily exercise, and the keeping of daily sanitation and cleaning records. The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Sporting Dog Defense Coalition and other dog organizations have been urging Gov. Ed Rendell, state lawmakers and the Department of Agriculture to rewrite the dog law so that sportsmen will not be caught up in the regulations.



More than 200 Pennsylvania sportsmen who realize the threat that the regulations pose to hunting attended a Dog Law Advisory Board hearing today at the Radnor Hunt Club in Malvern. The meeting was advertised as an opportunity to focus on sportsmen’s concerns about the proposal.



However, when USSA Associate Director of State Services Evan Heusinkveld began to offer testimony, Deputy Secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Jesse Smith ruled him out of order, and seized the microphone.



National Beagle Club of America Board Member Wanda Borsa, a New Freedom resident whose beagle pack is called the Holly Hill Beagles, also tried to comment. She too was stopped before being able to express her concerns.



“Ms. Smith and the Department of Agriculture do not want the public to know how insidious these regulations are for the future of hunting dogs,” said Heusinkveld. “State regulators could not find a single existing kennel that would be in compliance with the proposal.”



In a recent message to the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance , Deputy Secretary Smith wrote, “The Department is attempting to apply more uniform and enforceable regulations to ALL kennels.” Until now, the department had been trying to convince sportsmen that the dog care policy was aimed at unscrupulous commercial breeders and was not meant to impact hunters.



“The Department of Agriculture has admitted its anti-hunting stance. Sportsmen are not sure if this is a position of the Rendell administration or merely one loose cannon within the administration,” said Rob Sexton, USSA vice president for government affairs. “We do know that the governor himself sparked the issue, but hope the anti-hunting position doesn’t reflect his true feelings about hunting dogs.”



From the outset, sportsmen have suspected that the regulations are a product of animal rightists. Groups like the Pennsylvania-based Main Line Animal Rescue, and the New York-based American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have certainly had more access to the process, and their representatives have yet to be muzzled at public hearings.



Joining with other dog enthusiast such as the Pennsylvania Federation of Dog Clubs, and dog rescue organizations, USSA and its Sporting Dog Defense Coalition partners have raised the awareness about the regulations across the commonwealth. Sportsmen and sporting dog enthusiasts must continue to contact Gov. Rendell and state lawmakers and demand that these dog care regulations be withdrawn. Use the Legislative Action Center on the USSA website to make contact.



The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organization that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, http://www.ussportsmen.org.

[billamj]

There is NO move to OUTLAW hunting dogs in the regulations they are all related directly to kennel care. I read the regulations from the Pa. Dept. of Ag. website and this would primarily affect only those who have commercial operations and not Joe/Jane average. Unless some prosecutor, or nieghbor, really went over the top and declared a household that has one, or even a couple of, hunting dogs as a kennel it would be irrelevant to the vast majority of hunters. Personally, I don't see such big issues here anyway. Requiring that current minimum kennel space be doubled is a pretty good thing. Ensuring that excrement is cleaned in a timely manner and that dogs get exercised for 10 minutes daily are things that most dog owners do anyway.

[JDC]

Am I missing something this law appears to address kennels that neglect their animals. Which I support 100 percent.

[GRoPA]

At the gun club meeting last night they said that there is a bill to legalize the use of dogs for the fall turkey season. I think they said it passed but I got there a little late so I am not sure.

[God's Country]

Originally Posted by GUNRUNNERS OF PA

At the gun club meeting last night they said that there is a bill to legalize the use of dogs for the fall turkey season. I think they said it passed but I got there a little late so I am not sure.

I am under the same impression.

[JDC]

Originally Posted by GUNRUNNERS OF PA

At the gun club meeting last night they said that there is a bill to legalize the use of dogs for the fall turkey season. I think they said it passed but I got there a little late so I am not sure.

I would pay to watch somebody use a dog to get a turkey LMAO

[WhiteFeather]

SB 580 Madigan: Amending Title 34, permitting use of dogs in hunting for wild turkey. Makes lawful the use of a dog to pursue, chase, scatter, and track wild turkeys during the fall season.
Referred to Game & Fisheries Committee (03-20-07). Reported as committed (04-24-07)
Passed Senate (05-01-07), Vote 48 – 1, Sent to House.
Passed House (06-26-07), Vote 187 – 14
Signed by Governor (06-30-07), Act 18

[rev214]

Originally Posted by WhiteFeather

SB 580 Madigan: Amending Title 34, permitting use of dogs in hunting for wild turkey. Makes lawful the use of a dog to pursue, chase, scatter, and track wild turkeys during the fall season.
Referred to Game & Fisheries Committee (03-20-07). Reported as committed (04-24-07)
Passed Senate (05-01-07), Vote 48 – 1, Sent to House.
Passed House (06-26-07), Vote 187 – 14
Signed by Governor (06-30-07), Act 18

to follow up with whitefeather's post, the brief NRA-ILA article and senate bill info:

http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=3148

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/...type=B&BN=0580

[chesire17201]

Originally Posted by JDC

I would pay to watch somebody use a dog to get a turkey LMAO

come hunt w/me in Va sometime, we run hounds during deer season there, and once in a while a new dog will jumo off a deer and go an a fresh turkey track....takes a while for the dog to realize no matter how hard he tries, he's not getting up that tree.....

[rich]

I don't know maybe I'm just a little jumpy when it comes to the government regulating stuff especially when it comes to hunting and or firearms but it always seems to start out with something simple like this and if it goes through they seem to push it a little further next time and then again by time they stop who knows where it could end. If they want to regulate something how about gas prices and the profit that they make by constantly raising price per gall.