Feature Report: Anti-sporting dog bills

Two anti-sporting dog bills on the move Western Outdoo rNewsPublished: Jun 19, 2012

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SACRAMENTO — Claims by the Humane Society of the United States and other anti-hunting groups that they "have no intention" of making a move towards banning the use of hunting dogs for species other than bears and bobcats are outright lies, proven by their support of two anti-hunt dog bills now moving in other states Rhode Island House Bill 7663, introduced by Representative John J. DeSimone (D-Providence), would arbitrarily ban many common dog confinement practices used by sporting and other dog owners. The bill would prohibit keeping a dog in a pen, cage, or other shelter for more than 14 total hours in a 24-hour period regardless of the size of the pen or shelter. This bill would virtually eliminate the commonly accepted practice of keeping dogs in outdoor kennels, regardless of the size of the kennel. In addition, the bill would prohibit tethering a dog for more than 10 total hours in a 24-hour period. While the bill includes an exemption for sporting dog owners, it does not provide sufficient protection as it only applies to a dog that is actively engaged in hunting, training, field trialing, or while being transported to or from these activities. The exemption does not provide any protection to sporting dog owners while they are at home. Delaware Senate Bill 211, sponsored by Senator Patricia M. Blevins (D- Elsmere), would add commonly-used dog tethering practices to the state’s definition of animal cruelty. Animal cruelty is a Class A misdemeanor in Delaware. The bill would: — Prohibit tethering a dog for more than 18 total hours in a 24-hour period; — Completely prohibit tethering a dog under the age of four months for any amount of time; and — Ban tethering a nursing female dog if any of its offspring are “present.” The Humane Society of the United States is actively supporting both bills. SB 1221, the bill that intends to outlaw the use of dogs for hunting bears and bobcats, and the pre-cursor to moves by HSUS to stop the hunting of any bird or mammal species with dogs, is slated for a vote June 26 by the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife, and your letters and calls against the bill are again urgently solicited. Contact information for the legislators can be found at www.outdoorheritage.org/.