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Vermont state senator Ann Cummings has introduced a bill to ban ear cropping, which is strikingly similar to a bill introduced in California last year. Like that bill, it allows the ownership and sale of dogs with cropped ears. It allows cropped dogs to compete in dog shows. It allows for cropping to be performed for therapeutic reasons, but does not consider the prevention of ear infections to be therapeutic. Also like the California bill, it assesses stiff civil penalties ($3,000) on anyone who performs or arranges to have the procedure done. Additional penalties are assessed for repeat offenders, for non veterinarians who perform cropping and for cropping without anesthetics, a situation which already falls under the state’s mutilation law.
NAIA Trust opposes S 250 because it:
- is totally unnecessary
- creates an enforcement climate in which activists could harass veterinarians and dog owners and breeders;
- sets an unacceptably low threshold for government to interfere in the personal choices of its citizens;
- allows one group to impose its values on another without having to demonstrate that such imposition serves a significant public good;
- opens doors to persecution and intolerance;
- represents an unwarranted intrusion in the relationship between dog owners and their veterinarians;
- is impossible to enforce without interfering in the practice of veterinary medicine;
- could make dog owners liable even if the surgery is done in another state;
- carries a large and unfair penalty that could drive ear cropping underground where it would be performed without benefit of modern veterinary techniques and care including the proper antibiotics, analgesics and anesthetics; and
- establishes a precedent that replaces the professional judgment of veterinarians with laws based on the beliefs of special interest advocates.
What Vermont dog owners should do
- Contact your veterinarian today! Vermont dog owners need to contact their veterinarians immediately and ask them to actively oppose S 250 in two ways: First, veterinarians need to urge the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association to protect their right to perform elective procedures, including ear cropping by opposing
S 250. Because there may be few vets in the state of Vermont who perform ear cropping, it is important for veterinarians to understand that losing the right to perform ear cropping impacts all elective surgeries. This should be very important in a state with a high number of rural veterinarians dealing with large animals. Second, veterinarians need to contact their senators directly and ask them to oppose the bill. They need to advocate for their profession explaining why medically trained and experienced veterinarians are suited to make the best determinations about when and if to perform elective procedures. A law like S 250 simply drives clients out of state and underground. Here is the contact information for the VVMA:
Vermont Veterinary Medical Association
2073 Spear Street
Charlotte, VT 05445-9744
(802)425-3495
info@vtvets.org
- Contact your senator today and ask him to oppose S 250. The sooner Vermont residents voice their opposition to S 250, the more likely they are to defeat this bill. Click here to find your senator.
- This bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. If your senator is a member of this committee, it is doubly important to contact him or her immediately. The contact information for the Senate Judiciary Committee follows:
Senate Judiciary Committee, Chairman, Senator. Richard W. Sears
State Capitol
115 State St
Montpelier, VT 05602
Phone: 802/828-2231
Sen. Richard W. Sears (D) [Chair] Phone:802/828-2228, Email: rsears@leg.state.vt.us
Sen. John Campbell (D) [Vice Chair] Phone:802/828-2228, Email: jcampbell@leg.state.vt.us
Sen. Ann Cummings (D) [Sponsor] Phone:802/828-2228, Email: acummings@leg.state.vt.us
Sen. Ed Flanagan (D) Phone:802/828-2228, Email: EFlanagan@leg.state.vt.us
Sen. James P. Leddy (D) Phone:802/828-2228, Email: jleddy@leg.state.vt.us
Sen. Wendy Wilton (R) Phone:802/828-2228, Email: WWilton@leg.state.vt.us
We have included a sample letter sent to the senate Judiciary Committee Chairman. Residents should address their letter to their senator.
Also be sure to visit the AKC website for regular updates.
Please forward this Action Alert to Vermont dog fanciers and to all other concerned parties.
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