HomeMy WebLinkAbout1-18-13 Addressing Animal Rescue Operations .1
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NEWS RELEASE
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Date: Friday, January 18, 2013, 12 Noon
Vj' Co"(574) -9623
From: 3rd District Council Member Valerie Schey vsche-ygsouthbendin.gov
"3rd District Council Member Voices Opposition to SB 598 Addressing
Animal Rescue Operations"
SB 598 is pending in the Indiana General Assembly. If passed, it would take effect on July 1, 2013. It
would require registration of private animal rescue operations with the Board of Animal Health and the
payment of an annual registration fee of $75.00. The Bill would further prohibit other units of
government to pass or enforce ordinances which may have more stringent requirements on commercial
dog breeders, commercial dog brokers or private animal rescue operations. On Tuesday, January 15th, SB
598 was referred to the Commerce, Economic Development & Technology(CEDT) Committee.
As an elected South Bend City Council Member, who is acutely aware of how much assistance our local
animal rescue organizations help our City's Animal Care and Control Division, I am very concerned
about this proposed legislation. For example, in 2011 our local rescue partners accepted 470 animals
from our shelter that, due to space and financial constraints we could no longer hold. Not only did this
save those 470 lives, but the entire burden of caring for those animals (financial and otherwise) was
shifted from the City and taxpayer to a private entity.
My understanding of SB 598 is that it seeks to impose the same oversight and regulation on our State's
puppy mill operations be placed on the State's animal rescue organizations. In contrast to the problematic
puppy mill operations around the state, animal rescue organizations provide a significant benefit to our
communities and our municipal animal control centers.
Another loophole in the bill is the language referring to hobby breeders. In South Bend, these are the
people who are commonly referred to as "backyard breeders". The backyard breeders are the people that
are breeding pit bulls for profit and then dump the litters they don't sell at the shelter for the City to care
for them at taxpayer expense. SB 598 suggests that these people would be allowed to continue doing what
they are currently doing and possibly even be allowed to expand their operations (line 10-12 of the Bill
indicates that a hobby breeder can maintain up to 20 unaltered female dogs).
I believe this proposed legislation should be stopped in its tracks. I am therefore contacting members of
the Indiana General Assembly and members of the CEDT Committee to raise awareness of these issues. I
encourage others to do the same, so that this Bill is defeated.