Q and A With PetPAC Chairman Bill Hemby
Q. What have you been doing over the past few months?
A. Following our success in committee in July, I have not been sitting on my laurels. I attend every dog show I can. Actually, I am getting pretty good at setting up the PetPAC booth. This allows me the opportunity to speak with you, our supporters, about AB 1634 and future battles to come. PetPAC is involved in fighting AB 1634 legislation whether it be in Sacramento, or in other parts of California.
AB 1634 is back! Our opponents including the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and PETA are mounting a major lobbying effort in support of the mandatory spay/neuter legislation.
Last week, HSUS sent Action Alerts to their members asking them to contact legislators to support AB 1634. Judie Mancuso the co-author of AB 1634 has written on her website (November 2007) urging her people to write legislators and tell them: “It seems clear that opposition to AB 1634 reflects the desire of pet owners who want to continue their free ride, avoiding the expense of desexing their pet, or profiting from breeding their animals without paying any kind of licensing fee.” This is her language from her website. Our opponents will go to any lengths to misrepresent PetPAC supporter’s position.
As I have said those of you who thought AB 1634 is dead are "dead" wrong AB 1634 will not be dead until it is dealt with by members of the Senate Local Government Committee in January or Mr. Levine voluntarily pulls the bill from committee.
On the local level, PetPAC has been intimately involved in many battles. I recently met with a group of pet owners in Huntington Beach to advise them how to fight HB's efforts to pass mandatory spay/neuter. PetPAC has sent out thousands of emails on their behalf. PetPAC will be represented in Huntington Beach to testify. PetPAC is involved in negotiations over the LosAngeles city ordinance on mandatory spay/neuter. I have talked with supporters working on issues in Kern County. These people deserve our full support for their grass roots efforts. We are also in discussions with numerous groups across the country who are asking for our help including most recently a group in Palm Beach, Florida where they are attempting to pass a mandatory spay/neuter bill. The bottom line is first and foremost we must stay focused on making sure AB 1634 is killed once and for all so there is not a nationwide mandate for mandatory spay/neuter.
Q. So if Judie Mancuso and the authors of AB 1634 are actively working now to get the bill passed when the legislature begins session in January what is PetPAC doing?
A. Well that’s where we need our supporters help. PetPAC represents over 800 dog and cat clubs from Police K9, working, cattle, herding, service, hearing impaired, guide dogs, pure bred, mixed breed, pure bred and exotic breed cats. We work closely with the Cat Fanciers Association. PetPAC is working now to be prepared for the committee meeting in January. New brochures designed, new signs produced, hundreds of thousands of emails sent, press releases , radio talk shows visited, new rallies planned, our TV commercial distributed, testimony planned, and hours and hours of meeting with legislators and staff, new letters sent to legislators from our supporters.
We are only weeks away from the new showdown and we need our supporters to help now. Just like putting on a dog or cat show, you cannot wait until the day of the show to select and pay for ribbons and trophies, secure show sites, send out premium lists, collect entries and perform the myriad tasks that need to be done by show time.
Of course this means we need to go back to our supporters for the financial resources to get the job done. I’m confident they understand the need to contribute now so we can continue the fight.
Q. Recently PetPAC sent an email out on helping the pets caught in the California fires, what was that all about?
A. The fires were devastating to many families in Southern California. PetPAC is working with the California Federation of Dog Clubs on their efforts to help pet owners ravaged by Southern California wild fires. Again, we sent out emails asking for help to thousands of dog and cat owners, as well as the media state wide.
Q. One of the arguments supporters of AB 1634 uses is that dogs and cats are being killed in shelters in huge numbers. How does PetPAC answer this argument?
A. PetPAC is researching the "No Kill" shelter programs of Nathan Winograd as a response to AB 1634 and other punitive measures. While "No Kill" is not a panacea for every problem facing shelter animals, everywhere it has been tried results in up to a 95% save rate. I highly recommend you read Nathan’s new book “Redemption” which outlines his programs to save our dogs and cats. Nathan is a brilliant mind who is a can do individual with the foresight to solve the problems in our animal shelters.
I have also spoken with Richard Avanzino of Maddy's Fund to discuss ways we can help to change the irresponsibility in animal shelter management which is occurring on a daily basis across this country.
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