California Ear Cropping Bill Stalled for 2005Posted May 26, 2005
AB 418, the AVAR-sponsored bill to ban ear cropping, was on suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, meaning it was "on hold" until the committee decided to bring it up for a vote. At the Appropriations Committee hearing on May 25, Assembly Appropriations Chair Judy Chu did not bring AB 418 up for a vote. That means the bill will not move forward this year. Staff with Assemblymember Paul Koretz, the author of the bill, said the decision may have been based on the AKC claim that the state would lose $1 million in dog show revenue if the ban were passed since breeders claim they would boycott California shows or be too intimidated to participate. The decision also likely involved behind-the-scene politics. Technically, AB 418 is not dead but continues to remain "on suspense" in the Assembly Appropriations Committee until next year. AVAR will be working with Assemblymember Koretz to determine how to proceed further. Ear Cropping Ban On Hold in Assembly Appropriations CommitteePosted April 18, 2005AB 418, the bill to ban the ear cropping of dogs in California, was put "on suspense" by the Assembly Appropriations Committee at its April 13 hearing. Essentially, this means that the bill is on hold until Assembly Appropriations Chair Judy Chu moves to bring it forward for a vote. The Assembly Appropriations Committee focuses on fiscal issues and, at the April 13 hearing, the committee chair appeared to be concerned about statements made by the American Kennel Club that the ear cropping ban would result in a dog show boycott and a $1 million drop in tax revenue. The AKC statements were included in the committee analysis and read at the hearing, but no AKC representative was in attendance. There was one dog breeder who attended to oppose. There were approximately a dozen supporters, including representatives of AVAR and several other animal protection groups, veterinary students and private citizens. AVAR presented information at the hearing that we have heard from dog breeders who would welcome the ban because they would feel more welcome in the state with dogs with natural ears. (Note: AB 418 specifically states that dogs with cropped ears can still be shown in California.) If you are interested in helping move AB 418 forward in the legislative process, please contact AVAR as soon as possible at pam@avar.org. Time is of the essence! Bill to Ban Ear Cropping Moves to Assembly Appropriations CommitteeHearing Set for Wednesday, April 13Posted April 11, 2005AB 418, the bill to ban ear cropping of dogs in California, passed out of the Assembly Committee on Public Safety by a 5-1 vote on April 5. The bill is now set for a hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, April 13 at 9 a.m. The focus of testimony at this hearing will be on the fiscal impact of the bill, particularly on whether the legislation will impact the dog show industry in California. AB 418 specifically states that dogs with cropped ears can still be shown in the state. Hearing begins at 9 a.m., in Room 4202 of the State Capitol Building. Help Ban Ear Cropping in California: Animal Advocates Needed to Attend April 5 Hearing in SacramentoPosted March 30, 2005AB 418 (Koretz), the bill to ban ear cropping in dogs in California, will be up for its first legislative hearing at the State Capitol in Sacramento on Tuesday, April 5. We need animal advocates to attend the Assembly Public Safety Committee hearing to state your support for the bill. When this issue came before the Legislature last year, there were dozens of dog breeders wearing buttons with the slogan, "It's Our Choice." We need to let the Legislature know that it's not the dog's choice to have a portion of their ears amputated simply for the aesthetic preference of the caregiver. (Note: In response to concerns from dog breeders, this year's bill clarifies that it is still legal for dogs with cropped ears to be shown, sold, adopted or reside within the state. Only the procedure of cropping a dog's ears will be illegal.) AVAR will have veterinarians at the hearing who will testify that there are no medical benefits to the dog from an ear cropping procedure. Rather, the surgery can cause pain, infection and long-term behavioral issues for dogs who have their ears cropped. The hearing will be held at 9:00 a.m. in Room 126 of the State Capitol. Please email Teri Barnato at teri@avar.org if you plan to attend. And if you haven't already sent in a letter of support, please do so as soon as possible to the members of the Assembly Public Safety Committee listed below: Please write a letter to: Assembly Member Mark Leno, Chair Assembly Member Jay LaSuer, Vice-Chair Assembly Member Rebecca Cohn Assembly Member Mervyn Dymally Assembly Member Jackie Goldberg Assembly Member Todd Spitzer Assembly Member Ira Ruskin California Legislator Introduces Bill to Ban Ear Cropping of DogsVeterinarians Take Stand Against Cruel and Unnecessary ProcedureSACRAMENTO, CA (February 23, 2005)For Immediate ReleaseAssembly Member Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood) has introduced AB 418, a bill that would ban the cropping of a dog’s ears, unless for therapeutic purposes, in the state of California. If passed into law, it would be the first ear cropping ban in the United States. Koretz introduced the bill on behalf of the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR), a nonprofit animal protection organization representing more than 3,000 veterinary members nationwide. AVAR opposes dog ear cropping because it is a surgical procedure which provides no medical benefit to the animal. Rather, ear cropping can cause pain, distress, and medical complications for the dog. Ear cropping involves cutting off a portion of a dog’s ear flaps including nerves, cartilage and blood vessels. It is usually done between 9-12 weeks of age, which is a crucial period for personality formation. It also involves taping the ears to some sort of rack for weeks and several follow-up veterinary visits. In some cases, additional surgery is needed. "This is an archaic practice which is performed on a few dog breeds solely for the cosmetic preference of the caregiver," said Assembly Member Koretz. "It’s time we stopped allowing unnecessary pain to be inflicted on an animal simply because a few humans like the way cropped ears look." "It’s worth noting that more than 20 other countries have already banned dog ear cropping and the practice is even referred to as ‘mutilation’ by veterinarians in the United Kingdom and elsewhere," said AVAR President Paula Kislak, DVM. "This legislation would once again put California at the forefront of U.S. efforts to protect animal health and well-being and would bring our standards of animal care in line with the more progressive standards of other countries." As introduced, AB 418 would make ear cropping or the procuring of ear cropping by any person in California a misdemeanor. AVAR worked on a similar ear cropping ban in 2004. However, it was dropped from the 2004 legislation due to strong opposition from a few dog breed clubs who lobbied legislators with the slogan, "It Is Our Choice." Despite the breed club opposition, the ban received strong support from the veterinary profession, the animal welfare community and the public, all of whom are expected to support the new bill. In addition to AVAR, the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) stepped forward to support last year’s proposal after a poll of their membership found that most CVMA members do not think dog ear cropping should be performed when there is no medical justification and that a majority would support a ban. Animal control representatives also supported the ban as a tool to crack down on dog fighting. Dog fighters commonly battle crop their dog’s ears so they won’t get torn during a fight. Due to concerns from dog breed groups and representatives of the American Kennel Club, this year’s ban has been amended to reflect that it is not illegal to own, harbor, adopt or show a dog with cropped ears in the state of California. |
