Richmond SPCA Blog

Guest post: Report from the 2012 General Assembly Session

Greetings Richmond SPCA advocates!  As the Virginia state director for The Humane Society of the United States, I’d like to share an update on the animal protection legislation that was considered during the 2012 legislative session.  When looking back on this session, it’s important to also keep in mind that policy reform takes time and perseverance. It took nearly a decade to pass effective puppy mill legislation, and now Virginia has the top ranked commercial breeding regulations in the country.

We must celebrate our achievements, and not lose heart over battles not yet won. I look forward to working with you all as we continue to be tenacious advocates for animals.

Our successes:

• H.J. 143 – Spay Day Virginia. Patroned by Del. David Englin, D-Alexandria, and passed by the Senate on Feb. 28, this bill designates every Feb. 28 as Spay Day in Virginia.  Four million cats and dogs—about one every eight seconds—are put down in U.S. shelters each year. Spay Day will create a wave of spay/neuter awareness and activities across the Commonwealth by linking together hundreds of events organized by local animal welfare organizations and veterinary professionals. 

• S.B. 610 - Regulation of care and handling of agricultural animals. Patroned by Sen. Richard Black, R-Loudon, this bill would have exempted hunting dogs, working dogs and show dogs from our strong companion animal care standards and redefined them as “agricultural animals.” It also stated no locality or humane society would have authority to regulate the care and handling of agricultural animals. Such a ludicrous bill incited outrage among animal advocates and was thankfully tabled.

Your advocacy is needed on these measures that didn’t pass in 2012:

• H.B. 363 – Pet Protective Orders. Patroned by Del. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, this bill sought to extend protective orders being sought by survivors of domestic violence to include animals.  Although successfully reported from the House courts of justice committee, this bill stalled in appropriations.  More than 20 states now have such legislation and Virginia should enact this measure to protect pets and people.

• H.B. 695/S.B. 202 - Fox and coyote penning; Class 1 misdemeanor for purpose of pursuing foxes and coyotes with dog within an enclosure. Patroned by Sen. Dave Marsden, D-Fairfax and Del. Kenneth Plum, D-Reston, this bill proposed to outlaw fox and coyote pens, which are fenced enclosures where dogs are released to chase wild-caught foxes, often in staged competitions to judge how long the dogs will pursue the captive wildlife.  In just three years, Virginia pens took nearly 4,000 live foxes from the wild to fuel this fenced bloodsport. The Senate agriculture committee carried over Senate Bill 202 and requested the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries study the issue. This is a great beginning in a widely-supported campaign to end this cruelty.

• H.B. 1242 - Dangerous Wild Animals.  Patroned by Del. Chris Peace, R-Hanover, this bill would have restricted the possession of certain dangerous wild and exotic animals to licensed and qualified facilities. In the wrong hands, these animals threaten public health and safety and their welfare suffers. This bill was crafted with a wide array of stakeholders at the table, and much momentum was gained, however time ran out in Virginia’s short legislative session and the patron requested the bill be carried over to next year.

• H.B. 1159 - Shark Fins. Patroned by Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax, this bill sought to make the sale, possession and trade of shark fins illegal. Tens of millions of sharks have their fins cut off for use in shark fin soup and are then discarded back in the ocean to die. Sharks have roamed the oceans for millions of years but many species are now threatened with extinction due to this cruel industry. Watch Dan Rather’s investigation of shark finning here. Unfortunately, this bill was voted down in committee due to opposition from the VA Seafood Council.

• H.B. 888 – Tethering; companion animals. Patroned by Del. Ken Alexander, D-Norfolk, this bill simply clarified that localities may regulate tethering laws at the local level. Some localities in Virginia already have done so, such as Richmond and Danville, but other localities don’t feel the General Assembly has given them regulatory authority over such a policy. This bill was opposed by the VA Farm Bureau — which is baffling given this bill only applies to companion animals. Dogs (like people) are social animals, yet more than 200,000 dogs live empty lives chained or tethered outdoors. Tied-up outside, dogs become lonely, bored, and anxious, and they can develop aggressive behaviors. Bring a dog inside (or help a chained dog in your neighborhood) and you’ll keep everyone safer.

• S.B. 359 - Trap, Neuter, and Return programs. Patroned by Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, SB 359 proposed to improve cat overpopulation control efforts by allowing TNR programs and exempting citizens who engage in TNR from the definition of companion animal abandonment found in §3.2-6503. The bill passed the Senate but failed in the agriculture subcommittee in the House. It is anticipated that the Department of Agriculture will convene a work group on this issue.

Next year’s legislative success depends on our continued dedication to being a voice for animals in Virginia. Now that the General Assembly session is over, it’s the perfect time to let your representatives know that you are an advocate for animals. You can find who represents you here.  For tips on speaking with your legislators check out our advocate toolkit or contact me. I would be delighted to join you in a meeting with your Virginia legislator.

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Laura Donahue is the Virginia State Director for the Humane Society of the United States.

To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name. 

Important animal welfare legislation needs your urgent support

There are two matters of significant importance before the General Assembly this week, and we need your help to better ensure a positive vote.

Please take a moment to contact your state delegate and senator before Wednesday and urge them to support the essential pieces of legislation outlined below that will protect defenseless animals and the individuals who care for them throughout Virginia. It’s important that you call your House and Senate representatives since ultimately the bills, if passed in the Senate, will cross over to the House for another vote and ultimate passage. To obtain the contact information for the representatives of your districts, click here. Calls are always best; however, emails can also be effective.

S.B. 202
This bill, which is patroned by Sen. David Marsden, would make fox penning a Class 1 Misdemeanor that is punishable with up to 12 months in jail and up to a $2,500 fine. Currently in Virginia, wild foxes can be trapped and transported to fenced enclosures where they are released. Hounds are then turned out in these pens in order to chase the foxes, whom they oftentimes tragically tear apart and kill. Opponents of this bill say that fox pens provide a safe training tool for dogs and that the foxes are hardly ever harmed. In reality, this activity is tantamount to animal fighting, and more than 3,600 foxes died in these pens over the last three years (and it was not from old age). In summary, we hope very much that legislators will support and pass S.B. 202 to ban fox pens in Virginia because they are inhumane and because they pose a serious threat to Virginia’s wildlife heritage. Read the Richmond Times-Dispatch's editorial, which supports S.B. 202.

S.B. 359
This bill, which is patroned by Sen. Creigh Deeds, would clarify the existing Virginia code in order to protect individuals who compassionately care for feral cats. Under current law, returning a spayed or neutered feral cat to his outdoor home may be construed as a crime of abandonment. In some municipalities, this means that feral cat caregivers are prevented from engaging in the responsible practice of Trap-Neuter-Return and are threatened with charges and penalties by local law enforcement who claim the caregivers are acting as “owners” of the cats once they trap them. Under S.B. 359, returning a feral cat to his colony after he’s been neutered could no longer be interpreted as abandonment. In summary, we hope very much that legislators will support and pass S.B. 359 to reaffirm Virginia’s commitment to animal welfare and to protect individuals who are responsibly ensuring that feral cats are being sterilized and vaccinated against rabies. To read a prior blog post on this bill, click here.

We are grateful for your deep commitment to the animals who share our world and for your ongoing advocacy.

To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name. 

 

Support the passage of HB888 to permit Virginia localities to regulate tethering of dogs

After taking part in the incredibly successful first ever Humane Lobby Day yesterday at the Virginia General Assembly, we are more impressed than ever with the powerful force that the community of animal lovers brings to articulate justice, compassion and decency for the innocent creatures who rely upon us. Thank you to each who attended and also to those of who, though unable to attend, are equally vital in your advocacy through phone calls and emails to your senators and delegates.

We are again asking for your support of an important piece of legislation. House Bill 888 has been introduced by Delegate Kenneth Alexander (D-Norfolk), and it is expected to be heard by the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Monday, Jan. 30 at 5 p.m. 

The purpose of this bill is to make it clear in state code that any locality in Virginia may enact ordinances to regulate the tethering or chaining of dogs. While the City of Richmond and some other localities have already enacted such ordinances, other cities and counties have interpreted Dillon’s Rule to limit their power to regulate tethering as it has yet to be expressly granted by the legislature. The clarity HB888 provides is essential. It provides the following amendment to the Code of Virginia:

C. Any locality as defined in § 1-221 may, by ordinance, regulate, restrict, or prohibit the tethering or chaining of companion animals.

This legislation is entirely permissive, allowing each locality to set its own standards. The one-hour cumulative limit on tethering in the City of Richmond was adopted in 2007, and it was a great step forward in humane treatment of dogs in our own community. Please express your support for HB888 to your delegate. If your delegate is a member of the House Ag Subcommittee, your influence as a constituent is especially important.

House Agriculture Subcommittee:

Delegate Daniel W. Marshall III (Chairman)
Phone: (804) 698-1014 | Fax: (804) 698-6714 | Email: DelDMarshall@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Matthew James
Phone: (804) 698-1080 |
Fax: (804) 698-6780 |
Email: DelMJames@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Barry Knight
Phone: (804) 698-1081 | Fax: (804) 698-6781 | Email: DelBKnight@house.virginia.gov

Delegate James W. (Will) Morefield
Phone: (804) 698-1003 |
Fax: (804) 698-6703
| Email: DelJMorefield@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Robert D. Orrock, Sr.
Phone: (804) 698-1054 |
Fax: (804) 698-6754
| Email: DelBOrrock@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Charles D. Poindexter
Phone: (804) 698-1009
| Fax: (804) 698-6709 |
Email: DelCPoindexter@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Mark D. Sickles
Phone: (804) 698-1043
| Fax: (804) 698-6743 |
Email: DelMSickles@house.virginia.gov

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Tabitha Frizzell Hanes is the director of communications for the Richmond SPCA. To read her biography or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

Wise RTD editorial comes to correct conclusion about fox penning

Earlier this week an editorial appeared in the Richmond Times-Dispatch taking a strong and well-reasoned position in support of the House and Senate Bills (House Bill 695 and Senate Bill 202) that would make the inhumane practice of fox penning a Class 1 misdemeanor. We could never thank the editors of the Times-Dispatch editorial pages enough for their wisdom and courage in supporting our efforts and those of the Humane Society of the United States to outlaw this horribly cruel practice.

Their editorial received many comments from all the usual suspects who regard animals as nothing but tools for their own profit and pleasure regardless of the suffering and death that they cause. These commenters expounded at great length as they always do claiming that the foxes have places where they can escape (stretching the truth by a mile) and that the hounds really do not often kill the foxes (wonder why, then, the enclosures have to be restocked each year with thousands of new foxes) and (my personal favorite for its sheer nuttiness) that the foxes enjoy the chase. The latter absurd suggestion leads one to imagine just how much you yourself would enjoy being placed in an enclosure from which you could not escape with Bengal tigers which you would run from until utterly exhausted at which point you would be torn apart in their jaws. Sounds like a rip-roaring good time, doesn’t it?

These people are the group that we will have to contend with as the opposition as we work to get the legislators to take a courageous step in the direction of compassion and ethics for our state. They conduct themselves with no greater ethics in their efforts to lobby than they do in their treatment of defenseless animals. The patron of the Senate version of this bill, Senator Marsden is himself a hunter and one who believes deeply in the ethics of fair chase. He is appalled by the utter cruelty and lack of ethics of the people who engage in fox penning. We applaud his wonderful stand and will do all in our power to support him.

Fox penning is a stain on the honor and integrity of our state and an example of the thinking that animals’ suffering and death is to be disregarded entirely in favor of depraved human pleasure. It places the most miserable of human motives on a pedestal and attempts to make them sound positive. It is no different and no better than any other sort of animal fighting. The closing line of the Times-Dispatch editorial said it beautifully and I quote it here: “Humanity's dominion over the earth and its wildlife does not translate into a right to torture the beasts of the field.”

Please help us to protect these animals by calling and writing your senators and delegates and urge them to support these two bills. It is crucial to our living in a state with a heart and a conscience.

P.S. To those fox penners who will send comments in to try to get them published in our blog, save your efforts. I have no inclination whatsoever to allow you a forum on our organization’s blog. You have plenty of other places to spew your venom.

Robin Robertson Starr is the chief executive officer of the Richmond SPCA. To read her biography or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

Senate Bill 359 would save the lives of countless feral cats

At times we find ourselves at odds with the effects legislation before the General Assembly will have on animals. However, a bill currently before the Virginia Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources committee that seeks to help the feral cat population is something we can definitely get behind.

Introduced by Senator Creigh Deeds on Jan. 11, Senate Bill 359 would clarify the existing Virginia code in order to protect individuals who compassionately care for feral cats. Under current law, returning a spayed or neutered feral cat to his outdoor home in a feral cat colony may be construed as the crime of “abandonment,” a true distortion of reality if there ever was one. In some municipalities, this means that feral cat caregivers are prevented from engaging in the responsible practice of trap-neuter-return (TNR) and threatened with charges and stiff penalties by local police or animal control offers who claim the caregivers become “owners” of the feral cats once they trap them. You read that correctly. TNR reduces the spread of disease, overpopulation, territorial fights and yowling during mating, yet the flawed application of the term “abandonment” threatens to impede this life-saving practice.

That’s where the new legislation comes in. Under the proposed Senate bill, returning a feral cat to its colony after it has been spayed or neutered would no longer be considered abandonment. Animal abandonment is a Class 3 Misdemeanor in the Commonwealth, which carries a fine of $500. Not even taking the economic impact into account, such a fine levied against compassionate, proactive individuals could seriously hinder TNR participation, damaging the many thriving feral cat programs in the process. By amending the existing law, this bill would not only reaffirm Virginia’s commitment to animal welfare, but would also serve as a bulwark against many of our elected officials whose knowledge about these issues we find embarrassingly lacking.

Unfortunately, uninformed politicians are not the only group we are at odds with over Senator Deeds’ proposed legislation. The Virginia Animal Control Association has come out against the bill, a troubling decision considering the amendment is guaranteed to protect a significant percentage of Virginia’s animal population, one of VACA’s stated duties. VACA’s official code of conduct has this to say on the subject:

“The fundamental duties…include serving the community, providing protection for the public and animals, and enforcing laws in that regard.”

Sadly, none of these enumerated obligations are served by opposing this legislation. By standing in the way of TNR, VACA leaves the impression the organization would rather forgo the benefits of TNR, and instead have feral cats immediately turned over to a local animal control organization. The problem is that feral cats are not socialized to humans, and are often unadoptable. As a result, once they enter an animal control facility, it is almost certain that they will be killed.

This process serves neither the community, who has roundly embraced TNR, nor the animals, who would almost certainly rather live. It also does not serve the local governments who will have fewer willing participants working toward the non-lethal reduction of feral cat populations through TNR, and therefore, more feral cats entering government shelters where staff will be forced to take their lives.

It’s high time we stopped defining TNR caretakers the same way we define irresponsible pet owners and animal abusers. The liberal usage of “abandonment” in this context only works to muddle the meaning and make it harder to identify true offenders. By amending the existing code, we can ensure that caretakers can return feral cats to the trapping site where they will continue to provide the care and compassion these cats need, without fear of charges levied by animal control. We at the Richmond SPCA support this bill because like it or not, politicians and bureaucrats can’t tell us not to care.  

We need your help in demonstrating to the members of the Virginia Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee that this bill has strong support among Virginia voters. We expect SB 359 to come before the committee at their next meeting on Thursday, Jan. 26. Please take the time to call or email the members and voice your support for this legislation.  

Sen. Emmett Hanger, Chair (R-Mount Solon): 804-698-7524, district24@senate.virginia.gov

Sen. Dick Black (R-Leesburg): 804-698-7513, district13@senate.virginia.gov

Sen. Harry Blevins (R-Chesapeake): 804-698-7514, district14@senate.virginia.gov

Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria): 804-698-1049, district30@senate.virginia.gov

Sen. Dave Marsden (D-Burke): 804-698-1041, district37@senate.virginia.gov

Sen. Don McEachin (D-Richmond): 804-698-7509, district09@senate.virginia.gov

Sen. John Miller (D-Newport News): district01@senate.virginia.gov

Sen. Ralph Northam (D-Norfolk): district06@senate.virginia.gov

Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg): 804-698-7526, district26@senate.virginia.gov

Sen. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax): info@fairfaxsenator.com

Sen. Phil Puckett (D-Tazewell): 804-698-7538, district38@senate.virginia.gov

Sen. Frank Ruff (R-Clarksville): 804-698-7515, district15@senate.virginia.gov

Sen. Bill Stanley (R-Moneta): 804-698-7519, district19@senate.virginia.gov

Sen. Richard Stuart (R-Westmoreland): 804-698-7528, richard@stuartforsenate.com

Sen. John Watkins (R-Midlothian): 804-698-7510, district10@senate.virginia.gov  

Eric Steigleder is the community relations coordinator at the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.  

Guest blog: Animals need your help in 2012 Virginia General Assembly session

This year is gearing up to be a busy one for issues involving a variety of animals. From lions to sharks to foxes to snakes, we’ll be pushing for legislation that increases protections for the animals in Virginia who deserve our compassion. Here is a pre-legislative session update about how we hope to help animals in the 2012 Virginia General Assembly and information on how you can lend your voice at Virginia’s Humane Lobby Day on Jan. 26.

Exotic animals:

Do your neighbors have a tiger in their basement, a bear in the garage, or a Burmese python in the den? You might think it would be impossible for someone to turn their private home into a mini-menagerie, but Virginia’s lack of regulations on the private possession of certain dangerous wild animals means it’s a free-for-all in terms of keeping primates and even giant constricting and venomous snakes as pets or roadside attractions.

Frequent news stories depict exactly why it’s incredibly perilous for people to keep exotic animals in their homes. You may recall last April, when a Surry County man was attacked while he slept by a Java macaque monkey he kept as a pet. The man was hospitalized for his injuries. According to the Virginia Department of Health, “Up to 90 percent of adult macaques can be carriers of Herpes B-virus,” which has “a fatality rate of about 70 percent” in humans. The 30-pound, 7-year-old “Sammy,” as well as the man’s other macaque, were subsequently surrendered to a recognized exotic animal facility. Unlike private citizens, accredited zoos and sanctuaries can provide exotic animals with the proper care, enclosures and enrichment so that they can live safe, happy lives without endangering humans.

For the sake of animal welfare, public safety and public health, only accredited and qualified facilities should be able to house certain dangerous exotic animals.

Fox Penning:

You may have never heard of this heinous blood sport. I call it Virginia’s most shameful secret. Foxes are taken from the wild and released into an enclosure so dogs can chase them down, for people’s entertainment and competition. Judges score the dogs on various characteristics of pursuit. The bewildered foxes are inevitably terrorized and often torn apart in these rigged events. You can watch a video of this cruel competition below.

 

Multiple state investigations have shown that fox pens demand a steady supply of foxes, sometimes from illegal sources. In just three years, Virginia fox pen operators reported stocking more than 3,600 foxes—all captured from the wild and forced to run for their lives in fenced pens. 

This activity also poses a danger to other animals. In 2008 after a competition in which 800 dogs were released, a wild bear was discovered killed with hundreds of puncture wounds inflicted by the dogs. Numerous similar incidents have been reported, as the bears are attracted to the food scattered throughout the pen. Attempts at “bear proofing” facilities have not decreased bear incidents. 

This cruel “sport” should be exposed for what it is—unnecessary animal abuse—and outlawed in Virginia for good.

Shark Finning:

We don’t usually think of sharks as being afraid of people, but they should be. Every year, fins from tens of millions of sharks are used to make shark fin soup. This menu item has been a major contributor to the collapse of shark populations worldwide, including along Virginia’s coast. “Finning” is an abhorrent practice that involves slicing off the fins of a live shark and discarding the animal at sea to drown or bleed to death. Sharks have inhabited our oceans for 400 million years and scientists warn that existing shark populations cannot sustain the current slaughter rates.   A ban on the possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins in Virginia would eliminate the demand for shark fins here and end our state’s involvement in the highly destructive global shark fin trade. 

Humane Lobby Day!

I hope the critical animal protection issues above inspire you to speak up!  If so, we invite you to attend Virginia Humane Lobby Day in Richmond, and help make a real difference for animals.  This is an exciting opportunity to meet directly with your elected officials about legislation that will impact the lives of animals. There will be a briefing with tips for citizen lobbying, and an overview of pending legislation which will prepare you to advocate for policies that will curb and end egregious acts of cruelty. 

RSVP today to lend your voice for animals and make a difference in Virginia! Email ldonahue@humanesociety.org if you have additional questions.

Laura Donahue is the Virginia State Director for the Humane Society of the United States.

To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name. 

Federal animal fighting bill takes aim at spectators of the savage fights

Once again in today's editorial, the editorial staff of the Richmond Times-Dispatch shows thoughtful compassion in expressing the need for tougher dogfighting penalties and stronger enforcement while getting at the root of the issue. The ability to draw audiences with an appetite for brutality means that the criminals who operate dogfighting rings continue to find greater profits than penalties for their cruelty. 

The Humane Society of the United States’ efforts to strengthen federal laws on animal fighting on Capitol Hill have made news this week. The Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act of 2011, introduced by Representatives Tom Marino (R-Pa) and Betty Sutton (D-Ohio), would make it a crime to be a spectator at an organized animal fight and would make it an additional crime to bring a child to one of these barbaric events. Passage of H.R. 2492 would seriously strengthen existing federal law against animal fighting by providing a significant deterrent to misguided and depraved individuals who might otherwise contemplate this type of horrific cruelty.

The Richmond SPCA’s partnership with the HSUS in 2008 successfully led to the passage by Virginia’s General Assembly of one of the toughest pieces of animal fighting legislation in the country. The state law makes all forms of animal fighting crimes and attaches Class 6 felonies to those with any in a list of aggravating factors such as the use of performance enhancing drugs, the presence of minors, or the presence of gambling activity. The law also provides law enforcement professionals more effective tools to combat animal fighting. Additionally, the passage of this bill in 2008 means that it is already a crime in the commonwealth to be a spectator at an animal fight. Thanks to the joint efforts of the Richmond SPCA, the HSUS and the impassioned support of our constituencies over a period of many months, Virginia took a forceful stand against the sadism of animal fighting.

Congress needs to pass The Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act of 2011 in order to toughen existing federal law and fill the gaps that presently exist. Our communities and precious animals everywhere depend on it.

Tabitha Hanes is the director of communications, and Tamsen Kingry is the chief operating officer of the Richmond SPCA. To read their biographies or those of our other regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be  used as your screen name.  

Intense General Assembly session closes with many successes, one setback for animals

Wow- what an intense and critical session the 2011 General Assembly turned out to be! As your new Virginia state director for The Humane Society of the United States I work with local advocates like you and organizations, such as the Richmond SPCA, in strengthening animal protection legislation.

Unfortunately this year, as is not rare in this commonwealth, our time was mostly spent fighting the weakening of existing animal protection laws as opposed to advancing new protections. However Virginia has been a leader in legislation on puppy mills, animal fighting and, up until this session, had one of the best animal cruelty statutes in the country. Protecting these laws is critical.

Our success this year was because of advocates like you, who made the quick phone call or email to your Delegate or Senator and served as a voice for the animals. I know sometimes you might wonder if that call made a difference, but let me assure you that it makes ALL the difference! I can lobby my heart out, but when I walk into a representative’s office to advocate on a bill and they tell me they haven’t heard from their constituents on our issue — or worse that they’ve only heard from our opposition -- there’s little influence I can have at that point.

We were successful in maintaining protections for Virginia wildlife and companion animals; however farm animals in Virginia suffered a major setback. Below is a summary of the legislation:

Success:

• SB 868: (DEFEATED!) This bill would have allowed property owners to kill elk, bear and deer without a permit in the name of property damage. Such a “kill first, and ask questions later” policy would have been detrimental to wildlife conservation, creating a year round open season for hunting and increasing poaching.


• HB 2442 / HB 2443 / SB 850: (DEFEATED!) These bills would have repealed Virginia’s longstanding prohibitions on Sunday hunting. Wildlife watchers outnumber hunters 5 to 1, and they deserve one day a week when they can enjoy nature in peace and safety!


• HB 1556: (DEFEATED!) This bill sought to expand training of hounds to hunt bears into night hours. Bear hound hunting is illegal in 26 states and is a cruel method of hunting both for the bears and the hounds. This bill would have expanded this inhumane “sport.” See our fact sheet for more on this egregious practice.


• HB 2482: (DEFEATED!) This bill, aptly dubbed “bizarre” by the Times-Dispatch, would have allowed convicted animal abusers to continue to sell animals and would have repealed key regulations on puppy mills.


• HB 2063: (PASSED!) This bill closed a key gap in family law so that personal property (of which companion animals are included) may now be added in protective orders.  The original bill, HB 1716, was patroned by Delegate Jim Scott but was ultimately incorporated into Delegate Robert Bell’s protective order bill. Both Delegates should be commended but a special thanks goes to Delegate Scott for providing the leadership to protect the furry members of our families.

A Huge Step Backwards:

• HB1541/SB1026: The agribusiness community sold this bill to the members of our General Assembly as a bill that created new standards of care for farm animals. However, anyone who cares about animals could clearly see that “food to prevent malnourishment” and “water to prevent dehydration” were the most anemic of protections and hardly standards of care. In fact, our strong cruelty code, which protects all animals, provides stronger protections.  As can be seen in our recent investigation at a Smithfield Foods subsidiary, farm animal cruelty is rampant in certain animal husbandry practices and Virginia agribusiness should be seeking to root out cruelty, not protect it.

For more information or to receive future advocacy alerts on The HSUS’s work in Virginia please email me at ldonahue@humanesociety.org

For the animals,

Laura Donahue
Bio: http://www.humanesociety.org/about/leadership/state_directors/laura_donahue.html

To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name

Added protection for pets in domestic violence cases offered in HB 2063

Abused animals need your help again with regard to a bill before the General Assembly.

House Bill 1716 which was patroned by Delegate Scott was a very important bill that would have allowed courts in Virginia to include companion animals under the terms of protective orders. As we know from long and sad experience, abusers so often use a beloved and defenseless pet as a means of inflicting suffering on the spouse or partner who is the target of their cruelty by abusing the pet. We saw this most vividly this past year with Prince (pictured), the tiny little Yorkie who came into our care in desperate need. He was in a pet carrier that a male abuser spiked into the ground like a football repeatedly in front of his girlfriend who loved Prince. Prince suffered horrible injuries including a broken pelvis as a result. House Bill 1716 would have allowed judges to prohibit further abuse of beloved pets under the terms of protective orders protecting the victims of domestic violence.

Yesterday, we believed that House Bill 1716 had been stopped at the Criminal Subcommittee and would be passed over for the year. However, Delegate Rob Bell is rolling the substance of House Bill 1716 into his House Bill 2063. We are deeply grateful for this wonderful help and kindness. That House Bill 2063 will be before the Courts of Justice Committee of the House within the next few days.

Please call and write the members of the Courts of Justice Committee as soon as possible and tell them how important it is to you that they report out House Bill 2063 because of its inclusion of the content of House Bill 1716. It is crucial that they hear by Monday how many of us want to be sure that companion animals can now be protected under the terms of protective orders from continuing abuse. Here is the link to the information on how to contact them.

It also would be very helpful if you would call and write your own Delegate to urge him or her to vote for this bill when it comes to the floor of the House, assuming that we are successful with the Courts of Justice Committee.

I thank you and the animals thank you.

Robin Robertson Starr is the chief executive officer of the Richmond SPCA. To read her biography or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

H.B. 2482 pulled for study after massive response from animal lovers

I have wonderful news that will give every animal lover in Virginia an immense sigh of relief. Delegate Lee Ware, the patron of House Bill 2482 which threatened to destroy the ability of our state to prosecute animal abuse crimes and which would have sent helpless abused animals right back to their abusers even post conviction, has announced that he is pulling the bill. He says that he will seek a study to be done on the topics of the bill over the course of the coming year. I have no doubt that any such study, if done by professionals in animal law enforcement, will conclude that the changes to existing law that were set forth in this bill are highly inadvisable.

The response of our supporters to our requests for calls to be made and messages to be sent to Delegate Ware and to the members of the subcommittee before which the bill was to have been heard was massive. Everyone of you who took the time to let these Delegates know how deeply concerning this bill was to you is responsible for this great outcome for the welfare of the most vulnerable animals of all: those who are under the control of abusers. I cannot possibly thank you enough for all you did for them to send a crucial message to our General Assembly. Your message was loud and clear and it was heard. They heard that we want our state to be a place of compassion for animals and a place where their suffering is taken seriously and is appropriately redressed.

The breeders, puppy millers and pet stores who were promoting this dreadful bill have been outed for what they really are. They see the existing abuse and cruelty laws as a threat to their ability to do whatever they wish to the animals that they view as nothing more than a cash crop. If you want to see how crazy and self serving their arguments on this topic were, just take a look at the message board on the Richmond Sunlight website page regarding House Bill 2482. On that message board, you will also see the comments of Waldo Jaquith as he articulately and astutely stands up for the concerns that we share with him for the animals who are at the mercy of these people. Our thanks go to Waldo for his courage and tenacity in standing up to these bullies.

Our thanks also go to all of you who took the time and effort to make your feelings known about this assault on the only means we have to protect animals from those who would abuse them. You let the Delegates know that animals are not without a voice because they have ours and it is strong.

Robin Robertson Starr is the chief executive officer of the Richmond SPCA. To read her biography or that of our other bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.