After an all-too-short celebration the following statement comes
from Sen. Santorum on the Senate floor:
"As chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee
on Research, Nutrition and General Legislation, which has
jurisdiction over PAWS, I intend to convene a hearing and mark-up of
PAWS shortly after the August recess to make technical corrections,
and to clarify some of the bill's language to better reflect our
intentions as set forth in this statement."
It appears we've been sucker punched. Senator Santorum will chair
a hearing for the Agriculture Committee/Subcommittee and he's calling the shots,
including the invitations list.
He's calling in AKC, HSUS, Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. and perhaps a few
other hand picked buddies. When the two panels are comprised of
Animal Interest and Animal Welfare Groups, you might wonder where
that will lead.
The answer is pretty obvious; when
like-minded people convene to further an agenda with which they
concur, and that agenda is something you are opposed to, well, it
pays to pay attention.
Where is NAIA on this? We're checking. Nothing on their website
on this yet. As an AKC Board Member, Patty Strand should be among
the first to know of Santorum's committee hearing. The
Cat Registries are already mobilizing on this news and are proving a
force to be reckoned with as is Bob Kane's SAOVA, the California
Federation Of Dog Clubs (CFODC)
We'll keep you informed but in the meantime, go back to the fax
machine and follow with a stamped letter. Forget the phone calls,
you won't get through. Don't waste time with emails, they are either
blocked or read as a block and responded to that way. We'll publish
more of the ridiculous and downright insulting responses people have
received. Even hand-written letters, the most effective of all,
short of a certified, return receipt that someone has to sign for,
are "answered" as though they were in SUPPORT of PAWS! How
insulting!
Use the DPCA Tool, easy email to every Member Senate Agriculture
Committee. The Doberman Club Of America has been a strong
leader in the fight against PAWS, providing easy-to-understand legal
opinion, general information, and guidance that has made an impact
against what we were told was "unstoppable" legislation. We are
indebted to the DPCA.
According to our Washington, D. C. insiders, the Pet Animal Welfare
Statute of 2005 (PAWS), S. 1139, is scheduled for a hearing before
the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry's
Subcommittee on Research, Nutrition and General Health. Senator
Santorum, the prime sponsor of PAWS, is the Chair of this
Subcommittee. The hearing is scheduled for 2:00 PM on Wednesday,
November 9.
If you have not yet used the DPCA LobbyNow Tool to send your
customized e-mail message to every member of the U.S. Senate
Agriculture Committee expressing your opposition to PAWS, please do
so now.
If you have already done so, thank you. Do not try to do so again,
however, as you can only send your message one time.
Non-DPCA members should use the following URL to send their
messages:
http://dpca.lobbynow.com/issues?PAWS/senate/agcommittee
As circumstances warrant, I will keep you informed.
Cordially,
Jeff Helsdon
Legislative Director
Doberman Pinscher Club of America
PAWS INFORMATION