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More info re Hayden Law (CA animals) **PLEASE CROSS-POST/FORWARD ASAP!** > > In his effort to solve the budget crisis, California Governor > Schwarznegger has taken a hatchet to years of laws enacted to protect > abused and abandoned animals. The result is the "behind closed doors" > repeal of the Hayden bill and other pieces of humane legislation, > passed through the years. Whether an act of omission or commission, > the result will be a return to the horrible pre-1998 status quo for > California animal shelters if you don't act TODAY. > > The two most disturbing elements of the Governor's budget are the > return of the animal holding period to only 72 hours for all animals > (stray and relinquished) and the elimination of the requirement that > shelters seek veterinary care for animals at the shelter. > > Among the other policies that will be repealed if the current budget > is adopted: > *The requirement that people convicted of cruelty to animals to pay > for the costs of the animals' care while the issue of guilt is being > determined. > *The requirement that as a condition of probation, people convicted of > animal cruelty can be prevented from owning animals for three years. > *The law that made it a duty for shelters to use all currently > acceptable methods of identification – including microchips – to > determine the lawful owner of any seized or impounded animals. > *The State's policy preference for adoption instead of killing > animals. > *The requirement that shelters allow qualified animal adoption/rescue > groups to take responsibility for animals if they pay the required > fee. > *The requirement that shelters give owner-relinquished animals a > chance to be adopted. > > The extent of the repeal caught everyone by surprise. We have only one > last chance to have these draconian measures removed from the budget. > The budget conference committee meets one final time... this weekend. > They must be convinced to revisit the inclusion of the Hayden > legislation as part of the budget or at least to only suspend the > fiscal provisions of the Hayden legislation until the budget crisis > has passed. > > Years of your work and the countless hours of hundreds of volunteers > can be erased THIS WEEKEND if this repeal is allowed to occur. > > Listed below is contact information for the legislators who will be > meeting this weekend to approve the proposed budget. Please contact > them as many times as you are able before 5pm Friday, June 25th. > > THE FATE OF MILLIONS OF ANIMALS ARE RELYING ON YOUR ACTION. SEND AN > EMAIL, SEND A FAX AND MAKE A CALL. Tell them NOT TO REPEAL THE HAYDEN > LAW! > > QUESTIONS? Contact Rich Mc Lellan, Animal Legislative Action Network, > alan1@ix.netcom.com OR Jennifer Fearing, United Animal Nations, > jfearing@uan.org > > Conference Committee Members > > Chesbro, Wes (D) - Chair > (916) 445-3375 tel > senator.chesbro@sen.ca.gov email > (916) 445-3375 fax > > Dede Alpert (D) > (916) 445-3952 tel > senator.alpert@sen.ca.gov email > (916) 327-2188 fax > > Ross Johnson (R) > (916) 445-4961 tel > *doesn’t use e-mail > (949) 833-0696 fax > > Darrell Steinberg (D) > (916) 319-2009 tel > assemblymember.steinberg@assembly.ca.gov email > (916) 319-2109 fax > > Judy Chu (D) > (916) 319-2049 tel > *doesn’t use e-mail > (916) 319-2149 fax > > Rick Keene (R) > (916) 319-2003 tel > assemblymember.keene@assembly.ca.gov email > (916) 319-2103 fax > > > Senate Budget Committee Staff > Keely Martin Bosler > Consultant > (916) 445-5202 tel > keely.bosler@sen.ca.gov email > (916) 323-8386 fax > > > Assembly Budget Committee Staff > Kasey Schimke > Consultant > (916) 319-2099 tel > kasey.schimke@asm.ca.gov email > (916) 319-2199
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