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At
this time there is no foolproof, failsafe, easy way to find
out what's going on everywhere in the country. We hope one of
the national organizations with paid staff eventually will establish
a database with every proposed and passed pet law in the country
included.
Unfortunately, those of us seriously fighting AR laws are volunteers
with other lives, jobs, pets, and commitments. A database of
that kind would require a fulltime commitment to only that
job. In the meantime, there are a few websites that might
help. Please let us know of any other sites that are kept
current on bills and laws. We'll add them either here or to
our Links page.
After
you check the following sites, join the Pet-Law list if you
haven't already and then your state's
pet law list. If your state does not have an open list,
consider starting one. An "invitation only" list or
announce-only isn't enough -- you need a place for all interested
parties to discuss and ask questions. Open lists are where
education takes place. There is no way to educate the pet-owning
public about animal rights without discussion.
Your
own state's pet law site
In
some states, excellent sites are maintained by state federations
of dog breeders and owners or other groups interested in protecting
owners' rights. We list all that we know about on our State
Lists page. If you know of others, please let us know.
Your
own state's legislative site
These
addresses change, so do a Google
search. Enter "legislature" and the name of your state.
(Example: "legislature Virginia") Look for results
with US and your state's abbreviation in the address. Virginia's
is at http://legis.state.va.us/
Search both bills and laws for mentions of "dog,"
"cat," "pet," "companion animal"
and anything else you can think of that applies. You might be
surprised at what you find.To search for local laws, look for
websites for your county and city. For instance, Roanoke, Virginia,
is at http://www.roanokegov.com.
To find laws, you can search the site or click on City Code
from the home page. Don't forget to check your county and any
neighborhood zoning ordinances too.
Important: Email state, city, and county officials and ask to
be notified of any changes in laws regarding pets. But even
if you do this, keep an eye on the sites and the newspapers.
You may or may not actually be alerted.
Ironically,
this is a PETA site touting their successes at stopping breeding.
They do a much better job than we do at keeping up with what's
going on around the country. Start here to find out what laws
are already in effect in your state.
Did
you know that in New York City and St. Louis, MO, if your
pet is picked up by animal control, the shelter or pound may
sterilize that animal before returning it to you...with or
without your consent? In Baltimore, if your pet is impounded,
it will be microchipped; on the second impoundment, it will
be spayed or neutered at your expense. Did you know it's illegal
to breed at all -- no exceptions -- in Denver, CO, and in
Long Beach, CA? Did you know in Camden, NJ, you'll need a
$100 a year license to keep an unaltered pet over the age
of six months?
The
National Animal Interest Alliance Trust has a good "current
news" feature with its action alerts. The site depends
on pet owners and breeders to stay up to date. When you find
out about a bill or proposed ordinance, go to their Let
Us Know link and submit the information. Right now this
site is probably the best pro-ownership forces have. Support
it!
Please
let us know of any other sites that are kept current on bills
and laws. We'll add them either here, the State
Lists page, or the Links page
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