Pet Supplies - MyPetOutlet - Your complete pet supplies store online for dogs, cats, small pet animals and every aspect of your pets life. Huge warehouse selection of dog supplies and cat supplies including wholesale dog toys and cat toys. Quality wholesale pet supply at discount prices, My Pet Outlet.
Counter
THE CALIFORNIA PET EXTINCTION ACT - AB 1634.
--- BY TINA M. PERRIGUEY

As this issue of USA Magazine heads to press, USA members and all responsible dog owners/breeders in
California are facing "the fight of our lives" to defeat the draconian anti-dog/cat legislation AB 1634,
sponsored by Democrat Lloyd Levine. This Forced Sterilization bill requires all dogs and cats in California
to be spayed/neutered by the age of four months, with unclear and uncertain “exemptions” almost all of
which are impossible to qualify for. The clear and present danger of this legislation has served as a wake-
up call .  Qualifying for an “intact permit” is an uncertainty, and local Animal Control in each jurisdiction of
the state gets to decide whether you qualify, AND how much they get to charge for these “intact permits.”  
Keep in mind, the larger the fees and the fines, and the more effective the enforcement - the more money
they will have for their salaries, benefits, trucks, buildings, etc...  You do the math. This bill is a winning
lottery ticket for Animal Control Departments.  There is NO CAP on intact permit fees.  The bill specifies a
$500 fine and possible criminal penalties for noncompliance.  The only way to avoid further fines/penalties
is to prove to Animal Control that you have sterilized your dog.

Go to www.SaveOurDogs.net for a comprehensive view of  AB 1634, and the movement to defeat this bill.  
It is a terrifying thought, but if, God forbid, this draconian legislation is enacted into law, California will
soon join Louisville, Kentucky under the designation of “Disaster Area of Dog Legislation.”

For those who think it will be possible to “fly under the radar” and avoid compliance with mandatory
spay/neuter legislation - not only here in California, but throughout the nation - I have three words for you:  
Pet Data,  Incorporated.  

[(FROM THE PETDATA WEBSITE: (www.PetData.com)
“Reports:  PetData prepares a monthly report of animals licensed detailed by species, STERILIZATION
STATUS,  cost and vendor. We can also furnish additional statistical reports as requested. Depending on
the information requested, PetData can provide most reports in two to five business days.”)]

PetData Inc., a private corporation in Irving, Texas, collects information on law-abiding dog/cat owners.
They say they have already databanked information on 2 million residents across the nation.

If you live in a community that has outsourced animal licensing functions to PetData, your vet has already
forwarded  your personal information, and detailed description of your dogs/cats, INCLUDING
“STERILIZATION STATUS”  to PetData Incorporated.  .

Each veterinary client’s name, address, contact information, and the client’s dog's/cat’s veterinary
information goes into for-profit PetData Inc.'s privately-owned, privately-controlled database.

This information is then available to the client’s local Animal Control Department, provided via monthly
reports.

PetData has no corporate privacy policy.

PetData proudly advertises its membership in the “animal rights” activist group - Humane Society of the
United States (HSUS), and the Pet Data, Inc. website reads like a propaganda poster for mandatory
spay/neuter.

Sport fans, it’s never been more clear that yes, Big Brother IS watching you. It’s time to get serious about
taking back our freedoms.

Please see my interview with Bill Hemby of PetPAC, and go to www.PetPAC.net and www.SaveOurDogs.net,
for details on our fight to defeat AB 1634, and the campaign to protect the rights of responsible dog
owners.

----Tina M. Perriguey
USA Magazine Anti-dog Legislation Section Editor
Interview with Bill Hemby, PetPAC Campaign Director, on AB 1634,  the California
Forced Sterilization Bill.

Interviewer’s Note:  USA members Douglas Surber and Laura Sanborn are mentioned throughout this article.  
Douglas is a National-level USA competitor,and his wife Laura is an accomplished Search and Rescue
trainer/handler.  Douglas and Laura are leaders of the AB 1634 Opposition movement, and their website, www.
SaveOurDogs.net has set the gold standard in this movement.  

It is an axiom in politics that "WHERE CALIFORNIA GOES, THE NATION FOLLOWS."  This interview is not about
anti-dog legislation in one state.  It is about ALL of us.

William "Bill" Hemby has served as the Legislative Advocate of the California Organization of Police and
Sheriffs (COPS) for 23 years.  Bill was influential in founding COPS in 1975.

                                                ---Tina M. Perriguey

TMP:   Bill, please tell our readers how you were recruited to the fight to defeat AB 1634, and  all  anti-dog
legislation across the nation.

BH: Well first of all, I jumped into this fray back in the early 1990’s, when there was an attempt at the state
legislature to pass a piece of anti-dog legislation that was a Breed-specific law.  For many years now, there
has been a legislative attack against breeds such as the Pit Bulls, Dobermans and German Shepherd Dogs,
because they are perceived to be aggressive.  And this was the first attempt by the legislature to pass a
statewide ban against certain breeds.

My colleagues and I formed an organization called OurDogs, the responsible dog owners of the Golden
State.  And we were able to talk to the author of the bill and convince him that  was the wrong tack to take. So
what we did, was we changed the whole concept of that bill, from a breed-specific bill to what we called a
vicious dog law.  And that set up conditions that were very favorable to breed advocates, you know --
numbers of litters you could have, and penal processes, while at the same time punishing those people who
play the macho game of wanting fighting dogs, and their dog is the biggest, toughest dog on the block.”  It
gave the tools to law enforcement to go after those kind of people, who give the rest of us a bad name, but it
preserved the rights of dog ownership in our state.

As the Legislative Director for COPS/ California Organization of Police and Sheriffs, I’ve been instrumental in
successfully enacting many important bills, including the Peace Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act, Jessica’
s Law (which strengthens law enforcement against pedophiles),  bills which protect stalking victims,
insurance for police officers. Examples of dog-specific bills I was involved in include passage of the bill that
makes attacking a K9 dog a felony in California. I was also influential in defeating a bill which would have
made lure coursing illegal in California.

My partners and I have been involved in successful political campaigns for decades, and have a thorough
understanding of how the State Capitol works.

Having knowledge of my background, Laura Sanborn suggested it would be useful to bring me into the
campaign to defeat AB 1634.

This led to the formation of PetPAC.

PetPAC is a 501(c)4 tax-exempt organization. Because it is not a political action committee, there is no limit on
donations to PetPAC. Because donations will be used for lobbying purposes, 501(c) 3  tax-exempt
organizations should consult with their accountant or lawyer about the tax implications of a donation to
PetPAC.

Eventually, when the time is  right, PetPAC will open a separate political action committee for the purposes of
making contributions to candidates for office. PetPAC will NEVER use donations from 501 (c)3 organizations
to make contributions to candidates for public office or other political expenditures.

TMP:  Please describe PetPAC’s  strategy to defeat AB 1634.

BH:  There are several aspects to this.  For the immediate future, we are focusing on organizing and
mobilizing the grassroots movement. Laura and Douglas of www.SaveOurDogs.net  and many other groups
have done a fabulous job of increasing awareness and education about the threat of AB 1634, and we all owe
them a lot of gratitude. There are many people who are motivated  and aware of the danger they are facing
from AB 1634, and the multitude of other anti-dog/cat bills out there. PetPAC will provide resources and
information to organize and channel this passion and drive so it can be most effective in actually influencing
the political process.

This strategy involves organizing Campaign Directors to take small groups of people with them to visit
legislators in their District and Capitol offices, and helping prepare them so that these visits will have
maximum effectiveness.

Obviously, political influence is key in this fight. The first thing a politician starts thinking about, the day they
get elected, is how they are going to get reelected.  My partners and I have extensive connections and
knowledge in this arena, and we are bringing all of this to play, along with the grassroots movement which
has been so impressive and powerful in this fight.

TMP:  We are playing "catch-up" in terms of fundraising.  The "animal rights" activist movement - those who
are out to destroy us - notably PETA and HSUS -  are decades ahead of us, and have hundreds of millions of
dollars they are using in their efforts to eliminate us. Please discuss this issue.

BH:  You know Tina, it’s true that money is key in waging this battle. It may sound cynical, but money is an
important part of the political process, and there’s no denying it.  This is one reason that PETA and HSUS
groups have been so effective in enacting all of these ridiculous, draconian bills all over the country. They
have the money to buy media time and coverage, influence political campaigns, and use advertising
techniques to mislead the public.  Fortunately,  the PetPAC Team knows how to play this game well, but we do
need serious financial support to overcome the enormous resources of those who are out to take away the
freedoms of responsible dog and cat owners.

Since we are seriously outgunned financially by the “animal rights” (AR) activist groups, it is critical that all
money raised is put to good use where it will be most effective. AB 1634 is our major battle, once we defeat
this bill, we will  be able to assist other organizations that are working toward the same goals, both here in
California and in other states where pet owners rights are threatened. There is no doubt that a continued
effort with our political and media campaign will be necessary. We need to take this game on offense. The
true “good guys” in this fight have been playing defense for decades, and witness the disastrous results.

So we’re putting together a game plan for the future.  Next year is an election year, and in California, we have
over nine million dog and  cat owners. That’s the base we are going after, to use their strength in numbers,
working with PetPAC, to protect their rights to decide which of their dogs and cats should be spayed or
neutered. It’s not up to government intrusion to decide that, and it’s the job of PetPAC to help make the
legislators understand that, as  a fundamental right, and also to make these legislators aware that  their
political future is tied into how they vote on these anti-pet legislation bills.

TMP:   As you and I are well aware,  the AR groups such as PETA and HSUS have a "divide and conquer"
strategy.  I have been watching this for years now, and it reminds me of brush fires - legislation "popping up"
in local and  state jurisdictions all over the country.  

How does PetPAC propose to address this geographic strategy of our enemy,  which has been so highly
effective in taking away our freedoms?

BH: We will set the agenda. We are going out with a campaign to take back the message and  the language. It’
s no longer going to be “dog breeders” which they have managed to turn into a dirty word,  as if breeders
also implies “greedy and uncaring”- we will  transform this language/reference to “dog advocates”, it’s not
going to be “spay/neuter”, it’ s going to be “mutilation/castration” - and I’ll tell you right now,  as a man, the
word “castration” resonates with men.

So we have to capture the dialogue, we have to come out with truthful statistics.  How do you address the
“pet overpopulation”?  You don’t - there is no pet overpopulation - there are less dogs and cats in our
shelters than there were thirty years ago. The human  population in our state has increased dramatically in
that time, while the shelter populations have decreased, due to education/training/awareness programs.  If
there was truly such a shelter “overpopulation problem”, then shelters wouldn’t be importing dogs from
foreign countries and selling them to the public.

We also need to keep activated with our members, to encourage them to go out and not only give money, but
if a shelter needs five or ten beds, then our people should supply them, and the public needs to know about
the fact that the breed advocates are doing this good work. As you and I know, it’s the breeders/breed
advocate groups that actually do most of  the rescues. We need to push for “No Kill” shelters, which have a
great success history.  We need to push  these programs and provide support for their implementation,
nationwide.  

(Interviewer Note:  great articles on this available on www.SaveOurDogs.net)

BH:  We also need to make the shelters liable for their reporting  processes.  There are over ten thousand
puppies being smuggled into California from Mexico and shipped from other foreign countries as well. Many
of these puppies have communicable diseases which will kill them, and these puppies are brought into
shelters which increase their population statistics, and yet they will sell  them for a profit. Often puppies are
brought into  one  shelter, and shipped to another, which increases “population statistics” of multiple
shelters, and is completely misleading, but provide excellent propaganda for the “AR groups”.

We need to push for legislation that requires accurate reporting of their statistics:  for instance, is this an
animal that is brought in because it has terminal cancer, is this the first, second or third time this dog has
been brought into the shelter, is it brought in and left because of “owner conditions”:  owner health
hospitalization/death, severe illness, move, etc... accurate breed reporting - we all know that not everything
is a German Shepherd mix, although you might wonder if you look at some of these reports...  so we need to
demand accurate reporting which will reflect the truth and not their agenda.


PetPAC’s awareness campaign is designed to educate the public AND the legislators, so they will finally begin
to understand that “the breeders” are truly the “guys in the white hats”, we’re the good guys, and we will
inform  everyone, through our media/public relations/ political campaigns, the true,  time-proven  methods to
decrease shelter intakes/euthanasia rates - and that mandatory spay /neuter is NOT the answer - in fact,
historically, it has had the opposite results,  when you carefully examine accurate statistics.

TMP:  Bill, as you know, AB 1634 is opposed by the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs, North
American Police Work  Dog Association,  the Western States Police Canine Association, United State Police
Canine Association, and the Canine Specialized Search Team.

Please talk about the law enforcement aspect of this fight.

BH:  Law enforcement is against this bill, partially because we are at a time in our state when law
enforcement is seeking to greatly expand their K9 units, because they are so effective in defusing threats,
not to mention cost-effective...  I know almost every night when I was on patrol,  in San Francisco, there was
a burglary call for a large factory or warehouse. Without K9 dogs,  four or five police officers would have to
go into that building and go searching for a suspect. This could take hours, at  great threat to these officers.
Now, as it has been for years, since we’ve had the K9 Units, they send in a K9 dog, and it takes that dog less
than a half hour to an hour - ONE dog could go “clear that building” or capture the suspect on his own.

TMP:  And just to clarify for the readers, you worked Hunters Point and the Potrero District, which are, to this
day, the most dangerous districts in San Francisco - notorious for their high level of violent crime/homicides.

BH:  Right, I was involved in several gun battles... I remember one night, we were surrounded by twenty to
thirty young adults, and they didn’t care that I had a gun, I was seriously outnumbered.  I put out an all-points
bulletin, and you could hear the sirens come screaming up, and these young men still weren’t backing down.
The first unit that showed up was a K9 unit, and as soon as they saw the K9 car and heard that dog barking,  
they were gone.  These criminal element types,  they know there is no way they can reason with a police dog,
and so they  are afraid of them. That night, that K9 dog saved my life. Believe me, I have a fond affection for
police dogs, and Schutzhund people, who breed and train these dogs for us.  And I figure, I owe a big debt to
these dogs and all K9 Units. The ability for one K9 dog to defuse a dangerous situation is unparalleled, and
let me tell  you,as a retired police officer, I know they have saved me more than once.

TMP:  Bill, I think that’s a good note to end on.  Thank you so much for your time, and all you and the PetPAC
Team are doing to fight to preserve our freedoms as responsible dog owners. I’m sure the USA Organization
will provide a wonderful support base for our efforts, and I hope this interview helps.

Please go to www.PetPAC.net for details on how to help this powerful team fight for our freedoms.

Contact Tina@PetPAC.net (email address), PetPAC Finance Coordinator - ` to become a member of the
PetPAC Finance Council.

Tina M. Perriguey
Finance Coordinator, PetPAC
(530) 305-8499
Tina@PetPAC.net (Email Address as of 5/26/07)
AllianceDogSport@aol.com
Message from Tina M.
Perriguey, Finance
Coordinator, PetPAC:

Please feel free to contact me
immediately for details on
becoming a PetPAC Finance
Council Team Leader.  I look
forward to working with you, and
the powerful Team of PetPAC, to
defeat AB 1634.

Yours sincerely,

Tina M. Perriguey
Finance Coordinator, PetPAC
(530) 305-8499
Tina@PetPAC.net (Email Address
as of 5/26/07)
AllianceDogSport@aol.com



TO:  NO ON AB 1634 FRIENDS        
FROM: BILL HEMBY, CAMPAIGN
DIRECTOR
DATE: MAY 23, 2007
RE:  CAMPAIGN ACTION PLAN ALERT


Beginning immediately, PetPAC
needs your help with the NO on AB
1634 Campaign Action Plan.  Here
is the latest update.

1. www.PetPAC.net:  Our new state
of the art website will be launched
soon featuring many interactive
features to help us defeat AB
1634.  www.PetPAC.net  will allow
users to contact their legislators,
write letters to the editor,
download flyers, make
contributions and many other
great features to help us stay
connected as a community.    

2. Direct Action:  We are seeking
Local Campaign Coordinators in
every Assembly and Senate
District in California.  Please sign
up as a Local Campaign
Coordinator.  Contact Barry Wyatt
(916) 484-7947 Barry@PetPac.net

3. Fundraising:  The PetPAC
Finance Council is seeking new
members (individuals and groups)
to join in the effort to defeat AB
1634.  Our goal is to raise the
funds necessary to fight the multi-
million dollar misleading campaign
being waged against us.  Without
your help with our fundraising
efforts we will not be able to afford
to get our message out.  Finance
Council Members will receive
special briefings from our
professional Campaign Team.  Don’
t miss out on this exciting
opportunity.  Contact Tina
Perriguey (530) 305-8499
Tina@PetPAC.net

YOUR EFFORTS WILL MAKE THE
DIFFERENCE IN THIS CAMPAIGN.  
THANK YOU.
PLEASE HELP US FIGHT
TO SAVE OUR DOGS
AGAINST
AB1634
please donate to
CLICK TO DONATE TO
PETPAC

Letter written by
professor of veterinary
medicine, UC Davis
against AB1634

To President Ron Faoro and the
California Veterinary Medical
Association
(CVMA) Board of Governors:

Dear Dr. Faoro and CVMA
Governors:

I hope that CVMA will learn
something from the mess you have
created by
writing and sponsoring AB 1634. The
leadership of your organization which,
supposedly, represents the interests
of all veterinarians, helped to write a
controversial bill in secret, without
any input from rank and file CVMA
membership, or any broad
consultation with the animal lovers
and their
organizations that would be
adversely impacted by the bill. The
bill
proposes to deprive more than half
of the citizens of California of what
they have come to believe, and have
every right to believe, is a basic civil
and constitutional right: that every
citizen has the right to decide if they
want to spay or neuter their animals
and, if so, when they would like to do
it. CVMA has jeopardized the
reputation of the entire veterinary
profession,
by supporting a piece of legislation
which has enraged millions of animal
owners and promises to enrich one
segment of the veterinary profession.
Now
that the legislation you have helped
to create has been high-jacked by
some
of the most extreme elements in
society, CVMA remains absolutely
silent,
aloof from the problems and
concerns of "the huddled masses"
and, seemingly,
powerless or fearful to try to "fix"
anything. Meanwhile, thousands of
rank-and-file veterinarians and
animal lovers are being forced to  
become
involved in things that we hate doing:
writing letters to politicians,
rallying support from breed
organizations, meeting with our
elected
representatives and attending
legislative hearings. I am attaching
two of
the letters I have written, as they
provide examples of the problems
with
the piece of legislation of which you
are so proud.

The tragedy of this whole fiasco is
that "it is all for naught". The
evidence from past experiences with
Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws is that
they
make the problems worse, rather
than better. As an example, I have
copied
(see below) some statistics from the
web site of Save our
Dogs.www.saveourdogs.net/populatio
n.html There are plenty of other
studies out
there that have come to the same
conclusion. You should have
researched this
whole issue more thoroughly, before
you put the collective heads of the
veterinary profession "on the
chopping block".

Sincerely,

Charles A. Hjerpe, DVM
former CVMA member and
emeritus professor of veterinary
medicine, UC Davis
WE WON THE BATTLE!!
THANKS TO EVERYONE
WHO HELPED US BEAT
THIS BILL!!