AR-News: (US-CA) Help Ban Ear Cropping of Dogs in California

[Pam at AVAR]

Help Ban Ear Cropping in California: Support SB 1548

The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR) has been working 
with a California senator to enact a ban on ear cropping in dogs in 
California. Last year, AVAR approached Senator Liz Figueroa, Chair of the 
Senate Business and Professions Committee, about carrying a bill to ban the 
practice. Instead of carrying a separate bill to specifically ban ear 
cropping in dogs, the senator thought it might be easier to accomplish our 
goal by incorporating a ban into a funding bill (SB 1548) for the 
California Veterinary Medical Board (presumably because there would be less 
opposition).  As part of that agency's funding, the board would be required 
to enforce the ban.

SB 1548 (Figueroa) makes it a misdemeanor for any person to crop the ears 
of a dog or to procure the cropping of a dog's ears, unless for therapeutic 
purposes. If passed into law, this would be the first ear cropping ban 
implemented in the United States. Ear cropping is already banned in many 
European countries, such as Austria, Germany and the United Kingdom.

The California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) agreed to not oppose 
the bill because of its placement in the Penal Code, thereby making the law 
apply to everyone instead of just to veterinarians. AVAR hired a 
professional polling firm, Zogby International, to survey CVMA's members to 
see where they stand on the practice. The results reflected support for the 
ban.

Now you can help ban dog ear cropping in California. Points to be made 
include the fact that the sole purpose of these unnecessary and traumatic 
surgeries is to alter the appearances of dogs for cosmetic reasons. 
Veterinarians' primary responsibility should be the welfare of their 
patients, rather than the aesthetic preferences of guardians. (NOTE: The 
American Kennel Club is vigorously opposing this legislation.)

Please write a polite support letter for SB 1548, specifically mentioning 
your support for the ear cropping ban, to the following committee members 
by August 1. Also, please write a support letter to Governor Arnold 
Schwarzenegger. All legislators and the governor can be reached at c/o 
State Capitol Building, Sacramento, CA 95814. They can also be faxed or 
emailed via the contact information listed below. (NOTE: Please be sure to 
include your full name and address when sending support letters in any 
format, including email, or they will not be counted. Some assemblymembers' 
emails are not available.)

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Fax: (916) 445-4633
Email: <mailto:governor at governor.ca.gov>governor at governor.ca.gov

Assembly Appropriations Committee Members

Assemblymember Judy Chu, Chair
Fax: (916) 319-2149

Assemblymember Sharon Runner, Vice Chair
Fax: (916) 319-2136
<mailto:Assemblywoman.Runner at assembly.ca.gov>Assemblywoman.Runner at assembly.ca.gov

Assemblymember Lynn Daucher
Fax: (916) 319-2172
<mailto:Assemblymember.Daucher at assembly.ca.gov>Assemblymember.Daucher at assembly.ca.gov

Assemblymember Ray Haynes
Fax: (916) 319-2166
<mailto:Assemblymember.haynes at assembly.ca.gov>Assemblymember.haynes at assembly.ca.gov

Assemblymember Rick Keene
Fax: (916) 319-2103
<mailto:Assemblymember.keene at assembly.ca.gov>Assemblymember.keene at assembly.ca.gov

Assemblymember Patricia Bates
Fax: (916) 319-2173

Assemblymember Lou Correa
Fax: (916) 319-2169
<mailto:Assemblymember.Correa at assembly.ca.gov>Assemblymember.Correa at assembly.ca.gov

Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg
Fax: (916) 319-2145
<mailto:Assemblymember.Goldberg at assembly.ca.gov>Assemblymember.Goldberg at assembly.ca.gov

Assemblymember Gloria Negrete McLeod
Fax: (916) 319-2161
<mailto:Assemblymember.Goldberg at assembly.ca.gov>Assemblymember.Goldberg at assembly.ca.gov

Assemblymember Fran Pavley
Fax: (916) 319-2141
<mailto:Assemblymember.Pavley at assembly.ca.gov>Assemblymember.Pavley at assembly.ca.gov

Assemblymember Mark Leno
Fax: (916) 319-2113
<mailto:Assemblymember.leno at assembly.ca.gov>Assemblymember.leno at assembly.ca.gov

Assemblymember Mark Ridley-Thomas
Fax: (916) 319-2148
<mailto:Assemblymember.ridley-thomas at assembly.ca.gov>Assemblymember.ridley-thomas at assembly.ca.gov

Assemblymember Ronald S. Calderon
Fax: (916) 319-2158
<mailto:Assemblymember.ron.calderon at assembly.ca.gov>Assemblymember.ron.calderon at assembly.ca.gov

Assemblymember Patty Berg
Fax: (916) 319-2101

Assemblymember Patricia Wiggins
Fax: (916) 319-2107
<mailto:Patricia.Wiggins at asm.ca.gov>Patricia.Wiggins at asm.ca.gov

Assemblymember Herb J. Wesson
Fax: (916) 319-2147
<mailto:Assemblymember.Wesson at assembly.ca.gov>Assemblymember.Wesson at assembly.ca.gov

Assemblymember Jenny Oropeza
Fax: (916) 319-2155
<mailto:Assemblymember.Oropeza at assembly.ca.gov>Assemblymember.Oropeza at assembly.ca.gov

Assemblymember Marco Antonio Firebaugh
Fax: (916) 319-2150
<mailto:Assemblymember.Firebaugh at assembly.ca.gov>Assemblymember.Firebaugh at assembly.ca.gov

Assemblymember Leland Yee
Fax: (916) 319-2112
<mailto:Assemblymember.yee at assembly.ca.gov>Assemblymember.yee at assembly.ca.gov

Assemblymember Joe Nation
Fax: (916) 319-2106
<mailto:Joe.Nation at asm.ca.gov>Joe.Nation at asm.ca.gov

Assemblymember Ellen M. Corbett
Fax: (916) 319-2118
<mailto:Assemblymember.Corbett at assembly.ca.gov>Assemblymember.Corbett at assembly.ca.gov

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Pam Runquist
Director of Companion Animal Issues
Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights
PO Box 208
Davis, CA 95617-0208
Tel: (530) 759-8106
pam at avar.org

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