PIJAC Poised for Growth - Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council

PIJAC Poised for Growth
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Bd-Free ‘Phibs campaign, the Practice Safe
RHEX campaign, and the National Reptile
Improvement Plan through grants and special
contributions.
JDG Associates has been retained to conduct
an executive search for the President.
The search committee includes PIJAC’s
Executive Committee - Elwyn Segrest
(Segrest Farms), Frank Koch (Natural Balance),
Ruth Jeffers (JeffersPet – represent-
recent years have seen an increasing number
of efforts to include provisions in the
Farm Bill that have the potential for impacting
the pet trade, usually not in a favorable
way. PIJAC has generally been successful
in quashing these initiatives, and that was
the case again with this year’s Farm Bill (the
Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008).
Two amendments threatening separate segments
of the pet trade were tacked onto the
Senate version of the bill. The first barred
puppy imports and the second could have
shut down much of the reptile trade.
The ban on puppy imports was only a
part of a larger bill that had been initiated in
the last Congress (Pet Animal Welfare Act),
against which PIJAC testified before a Senate
subcommittee. In bringing these proposals
back again, Senator Richard Durbin
(D-IL) chose the Farm Bill as a vehicle,
rather than seeking passage in stand-alone
legislation. PIJAC was involved in negotiations
on the proposal prior to its submission
and, while opposing the import ban
as a matter of principle, was particularly
concerned about the impact it would have
on the state of Hawaii, which imports the
majority of the puppies pet stores sell there.
Of various provisions coming out of the
PAWS process that were sought by Senator
Durbin, including a mechanism for thirdparty
inspections under the Animal Welfare
Act, only the import restrictions survived.
Because puppies are generally not imported
for pet store sale in the United States,
the practical implication of this restriction
was limited. The exception, however, is in
Hawaii which, because it is a rabies-free
state, is barred by law from bringing pup-
ing WWPIA), and Jeff Sutherland (Central
Pet) – as well as Joel Adamson (Seargent’s
– representing APPMA), Roger Lambert
(Lambriar), Jim Heim (Central Garden and
Pet), and Bill Brant (Gourmet Rodent).
In a letter to PIJAC’s membership
announcing the launch of the search, Mr.
Segrest noted, “PIJAC has kept us all in
business for almost 40 years. The new
PIJAC will continue this and grow, as
our industry needs. Your Board is implementing
a plan to carry PIJAC forward for
PIJAC successfully Protects Pet Industry from
farm Bill Amendments
pies in from anywhere in the continental
United States.
As a result, Hawaii pet stores are compelled
to import their puppies from other jurisdictions
that are also certified as rabies-free. A
general ban against imports of puppies under
6 months of age (which is what the Durbin
amendment provides) would have virtually
shut down the sale of pet store puppies in the
state, even thought the ostensible purpose of
the amendment isn’t even served by Hawaii
imports. As a result of PIJAC’s extensive negotiations
with Senator Durbin, as well as intensive
lobbying of members of Congress, an
exemption for Hawaii imports was developed
and inserted into the bill. This exemption survived
the conference committee, and the ban
in the final bill does not apply to the “lawful
importation of a dog into the state of Hawaii
from the British Isles, Australia, Guam, or
New Zealand in compliance with the applicable
regulations of the State of Hawaii and
the other requirements of this section.”
Another Farm Bill initiative, intended to
facilitate a repeal of the ban on selling turtles
under 4 inches in carapace length, was crafted
in such a way that it would likely have
brought about a prohibition on the sale of
myriad reptile species while doing nothing to
legalize turtle sales. This amendment, mandating
a determination as to the “prevalence
of salmonella in each species of reptile and
amphibian sold legally as a pet in the United
States” would have had the effect of creating
a ban on countless species. Indeed, had the
measure passed in the final version of the
Farm Bill, the Food and Drug Administration
may have been required by law to ban the
sale of virtually every pet reptile species in
another 40 years. And the first, critical
step is to put a person in place to lead the
charge into PIJAC’s next era while respecting
PIJAC’s rich history.”
Announcements were also sent to members
of the trade press, partner associations,
and were posted on PIJAC’s website.
Please visit www.pijac.org to read the
press release and position announcement.
Updates regarding the progress of the
search will be posted on PIJAC’s website as
information becomes available.n
the country. PIJAC was successful in having
this amendment stricken from the conference
report, and it was not part of the final version
of the bill passed by Congress.
Because of his opposition to certain provisions
of the Farm Bill, President Bush vetoed
that legislation. But with majorities of 316 to
108 in the House of Representatives and 82
to 13 in the Senate, that veto was easily overridden
and the measure enacted into law. n
Meyers Testifies
on the Nonnative
Wildlife Invasion
Prevention Act
Del. Madeleine Z. Borallo (D-Guam)
introduced the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion
Prevention Act (H.R. 6311) in the U.S.
House of Representatives on June 19. The
bill as it’s written has major implications for
the pet industry.
The bill calls for creating approved
(“clean list”) and prohibited (“black list”)
lists of non-native species, which has the
potential to shut down any industry dealing
with non-native species. It also sets the
stage for more legislation aimed at limiting
the trade of non-native species. With
the likely addition of amendments, PIJAC
anticipates there will be additional meetings
and hearings surrounding this complex
issue. This debate will continue into the
next session of Congress.
PIJAC’s Executive Vice President/General
Counsel Marshall Meyers testified on
behalf of the pet industry at a hearing of
the House Natural Resources Committee,
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and
Oceans. The only other witnesses repre-
2 PetLetter/Summer 2008