Page 1 of 330 The Monthly National Legislation Report 7/5/2010 ...

The Monthly National Legislation Reporthttp://mnlreport.typepad.com/Page 118 of 3307/5/2010said a tail-docking ban would apply to all breeds and include working dogs. Some committee members, however, argued that many working dogs would damage their tails as a result of anyban. The department said it would consider the results of a scientific study in Britain on tail-docking before introducing the new legislation. A tail docking-ban has been introduced in Scotland,while in England and Wales it has left to vets to judge whether puppies being offered for tail-docking were suitable candidates. The proposed ban in Northern Ireland would include making itan offence to take a dog across the border for tail-docking.(10/8/09) - A ten-fold increase in the cost of a dog licence from £5 to £50 could lead to a rise in the number of abandoned dogs, Ian Paisley Jnr has said. The DUP MLA said sincethe planned increase was revealed he had been "inundated" by calls from dog owners. Mr Paisley said more dogs could be abandoned if owners were "unwilling or unable to meet thesecharges". "Furthermore, we strongly believe that there should be special measures for senior citizens," he said. The proposals go out to consultation next month and June 2010 is the targetdate for their introduction. The new Dog Control Order would also force owners to microchip their pets at a cost of £20-£30. For the first time there would be an offence involving dog on dogattacks and will have to be kept on leads in public places. Mr Paisley, who is the chair of the Stormont Agriculture Committee, said he had been lobbied by members of dog walking groups,who believe the new laws would actually have "a detrimental impact not only on dog owner responsibilities, but also on those people who would find themselves unable to pay these newlicensing charges". He said there were parts of the laws he would support, which deal with the safety of the public and dog owners themselves, especially against aggressive dogs.Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew said that the current fee was simply too low. "It is widely acknowledged as being too low, it doesn't send out a signal of responsible dog ownership andit doesn't give councils the resources they need to properly control any dog related issues," she said. She said they have suggested exemptions for elderly people, those on low incomes anddiscounts for neutered animals. Ms Gildernew added that for some elderly people in isolated areas a dog was a "necessity" and helped guard them. "This, for me, is about tackling the peoplewho have dogs who use them as a method of control and who have dogs that are maybe intimidating people in a housing estate or an area and trying to ensure responsible dog ownership,"she said. There is no dog licensing scheme in the rest of the UK and in the Republic a license costs 12 euros.NEW ZEALANDManawatu – (10/23/09) - Local Government Minister Rodney Hide announced a review of the Dog Control Act last week. However, Mr Hide, a proponent of more freedom for responsibledog owners said that a review of the Act is not a priority and is still a couple of years away. Spokesperson for Local Government New Zealand Dianne Hale said that dog laws are highlyemotive for many people. "Protecting the public from dangerous dogs should be at the forefront of a review of the Dog Control Act," she said. "It's the irresponsible owners that raise theirdogs to be aggressive, and don't take the necessary steps to protect the public that can give all dogs owners a bad name." Mr Hide said that everything across the board will be looked at,such as whether micro-chipping works, banning dangerous breeds and even licensing owners. "There is potential merit in investigating targeted licensing of owners who have committedoffences under the Act or high-risk offenders that are not being dealt with through the Courts," said Mrs Hale. There is still criticism of the micro-chipping legislation which has proved avaluable tool in reuniting dogs with their owners, however questions remain as to it's effectiveness in protecting the public from dangerous dogs. Local Government New Zealand welcomednews of the review and is looking forward to considering its role in any decision making.RUSSIAIvanov - (10/21/09) - Moves to ban animal cruelty in RussiaHundreds of animals are being forced to perform death-defying stunts at packed circuses in Russia, where there are no laws to ban animal cruelty. The Zapashny Brothers' Circus in Ivanov,is located near Moscow, where the lions and tigers are the main attraction and thousands flock to see them. Circuses like this attract huge crowds, in contrast with Europe where theintroduction of animal welfare laws has outlawed shows in most countries. In Russia, there are over 300 animals performing in circuses and there is little or no opposition to it. The few inRussia who oppose the use of animals in entertainment have a tough quest. VITA is a Moscow based animal welfare charity. Its president, Irina Novozhilova, said 'People's conscience is notat the level where they see circuses as cruel. 'To the contrary, there is a belief here in Russia that children need to be taken to circus so they are taught how to love animals. 'But circusescannot teach you anything. Children are seeing slaves, not animals.' An average of 20,000 people a week attend the circus we visited. As long as the audiences keep coming, the animals willkeep performing.Siberia – (10/18/09) - Tiger success story turns bleak: poachers decimating great cats in Siberia Jeremy Hance, mongabay.comThere were two bright spots in tiger conservation, India and Russia, but both have dimmed recently. Last year India announced that a new survey found only 1,411 tigers, instead of theprevious estimation of 3,508, and now Russian tigers may be suffering a similar decline. The Siberian Tiger Monitoring Program—a collaboration between the Wildlife Conservation Society(WCS) and several Russia government organizations—has found evidence that after a decade of stability the Amur tiger's (popularly known as the Siberian Tiger in the west) population maybe falling. This year's annual survey, which covers only a portion of tiger habitat in Russia, found only 56 adult tigers: a forty percent decrease from the average of 95 tigers. While the causeof this year's decline may be weather-related, researchers fear something far more insidious is going on. Amur tigers are poached for the lucrative black market in tiger parts, including tigerskins, meat, and other body parts for use in traditional Chinese medicines, even though the effectiveness of these medicines has never been proven. Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) arethe largest tiger subspecies, making it the largest cat in the world. From 1995 to 2005 the Amur tiger population had remained steady while most other subpopulations suffered declines. In2005 the last survey of the whole Amur tiger population found 428-502 tigers. This has made Siberian tiger conservation a cause for celebration—until now. Three subspecies of tiger alreadyvanished in the 20th Century: the Javan, the Balinese, and the Caspian tiger.TAIWANTaipei – (10/19/09) - The Taipei City government plans to enact laws to protect household pets by requiring ample living space and proper food, a newspaper said on Monday. The TaipeiMunicipal Institute for Animal Health is drafting the bill on raising pets, which would become effective if passed by the Taipei City Council. The bill, based on a similar bill adopted in Japan,would set specific requirements for raising pets and outline penalties for violations. It would set rules on raising pets, such as outlining enough living space and proper food and drink for pets,the daily said. "The regulations will start with rules on raising dogs and cats, and later be expanded to other pets," Yen Yi-feng, director of the institute, was quoted as saying. "We will inviteconservation experts, veterinarians and scholars to design rules like how much time a dog owner should spend walking the dog, and what is the proper food and drink for the pet," he said.The institute also plans to print a guide for pet owners to teach them how to raise pets, he added. However, some Taipei residents fear that if the regulations are too strict, some pet ownersmight abandon their pets. Taipei pet owners have registered some 129,000 dogs and cats with the animal health institute, accounting for 82 per cent of the dogs and cats in Taipei City.However, there are tens of thousands of stray dogs and cats on Taipei streets, most of which were purchased as pets but were abandoned when they grew old or became ill.United Arab Emirates (UAE)Dubai - (10/8/09) - Dog owners who allow their animals to wander in prohibited areas such as shopping malls and beaches will be fined up to Dh500 (US$136), the municipality warnedyesterday. Fines will also be handed out to owners of dogs that are not wearing collars and masks, officials said as they extended a campaign to educate people about local pet laws.Hashem al Awadhi, the head of the veterinary services section, said pet owners were required to register and vaccinate their animals against common diseases, and carry health certificatesand vaccination records. He also said owners should purchase animals and birds only from places certified by the municipality.Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)October 05, 2009SEPTEMBER, 2009IN THE NEWS09/30/2009Hunting in the CrosshairsChris LawrenceCharleston, WVa.It would appear no matter where you look these days, the tradition of hunting that is so dear to so many of us here in West Virginia, is under a full frontal assault.The U.S. Senate has confirmed the nomination of Cass Sunstein to be the new White House "Regulatory Czar." Sunstein is known for his radical views on animal rights. He's previously proclaimed thatanimals should have the right to file lawsuits against human beings. He's also on the record as adamantly opposed to any and all forms of hunting.Although West Virginia is a strong hunting state, Senator Jay Rockefeller was with the majority in voting to confirm Sunstein's nomination. Rockefeller is even a member of the Congressional Sportsman'sCaucus. The CSC is a coalition of supposedly hunting friendly lawmakers who hang together when hunting is under assault. Rockefeller wasn't the only CSC member to bail on this one.Senator Byrd meanwhile was absent from the Sunstein vote.