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

The Monthly National Legislation Reporthttp://mnlreport.typepad.com/Page 88 of 3307/5/2010WISCONSINMadison – (1/30/10) – Deadlline nearing for dog sellers advisory committee nominations. Feb. 10 is the deadline for nominations to an advisory committee that will recommend rules tocarry out a new law regulating dog breeders and animal shelters in Wisconsin. "If you are among those who will be covered by this new law, this is your chance to have a voice in shapingthe standards that you will need to meet in order to get and keep your license," said Dr. Yvonne Bellay, the state humane veterinarian who is overseeing the rule-writing process for theDepartment of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. "You'll have the opportunity to represent and speak for a segment of the industry, rather than just your own interest. This is avitally important group for both the protection of animals and legitimate businesses." The advisory committee membership will include retail dog sellers, breeders who sell dogs eitherwholesale or retail, sporting groups, humane societies, animal control facilities and breed rescue groups. Members must be nominated by an organization involved in working with dogs.Members must be people who will be licensed under the new law, but must speak for their organization as a whole rather than their individual interests. The group will meet about once amonth from March through December. Public hearings on the proposed rules will be held in the spring of 2011, and the law will take effect June 1, 2011. To receive nomination materials, call608-224-4872 or email DATCPanimals@wi.gov The department's Division of Animal Health received the regulatory authority under a law passed and signed late last year. The 12-memberadvisory committee will recommend provisions for administrative rules that will actually put the law into practice, including standards of care for dogs and facility standards. The new lawrequires licensing and inspection for breeders, retailers, shelters and pounds that sell or transfer at least 25 dogs a year. Breeders are exempt if they sell dogs from three or fewer litters in ayear. The law also requires that puppies be at least 7 weeks old and certified by a veterinarian before sale. The rules are to set standards for housing, feeding, watering and exercise for thedogs in these facilities. License fees range from $125 to $1,000 a year, depending on the type of operation.Monroe County - Zoning Committee - proposed exotic animal ordinance to regulate wolf-dog hybridsOmro – (2/2/10) – Omro looks for clarity on dog rules. The issue of whether dogs on leashes should be allowed in Omro parks is unclear in the minds of city residents and officials alike.Both groups are expected to gain a little clarity during a discussion of the topic at the Omro Common Council meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the lower level of City Hall, 205 S. Webster Ave.The matter came to the council about a year ago and then "bounced back and forth" between the council and the parks committee without any clear understanding of what is permissible.The current ordinance, which was never amended, allows dogs only in certain designated areas such as boat mooring sites, where dog owners are allowed to transport their pets from theirvehicles to their boats. Tuesday's agenda item is for a discussion and final decision regarding an amendment to the local ordinance.LEGISLATION IN OTHER COUNTRIES OF INTERESTAUSTRALIA(1/30/10) – Calls for uniform laws on pit bulls. POTENTIALLY dangerous pit-bull terriers are continuing to exist in Queensland because of inconsistent laws across the state. Crossbreedpit-bull terriers are banned on the Gold Coast, but permitted on the Sunshine Coast where an 84-year-old grandmother was mauled by two suspected pit-bull crosses yesterday. Thestate's peak animal protection agency, the RSPCA, said the State Government needed to review laws on the dogs – and the identification of their cross-breeds – to make regulations uniform. Itcalled for an overhaul of regulations for the breed, which it says is not inherently dangerous. The state has these model laws, but quite often councils adopt their own version of them," RSPCACEO Mark Townend said. "If you move to Logan, move to Brisbane or to the Redlands, they all have different laws. No wonder people get confused." But Mr Townend said the breed should not bebanned entirely. He said the Government should focus on ensuring proper breeders.(1/31/10) – Pet Owners Face Soaring Vet Bills. PET owners are being hit with dramatically different vet bills for the same procedures. And some pet owners claim they were chargedmore than triple the usual cost for after-hours emergency surgery in the absence of any pricing regulation of the unregulated vet industry. Veterinarians say climbing fees are theprice of technological advancements, putting pet care almost on par with human care for the first time. But owners fear the rising trend of pet specialist referrals is leading to unreasonablefees. Veterinary costs are unregulated and no price guides are available. Pet owners must rely on shopping around.Inquiries by The Sunday Mail have found desexing an adult female cat can cost from $144 to $235, depending on the veterinary surgery. Desexing a male dog can range from $157 to $330.Vaccinating an adult female cat can cost from $54 to $87 and microchipping from $42 to $69.Jimboomba dog breeder Helma Dressler said her records showed caesarean costs had tripled in a decade. Costs for a caesarean can vary from $660 at Warwick to $1500 in Brisbane and $900 at RedbankPlains, according to breeders. But Australian Veterinary Association national president Dr Mark Lawrie said while vet fees had risen "dramatically" in the past decade, competition laws made price regulation orissuing price schedules dangerous. He attributed rising costs to advancements such as the rise in MRIs, CAT scans and chemotherapy for animals. "There have been a lot more services available, such as 24-hour clinics that are very well-equipped and cost a lot of money to run," he said.Animal specialists now exist for dozens of conditions, with vet surgeries able to refer pet owners to specialists in cancer, dermatology, internal medicine, diagnostic imaging and a range of other fields.At the Australian Animal Cancer Foundation facility in Albany Creek, north of Brisbane, pet owners pay an average $2500 to $3000 to have cats and dogs treated for cancer by Dr Rod Straw. Some pet ownershave spent six-figure sums on cancer treatment at the facility. One owner spent almost $100,000 on vet bills over six years to save two 12-year-old pet boxers from cancer. Government subsidies might havecurbed the cost of human medical advances, but pet owners have been left struggling to foot spiralling vet bills. Some pet owners said they were shocked by bills of more than $4000 for after-hours surgery.Deception Bay dog breeder Debbie Creagh was hit with a $4400 bill for an emergency after-hours caesarean on her labrador retriever Brooke this month after the 20-month-old swallowed a dogtoy.Among the cost was a $50 fee for a surgical dog gown. Mrs Creagh said she paid for an emergency caesarean for another dog months earlier costing $2200, but has paid as littleas $600 for the same procedure during normal consultation hours. Another pet owner was shocked at a $954 animal emergency centre bill to save a cat with a blocked bladder.Sunshine Coast pensioner Ralph Huddy spent close to $7000 to have specialists fix cruciate ligament problems in his cattle dog's hind legs.CANADA(1/27/10) - Liberal MP calls for terror investigation of PETA. A Liberal MP thinks the federal government should investigate a U.S.-based animal rights group under Canada’s antiterrorismlaws after a pie was pushed into the face of Fisheries Minister Gail Shea. Gerry Byrne’s outrage follows an incident Monday in which Shea was hit in the face with a tofu cream pieas she was about to deliver a speech in Burlington, Ont. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has taken responsibility for the incident, saying it was part of a campaign “to stopthe government’s ill-advised sanction of the slaughter of seals.” In interviews Tuesday, Byrne called on the federal government to actually investigate whether PETA is acting as a terroristorganization. “There has to be a review whether or not PETA has crossed the line now by attacking a federal minister of the Crown for the purpose of public intimidation of an office-holder,”Bryne told CBC News. PETA dismissed Byrne’s criticism on Tuesday. “Mr. Byrne’s reactIon is a silly, chest-beating exercise,” president Ingrid Newkirk said in an email to The CanadianPress. “It is unlikely to impress anyone who has a heart for animals or who is bright enough to spot the difference between a bomb and a tofu cream pie.” Meanwhile, in an Ontario court, thewoman responsible for the pie incident was ordered to stay out of Canada except for her next court appearance. Emily McCoy, 37, of New York City was taken into custody and charged withassault with a weapon after the incident in Burlington. McCoy was granted bail on Tuesday. She’ll be back in court Feb. 24. There is a publication ban on evidence from the hearing, asrequested by McCoy’s lawyer. After the tofu cream pie was pushed into the minister’s face, a woman started shouting as she was led away by officials. Malpeque Liberal MP Wayne Easterdescribed the protester’s actions as “outrageous.” He said it would have been a much different outcome if it had been an American public official being assaulted by a Canadian protester.“They constantly misinform the public on the seal hunt,” he said. “And they do these types of things to keep the issue alive and to raise money for themselves.” Shea, who represents the