[RDOWS]

Animal Law Alert: Arizona State
Re: Mandatory Spay/Neuter

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME AND MAKE THE CALL! The future of your dogs depends on it! The "highlights" include mandatory spay/neuter of the only allowed
unaltered female allowed per residence except by unspecified standards that will be similar to the Los Angeles County and Sacramento County ordinances, one litter per year only based on commercial breeder standards, specific duties of care, reduced limits for small animals and requirements for keeping small animals and livestock and more. The proposal was developed by the Animal
Advisory Commission, hand-picked by the Director not including any fanciers who applied. Like last year's San Francisco Mayor's Working Group, the term "best practices" has been slapped on this proposal to legitimize unusual and most extreme provisions found in other jurisdictions."

HB 2516 will:
Prohibit a person from owning or keeping a dog or cat that is more than six months old if the animal has not been spayed or neutered, unless the person qualifies for and purchases an intact permit.


Points to Consider:

Mandatory spay/neuter is an ineffective solution to animal control problems because it fails to address the heart of the issue—irresponsible ownership. Mandatory spay/neuter laws are extremely difficult to enforce and can be evaded by irresponsible animal owners by not licensing their pets. More regulations increase the workload of already financially strained animal control offices, making it even more difficult for them to perform their duties.

Spay/neuter requirements target all owners regardless of their actions and would restrict the many responsible breeders who raise and breed purebred dogs for their enjoyment of the sport. These breeders make a serious commitment to their animals, not to make a profit, but instead with the intention of promoting the sport of purebred dogs and improving the individual breeds.
Strongly enforced animal control laws (such as leash laws), and increased public education efforts are better ways to address the issue of irresponsible dog ownership. A public education campaign would help teach community residents about how to properly care for their pets, as well as the need to be a responsible pet owner.


Please write or call the following House of Representatives as it is THEY who will vote on any proposal.

Arizona State Senate
Capitol Complex
1700 West Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007-2890
Info Desk
(602) 926-3559
Fax
(602) 926-3429
Toll Free:
1-800-352-8404

Tucson Office
400 West Congress St.
Suite 201
Tucson, AZ 85701
Senate Info Desk
(520) 398-6000
House Info Desk
(520) 398-6000
Fax
(520) 398-6028
Toll Free:
1-800-352-8404

Arizona House of Representatives
Capitol Complex
1700 West Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007-2890
Info Desk
(602) 926-4221
Toll Free:
1-800-352-8404

Name
District
Party
Email
Room
Phone (602)
Fax (602)
Ed Ableser
17
D
eableser@azleg.gov
331
926-4118
417-3164
Kirk Adams
19
R
kadams@azleg.gov
113
926-5495
417-3019
Manuel V. Alvarez
25
D
malvarez@azleg.gov
129
926-5895
417-3025
Mark Anderson
18
R
manderson@azleg.gov
313
926-4467
417-3018
Ray Barnes
7
R
rbarnes@azleg.gov
110
926-5503
417-3107
Nancy K. Barto
7
R
nbarto@azleg.gov
310
926-5766
417-3011
Andy Biggs
22
R
abiggs@azleg.gov
312
926-4371
417-3022
Tom Boone
Majority Leader
4
R
tboone@azleg.gov
206
926-3297
417-3004
David Bradley
28
D
dbradley@azleg.gov
337
926-3300
417-3028
Jack A. Brown
Assistant Minority Leader
5
D
jbrown@azleg.gov
316
926-4129
417-3010
Judy M. Burges
4
R
jburges@azleg.gov
342
926-5861
417-3104
Jennifer J. Burns
25
R
jburns@azleg.gov
111
926-5836
417-3125
Olivia Cajero Bedford
27
D
ocajerobedford@azleg.gov
338
926-5835
417-3027
Chad Campbell
14
D
chcampbell@azleg.gov
121
926-3026
417-3037
Cloves C. Campbell, Jr.
16
D
clcampbell@azleg.gov
124
926-3042
417-3117
Tom Chabin
2
D
tchabin@azleg.gov
322
926-5160
417-3002
Doug Clark
6
R
dclark@azleg.gov
115
926-3018
417-3006
Rich Crandall
19
R
rcrandall@azleg.gov
118
926-3020
417-3119
Sam Crump
6
R
scrump@azleg.gov
117
926-3014
417-3048
Mark DeSimone
11
D
mdesimone@azleg.gov
123
926-3037
417-3111
Adam Driggs
11
R
adriggs@azleg.gov
116
926-3016
417-3007
Steve Farley
28
D
sfarley@azleg.gov
119
926-3022
417-3128
Eddie Farnsworth
22
R
efarnsworth@azleg.gov
222
926-5735
417-3122
Steve M. Gallardo
Minority Whip
13
D
sgallardo@azleg.gov
321
926-3392
417-3013
Martha Garcia
13
D
mgarcia@azleg.gov
126
926-5830
417-3113
Trish Groe
3
R
tgroe@azleg.gov
309
926-5408
417-3103
Pete Hershberger
26
R
phershberger@azleg.gov
112
926-5839
417-3026
John Kavanagh
8
R
jkavanagh@azleg.gov
307
926-5170
417-3108
Ann Kirkpatrick
2
D
Vacated seat on 7/24/2007



Bill Konopnicki
5
R
bkonopnicki@azleg.gov
219
926-5409
417-3105
Phil Lopes
Minority Leader
27
D
plopes@azleg.gov
320
926-3278
417-3127
Linda Lopez
29
D
llopez@azleg.gov
125
926-4089
417-3029
David Lujan
15
D
dlujan@azleg.gov
332
926-5829
417-3115
Lucy Mason
1
R
lmason@azleg.gov
304
926-5874
417-3001
Marian McClure
30
R
mmcclure@azleg.gov
306
926-3312
417-3130
John McComish
Majority Whip
20
R
jmccomish@azleg.gov
217
926-5898
417-3020
Barbara McGuire
23
D
bmcguire@azleg.gov
325
926-3012
417-3123
Nancy McLain
3
R
nmclain@azleg.gov
344
926-5051
417-3003
Robert Meza
14
D
rmeza@azleg.gov
339
926-3425
417-3114
Ben R. Miranda
16
D
bmiranda@azleg.gov
323
926-4893
417-3116
Rick Murphy
9
R
rmurphy@azleg.gov
345
926-3255
417-3009
John B. Nelson
12
R
jnelson@azleg.gov
223
926-5872
417-3112
Warde V. Nichols
21
R
wnichols@azleg.gov
130
926-5168
417-3021
Lynne Pancrazi
24
D
lpancrazi@azleg.gov
324
926-3004
417-3179
Jonathan Paton
30
R
jpaton@azleg.gov
341
926-3235
417-3030
Russell K. Pearce
18
R
rpearce@azleg.gov
114
926-5760
417-3118
Tom Prezelski
29
D
tprezelski@azleg.gov
330
926-3424
417-3129
Michele Reagan
8
R
mreagan@azleg.gov
220
926-5828
417-3008
Pete Rios
23
D
prios@azleg.gov
334
926-5761
417-3023
Bob Robson
Speaker Pro Tempore
20
R
brobson@azleg.gov
218
926-5549
417-3120
Lena S. Saradnik
26
D
Vacated seat on 1/7/2008



David Schapira
17
D
dschapira@azleg.gov
122
926-3028
417-3038
Kyrsten Sinema
15
D
ksinema@azleg.gov
333
926-5058
417-3015
Bob Stump
9
R
bstump@azleg.gov
303
926-5413
417-3109
Jackie Thrasher
10
D
jthrasher@azleg.gov
120
926-3024
417-3110
Andrew M. Tobin
1
R
atobin@azleg.gov
308
926-5172
417-3085
Albert Tom
2
D
atom@azleg.gov
335
926-5862
417-3102
Theresa Ulmer
24
D
tulmer@azleg.gov
318
926-3002
417-3124
Jim Weiers
Speaker of the House
10
R
jweiers@azleg.gov
221
926-4173
417-3153
Jerry Weiers
12
R
jpweiers@azleg.gov
131
926-5894
417-3012
Steven B. Yarbrough
21
R
syarbrough@azleg.gov
302
926-5863
417-3121
Nancy Young Wright
26
D
nyoungwright@azleg.gov
329
926-3398
417-3126


Points to Consider:

Mandatory spay/neuter is an ineffective solution to animal control problems because it fails to address the heart of the issue—irresponsible ownership. Mandatory spay/neuter laws are extremely difficult to enforce and can be evaded by irresponsible animal owners by not licensing their pets. More regulations increase the workload of already financially strained animal control offices, making it even more difficult for them to perform their duties.

Spay/neuter requirements target all owners regardless of their actions and would restrict the many responsible breeders who raise and breed purebred dogs for their enjoyment of the sport. These breeders make a serious commitment to their animals, not to make a profit, but instead with the intention of promoting the sport of purebred dogs and improving the individual breeds.
Strongly enforced animal control laws (such as leash laws), and increased public education efforts are better ways to address the issue of irresponsible dog ownership. A public education campaign would help teach community residents about how to properly care for their pets, as well as the need to be a responsible pet owner.


Opposition to a Mandatory Spay/Neuter Ordinance:

* MS/N is unenforceable.

* MS/N doesn't address our animal problems in low income areas.

* MS/N targets responsible pet owners instead of irresponsible pet owners.

* MS/N is unenforceable without door-to-door enforcement which is costly.

* MS/N is not acceptable -- even with exemptions for any reason.

* MS/N means genocide with every dog (male and female) altered.

* MS/N is an Animal Rights Agenda to end all use, breeding and ownership of animals.

* MS/N is a "pet" issue, not a breeder issue.