In Europe a ban has been passed to stop the trade of dog and cat fur.  I can’t imagine who would even want a dog or cat fur coat. I didn’t realize in Europe this type of trade even existed, or that there were already laws in other countries banning such a thing.

The man who has campaigned for the ban for nine years, Conservative MEP Struan Stevenson, welcomed a move he said would save the lives of millions of animals slaughtered every year in Asia - mostly in China - to serve a European market.

But he warned it was now up to importers and retailers to stay vigilant against a “vile” trade in which cats and dogs are rounded up and often skinned alive.

Heather Mills collected over 250,000 signatures to help get the ban passed. Hollywood celebrities, at the urging of the director of Sex And The City, wrote to the European Commission supporting a ban.

The resulting law prohibits all EU imports and exports, or any trade in cat and dog fur, in the 27 EU countries from the start of 2009, although five EU countries have already unilaterally banned the trade - Italy, Denmark, France, Belgium and Greece.

There is already similar legislation in the US and Australia, but China continues trading dog and cat fur to a thriving market in Russia.

* Photo courtesy The Press Association.

This is an article coming from Bernalillo County, New Mexico about a rather controversial topic. It’s about a potential ban of the sale of dogs and cats from pet stores, to be discussed on Dec. 9 at the board-of-county-commissioners meeting.

Although the proposed ordinance does not currently ban cat and dog sales, the ban could be added as a floor amendment prior to the consideration of the proposed ordinance.

The proposed animal-control ordinance sets forth adequate food and space requirements, among other things, for pet shops, groomers, kennels, breeder sites and shelters.

The commissioners first broached a potential ban, which would also include a ban on sales of cats and dogs coming from “puppy mills” or “kitten mills,” at their meeting last month.

As you can probably guess, the county has received many phone calls for and against the ban. The city of of Albuquerque, located in Bernalillo County, already has this ordinance in place. Interesting, I never knew such an ordinance existed.

The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council is adamantly against the ban, obviously they have a vested interest in it not passing. Give me a bark and let me know what you think about a possible ban, good or bad idea ?

* The cutie above is Stormy and  her kitty friend.

Great news coming from Massachusetts, on November 4th a ban was passed on dog racing. A huge victory considering in 2000 a similar ban was defeated.

The Massachusetts ban on dog racing has been a long time coming-in 2000, a similar ballot measure was narrowly defeated, and attempts to get the question included on the 2006 ballot were unsuccessful.

With the ban’s passage this week (57 percent to 43 percent), commercial dog racing will be phased out in Massachusetts by 2010. There are two dog tracks in the state-each of which is believed to currently house about 1,000 greyhounds.

Because the phase-out will occur over a period of 14 months, greyhound advocacy groups such as Grey2K USA are confident that they will be able to find homes for any racing dogs who become available for adoption.

This is fantastic news, it’s about time.  It once again goes to show that as dog lovers we need to stand together and make our voice heard.  We will not be ignored, the people have spoken. Thanks Dogsters!

Regulations. Some are good, others are bad.

According to our dog Bo, regulations of the bad variety include: limits on begging, constraints on the size of exercise yards and full bans on sleeping on the bed during hot summer nights.

Bo’s list of good regulations include: keeping poison out of dog food, requiring humans to look out for our well being and the rubbing of exposed bellies at least once a day.

So I read with interest about the new Animal Welfare Act from our friends in the UK.

Failing to notice your dog is getting fat, feeding it at the table and chocolate treats are all animal cruelty that could end up putting someone in jail under new government guidelines.

Chocolate, raisins or grapes are “poisonous” for pets, according to the code, while a dog should not be disturbed when eating as this can cause “food-related aggression”.

It also recommends that dogs should not be fed at the table as this can lead to begging - and that “curious” animals such as cats should be kept away from windows or tumble dryers.

Once again I turned to Bo for his thoughts, after all, this law does effect canines . “I thought this Act was for animal welfare? I agree about not being disturbed while dining on a nice slab of beef, but explain how keeping treats from me, and making me step on a scale every day, is going to help my self esteem?

And what’s the deal about not being fed at a table? What, were these regulations written in the 14th century?”

The new codes of practice for owners of dogs, cats and horses, just released for consultation, are part of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to prevent cruelty. The guidance says that breaching the three codes will not in itself be a crime, but it could prove to be the deciding factor in whether an individual is found guilty in court of a pet welfare offense - which carries a maximum jail sentence of six months or a fine of up to £20,000.

The code of practice for dogs advises against taking a dog for a walk during the hottest part of the day or feeding it less than an hour before vigorous exercise in order to avoid “bloating”. Owners should groom dogs with long hair at least once a day and all dogs should have teeth cleaned with dog chews or canine toothpaste as part of routine care.

Training dogs should be done through “positive reinforcement” rather than punishment that can lead to behavioral problems in the future. Owners can spot signs of stress such as barking excessively, urinating indoors or yawning when not tired.

A spokesman said:”A new washing machine or pot plant comes with instructions, currently most pets do not. We think the new codes of practice will improve animal welfare and prevent animal suffering through education.”

Being dog lovers we all want the same thing, a well-loved happy dog.  While this law was written with good intent, it goes over the line into absurdity.

Oddly, Bo did come with instructions. They read, “Please feed, walk and cuddle often. It is natural for these acts of kindness to be returned in kind.”

In Portland, Oregon a woman was traveling on a bus when her service dog was attacked and killed by a larger dog.

A big dog killed a small dog standing at its owner’s feet on a TriMet bus Sunday afternoon, an agency spokeswoman said Monday.

The smaller animal, a Pomeranian, was a service dog and therefore authorized to travel on the bus. The larger one, a mix between a Rottweiler and a Shar-Pei, was not. Its owner was subsequently barred from riding TriMet buses and trains for 30 days.

I want to thank Dogster member Victoria for bringing this story to my attention.  She contacted me to help get the word out that currently there are no federal laws that make it a crime to kill or injure a service dog.

I am horrified by this story, but hope that it might spur the government to create hefty fines and jail time for injuring or killing a service dog, or allowing your dog to do so. These dogs are our lifelines, and need to be protected.

* The gorgeous girl above is Dogster member Angel Precious, an angel since October 11, 2008.

On Wednesday, the day we’ve been waiting for finally happened.

Pennsylvania House Bill 2525 was passed by the Senate.

The Senate and the House on Wednesday approved a bill that gives most commercial kennel owners an additional three years to comply with an array of new regulations to make their kennels more humane. The bill also gives the state agriculture secretary the power to extend that waiver even longer.

But even with provisions that supporters said water down the legislation, it still was an advancement for animal welfare in Pennsylvania, they declared.

”This is the day that we eliminate” Pennsylvania’s reputation ”as the puppy mill capital of the East,” said Rep. James Casorio, D-Westmoreland, the prime sponsor. ”The mistreatment of thousands and thousands and thousands of dogs kept in deplorable and inhumane [conditions]  will no longer stand.”

The bill has been changed from the original, but at least this is a beginning, you have to start somewhere.

Hopefully,  what Pennsylvania has begun will force every state to take a look at their laws, or lack of, so that humane treatment of dogs in puppy mills will be the norm rather than the exception.

A kennel in Emmaus (PA) will have its license revoked after an inspection by The Department of Agriculture cited the owner for severe sanitation issues.

Derbe Eckhart, the owner of Almost Heaven Kennel, will be cited for violating the state’s dog law and will have to sell or transfer enough dogs to no longer be considered a kennel. Any kennel housing more than 25 dogs is required to be licensed and inspected.

“Mr. Eckhart allowed conditions at his kennel to deteriorate into a deplorable state,” said Jessie Smith, special deputy secretary for dog law enforcement. “While we continue investigating his operations, we are taking this action to protect the health and welfare of the animals there.”

Thanks to House Bill 2525, recently passed by the House making progress in the Senate, if passed it will strengthen the current dog laws concerning commercial breeding kennels.

“Raising the minimum standards for commercial breeding kennels and requiring annual veterinary checks will benefit all dogs in these types of settings,” said Smith. “Current law does not require that dogs ever receive routine medical care and as a result, many go without.

H.B. 2525 would require veterinary examinations for each dog twice per year. It would also double the minimum floor space for dogs, eliminates wire flooring, and requires access to an exercise area twice the size of the dog’s primary enclosure. Current law does not require dogs ever be taken out of cages, much less given access to exercise areas.

I realize this is only a start,  but at least we’re beginning to see some change.  You can visit DogLawAction, to learn more about Pennsylvania’s Dog Law proposed legislation.

In California you better not be caught driving and talking on your cell phone, unless wearing a headset.

But you can still take Rover for a ride on your lap and go cruising. Lapdogs are legal, big and small.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a proposal to fine drivers with animals on their laps. The governor says he only wants to sign the highest-priority bills, and this isn’t one of them.

I wouldn’t think one would need a law to tell them not to let their 150 lb.  Newfoundland sit on their lap while driving. Or any dog, because it really is dangerous for both dog and owner. However, I wouldn’t think there needs to be a sticker on a hair dryer telling people not to use in the shower, but there is.

Come to think of it, how about the  “do not use orally” warning on a toilet bowl cleaning brush, or the  sticker on the  iron box reminding us “not to iron clothes while wearing them.”  Of timely importance, since Halloween is fast approaching,  a Superman Costume with a label reminding everyone  “this garment does not enable you to fly.”

Hmmm…..maybe there is a reason for laws, even ones that appear rather frivolous.

As I was perusing the news this morning I came upon an update on this case which took place in 2001.  This incident garnered national headlines due to the details of the case.

The case involved Marjorie Knoller, who was accused of doing practically nothing while her dogs fatally mauled a neighbor in their apartment hallway.

The Knoller’s had custody of two Presa Canario dogs, which were owned by inmates at Pelican Bay State Prison.

On the day of the attack, Knoller took the larger dog, Bane, for a walk on the roof of the apartment building and returned to the sixth-floor corridor when the dog bolted away from her and attacked Whipple as she was about to enter her apartment. Bane’s 100-pound mate, Hera, charged out of Knoller’s apartment and may have joined the attack.

The prosecution claimed Knoller had not bothered to put a muzzle on her aggressive 140-pound Presa Canario dog before taking it out of the apartment. She did not call for help, retrieve a weapon or dial 911 while the animal was mauling Diane Whipple for at least 10 minutes.

She later blamed the victim for her own death, denying any culpability.

A jury in Los Angeles, where the trial was moved because of extensive publicity in the Bay Area, convicted Knoller of second-degree murder in 2002 and found Noel guilty of involuntary manslaughter for leaving the dogs with his wife while knowing she couldn’t control them.

The premise of the prosecutor’s case was these dogs were lethal weapons and that Marjorie Knoller is therefore guilty of murder, not involuntary manslaughter.

Judge James Warren of San Francisco Superior Court, who presided over the trial, reduced Knoller’s original murder conviction to involuntary manslaughter, saying he believed her when she said she had no idea Bane might kill someone.

The state Supreme Court ruled last year that Warren had used the wrong legal standard in overturning the murder verdict. The court said prosecutors seeking a murder conviction for dog mauling don’t have to prove the owner knew the dog was likely to kill, only that the owner had been aware the animal was potentially lethal and had exposed others to the danger.

After poring through the trial transcript, Woolard reinstated the murder conviction Aug. 22, saying Knoller had ignored warnings that the dogs were dangerous and had seen them attack and threaten other dogs and people.

This is a very interesting, and sad case, because it was the first time in California there was a murder conviction for a dog mauling.

What do you think about this case? Do you think Knoller is guilty of muder or involuntary manslaugher?  Should someone be held accountable for the actions of their dogs if they don’t know beforehand what is going to happen?  Give me a bark and let me know what you think.

In yesterday’s post,  Come Join The “Stop The Puppy Mills” Stroll,  I mentioned the Pennsylvania Puppy Mill Ban  that was going before the PA House of Representatives.  The law was to improve conditions for dogs in Pennsylvania kennels.

I wrote that we, as dog lovers and owners, need to take a stand and help change the laws.  The power of the people has spoken,  we now have House Bill 2525.

Today is a great morning, hopefully the start of many, because the House Bill has made it through the PA House of Representatives and is now on to the Senate.

HARRISBURG - Governor Edward G. Rendell today praised the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for voting to pass House Bills 2525 and 2532, which he said will protect kennel dogs and the families that welcome them into their homes.

He urged swift passage of the bills in the Senate to help rid Pennsylvania of its reputation as “Puppy Mill Capital of the East.”

“The bills that passed in the House today with overwhelming, bi-partisan support will go a long way to protecting dogs kept in kennels with poor but currently legal conditions,” the Governor said. “I applaud the House of Representatives for defeating the many amendments to House Bill 2525 filed on behalf of special interest groups and aimed at weakening the bill. The House has delivered strong legislation that reflects not only the needs of dogs, but the will of the public in improving the minimum standards in the worst of Pennsylvania’s kennels.

“Current Pennsylvania law allows dogs to be kept in cramped, stacked cages their entire lives with no opportunity to exercise and minimal care,” the Governor said. “These conditions lead to dogs with physical and behavioral problems. Pennsylvania must ensure that the standards of care are raised for the sake of dogs and the families that will eventually own them.”

Governor Rendell said widespread public support could help move the legislation through the Senate, and urged Pennsylvanians to let their senator know their thoughts on the issue.

As you can see from Governor Rendell’s statement, our help is still needed to make sure it is passed swiftly in the Senate and becomes law.  Again, I ask you, please go over to DogLawAction and show your support by putting paw to paper.