CALIFORNIA ACTION ALERT: Proposed CA amendment will force quarantines of sick dogs

below:  Louie before and after his vaccine-related illness.  (Click image for larger view.) 

Louie must never be vaccinated again.  He will be directly affected by this legislation.

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FOR CALIFORNIANS -- IF YOU'RE NOT A CALIFORNIA RESIDENT, PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO FRIENDS IN CALIFORNIA AND POST ON DOG LISTS, BOARDS, AND FORUMS. ALERT DOG BREED GROUPS.

On April 5, 2010, California legislators added amendment #2 to proposed bill AB2000: "In rabies areas, all of the following shall apply: A dog exempt from the canine antirabies vaccination shall be kept quarantined as directed by the local health officer, until the dog's medical condition has resolved and the administration of the canine antirabies vaccine occurs."

Every county in California has been declared a “rabies area.” 

Kris Christine, Founder of the Rabies Challenge Fund, in consultation with Dr. Jean Dodds and others, faxed and e-mailed a letter to the sponsor of the bill, Senator Steinberg and the Rules Committee.  Find her letter at http://www.dogs4dogs.com/AB2000 

Arguments: I know that some people will say, who cares? Let's quarantine the dogs so I won't catch rabies. But only one dog has contracted rabies in CA since 2006. Only 6 humans cases of rabies were reported in California -- 4 from exposure that occurred outside of the US. The remaining 2 cases were associated with California bat variants. 

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/data/statistics/Documents/rabies-episummary.pdf

Dogs all over CA and the US currently have exemptions and have for many years.

What about the impracticality and cost of quarantine? Where will dogs be quarantined? Who will pay? Who will handle their medical needs if they’re impounded? What about all the inevitable lawsuits from people whose dogs die from forced quarantine or vaccination? Read more about this at  http://www.dogs4dogs.com/alerts  “WHY IS QUARANTINE A BAD IDEA?”

WHAT CAN YOU DO? Please e-mail today and call on Monday the following people. And tell your friends, post on boards and lists, call your local media with a story. We’ll help in any way we can. And be sure to alert any vets have written medical exemptions. We must act now!

The phone number for the California Senate Rules Committee is (916) 651-4120 

Chair of the Committee is Senator Darrell Steinberg e-mail: Senator.Steinberg@senate.ca.gov Phone: (916) 651-4006

Vice-chair Sam Aanestad Senator.Aanestad@senate.ca.gov  (916) 651-4004

Gilbert Cedillo Senator.Cedillo@senate.ca.gov  (916) 651-4022 

Robert Dutton Senator.Dutton@senate.ca.gov  (916) 651-4031

Jenny Oropeza Senator.Oropeza@senate.ca.gov  (916) 651-4028

Bill Co-Sponsor Assembly Member Curt Hagman Assemblymember.Hagman@assembly.ca.gov  (916) 319-2060

See www.dogs4dogs.com/alerts for more information. Familiarize yourself about the facts and then make impassioned pleas to the legislators. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. Once the committee approves Amendment #2 regarding quarantine it will be very hard to stop. 

Important: At present, it is Amendment 2 we especially oppose. 

PLEASE ACT NOW!  EVEN IF YOUR OWN DOG ISN’T SICK, THIS BILL WILL SET A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT.

Dogs4Dogs

PO Box 675446

Rancho Santa Fe, CA

92067

US