Malloy signed the bill

We are disappointed to learn that Gov. Malloy signed this bill this afternoon. We will be reviewing our options, but we expect that we will take action in the courts to address this bill while we work for a more appropriate legislative solution.

We appreciate everyone's support. We will be formulating our plans and we will let you all know what needs to be done next. We all need to remember we do this for the animals.

A letter to Governor Malloy

The following letter was sent to Governor Malloy today on behalf of all the rescue members of the Federation of Responsible Rescues. Tomorrow, Gov. Malloy must either sign the bill, veto the bill or he can do nothing and allow it to become law. Gov. Malloy must take a stand on this issue. Failure to act is tantamount to ducking an important issue and 60,000 dog lovers are watching. We urge those who have not called to do so. Gov. Malloy's office number is 860-566-4840. 


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July 14, 2011

VIA FACSIMILE (860) 524-7395

Governor Dannel Malloy

State Capitol

210 Capitol Avenue

Hartford, CT  06106

            Re:       HB 5368

Dear Gov. Malloy:

            As you are doubtless aware, HB 5368 is awaiting your signature. This bill has raised great concern among the responsible dog rescue groups that operate in Connecticut and as a result, your office has been the recipient of many calls from rescues, adopters and dog lovers asking you to veto the bill. The Federation of Responsible Rescues works to promote the ethical rescue of animals in need by setting minimum standards of conduct that reflect a commitment to properly rescuing, caring for and rehoming animals in need. In this capacity, we join the many opposed to this bill and ask you to veto this bill.

            The stated purpose of this bill is to curb the importation of sick dogs in to the state of Connecticut. On the surface, this seems to have a logical appeal. However, it is readily apparent that the practical effect of this bill was not considered as the real impact will be felt by those rescues who follow the rules and properly care for the dogs in their charge and not by those who operate in an unethical manner.

            There is no question that legislation is needed to curb abuses and we support change that actually protects animals and their adopters. This bill, however, serves no purpose other than to increase the cost of adopted dogs to the point where the cost to adopt is no longer feasible for the average Connecticut citizen. As non-profit entities, we all operate on a tight budget and we already spend an average of more than $300 just to vet our dogs properly, including spay/neuter, shots including distemper/parvo, bordetella, and rabies, microchipping, screening for heartworms, lyme disease and ehrlychia and other parasites and any other treatment and care which the dog might need.

The bill awaiting your signature requires at least two more vet visits to obtain new health certificates from a Connecticut vet which will add a minimum of $200 to our costs. Responsible rescues are already doing these things and this creates no additional benefit to dogs or adopters. Those individuals who do not bother to get health certificates and vet care now won’t bother to do so in the future and they will continue to operate in a business as usual manner while those of who attempt to comply with this law will be effectively driven out of existence as the result of the hidden costs in this bill. The end result will be that the responsible rescues in Connecticut which currently place more than 10,000 dogs a year will close, but the demand for adoptable dogs will remain the same. The State cannot legislate away demand and those people that cannot find an available dog meeting their needs in a Connecticut shelter or who cannot afford a breeder will create an expanded black market which is exactly the opposite of what this bill is supposed to do.

This bill also requires every rescue and transportation company to give the State ten days advance notice of all of our activities. This is incredibly intrusive and is ominous in import when one considers the larger constitutional implications. No other group including breeders and pet stores are required to give notice of their events or arrival of animals to their premises to the State. Rescues are being singled out for spectacularly unfair and constitutionally suspect treatment when others who import dogs are not subject to the same rules. This should cause you great concern.

            As the largest rescues in Connecticut, we have collectively placed more than 50,000 dogs into adoptive homes. Our fans number in to the six figures on Facebook and Twitter.  In short, we represent a very large group of people who love their dogs and who do not agree with this legislation. It is exceptionally disheartening to work for the good of the dogs and their adopters only to be left out in the cold when legislation is passed that essentially punishes our organizations for the deeds of others who won’t bother to follow this law either.

            We are not against regulation and indeed, we have begged for the creation of standards as it has fallen to us as responsible rescues to step in to handle the messes created by those who either lack the basic understanding of how to appropriately handle the rescue and transportation of dogs or who don’t care and see this as an opportunity to make money. The Federation has already set forth standards of conduct for our members which, if implemented at the state level, would better address the problems at hand and we would encourage you to review those standards which can be found here:  http://federationofrescues.blogspot.com/p/forr-code-of-conduct.html. We ask only that we be made part of the solution and not excluded from the process as we very clearly were in this instance. We appreciate your consideration and ask that you veto this bill so that we can work with you to craft a bill that works.

                                                                        Respectfully,

The world chatters about the Connecticut slam on rescues

The news about the new Connecticut law which is so destructive to rescue has spread far and wide. The campaign to call the Governor's office has been very active and we actually feel sorry for the nice woman who answers the phone at Gov. Malloy's office which has apparently been ringing off the wall. It is absolutely clear that Gov. Malloy has gotten an earful from a great many people.

We owe a huge thank you to Slash of Guns n Roses/Velvet Revolver fame who somehow picked up this blog and posted it on his Facebook site which has more than six million fans. We have no idea how he got wind of the law and the danger it poses to rescue, but it certainly shows the power of the web to right a wrong through the chatter of thousands and we thank him for sending it on.* We are nowhere near resolution of this mess at this time, but we are planning an event to show the government of Connecticut just how much the citizens love their thousands of imported, adopted dogs. Details will follow.

Thank you all for your continued support. Keep up the good work as it is having an effect.

- Federation of Responsible Rescues

* PS to Slash in case you ever see this - we are hunting for a publicist to send an appropriate thank you letter to, but know that this little guy has just been named Slash in your honor by Big Fluffy Dog Rescue.

Rock on, Slash

How you can help rescues in Connecticut

The Connecticut legislature has passed a bill which effectively ends the ability of legitimate rescues to offer dogs for adoption in the state of Connecticut by making the cost so prohibitive that adoption is not feasible for the vast majority of adopters. You can read up on it here.  The law was passed and is awaiting the signature of Governor Malloy. Here's how you can help:

Call Governor Malloy's office and tell him to veto Substitute House Bill 5368, File 850. Please be respectful and courteous when you call and tell them this bill will not help Connecticut animals or Connecticut citizens. 

Governor Malloy's office number is  (860) 566-4840 

You can also send Governor Malloy an email here: http://www.ct.gov/malloy/cwp/view.asp?a=3998&q=479082

A sample email might read as follows:

Dear Governor Malloy,

Recently, the Connecticut legislature passed a bill which effectively ends the ability of legitimate rescues to offer dogs for adoption in the state of Connecticut by making the cost so prohibitive that adoption is not feasible for the vast majority of adopters. This bill, substitute house bill 5368, File No. 850, is awaiting your signature and I urge you to veto the bill. While well-intended, this bill will not put a stop to the flow of unregistered, ill animals being spirited into the state. What it will do is put legitimate rescues who bring dogs to the State out of commission by making the cost of an adoption over $600 as the result of the requirements in this bill. Legitimate rescue supports responsible and ethical practices and although I appreciate the position of the state, this law will only drive the bad rescues even further underground. Moreover, the intent to promote the adoption of Connecticut dogs is laudable, but the reality is, there aren't a lot of dogs in shelters in Connecticut and in fact, a survey of all shelter dogs on Petfinder as of June 27 showed less than 500 adoptable dogs, of which more than 60% were bully breeds. There's nothing wrong with a bully breed dog as a pet, but not everyone wants or is capable of managing a bully breed dog and rescue exists to provide people with an adoption option. I support responsible rescue and I want to see Connecticut come to the table with rescues to craft a law that balances the interests of all parties. I urge you to veto this bill.

Pass the word to your friends, family and those you know who might be interested. We can make a difference.

Connecticut launches a broadside at rescue

Very recently, the State of Connecticut passed a law that effectively kills rescue in Connecticut for any rescue that brings in dogs from other states. Under the guise of protecting the public, Connecticut has gutted the ability of rescues to do what we do which is rescue dogs. First, the bill which you can read in its entirety here. Distilled to its essence, this is what the law now requires:

1. All rescues which import dogs into the state must register and pay $100 a year. This is not a big deal.

2. All rescues and transports must provide 10 days' notice to the state that they intend to have a public event (Petsmart Adoption day) or a transport pick up when dogs are taken off transport by their foster families. (Not OK). The state wants to know when and where and how many animals. They don't do this to any other group, just rescues. Why?

3. All animals brought into the state (it does not matter from where - Alabama, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio are all the same) must see a Connecticut vet within 48 hours of arrival for a full exam. This will cost rescues on average around $100.  It is irrelevant that reputable rescues have already had their dogs fully vetted and seen by a vet just prior to arrival in order to obtain a USDA health certificate for travel.  Why?

4. All animals brought into the state must see the vet again within 15 days before they go to their homes and a new health certificate issued. This will cost another $100 minimum. If the dog is in foster for more than 90 days, they are required to see a vet for a full exam every 90 days regardless of illness or condition and even if they are sitting in a private home.

Why is this bad?

Several reasons, but the most nefarious is that it effectively ends the ability of private citizens to get their own dog from wherever they want to. If you see a dog you wish to adopt in Texas and can arrange for transport, this law requires the transport company (airline or ground transport) to announce that they are delivering a dog for pick up and schedule it with the state. Failure to do this results in a fine of $500 per dog for the transport company. This law does not apply to private citizens who wish to adopt an out of state dog, but it makes it impossible to get the dog shipped to Connecticut. This means Connecticut residents who want a golden retriever are essentially going to have to buy from a breeder or a pet store, because no local shelter rescuing strictly local dogs is going to have a golden available for rescue. If this means a bonanza for Connecticut's pit bulls who populate the shelters in droves, that's wonderful and we support their adoption 100%, but sadly, we know there will be no sharp rise in pit bull adoptions from Connecticut shelters. The people who adopt from us will simply go to a breeder to get what they want and that's a reality. Dogs will continue to die in shelters all across the country, Connecticut included, and breeders and pet stores and puppy mills will make a killing. 

The rest of the problem with this law is simply the cost. All reputable rescues provide the following minimum care before they place a dog:

1. The dog is spayed/neutered.
2. The dog has its distemper/parvo, rabies and bordetella shots.
3. The dog is cleared for heartworms and other parasites.
4. The dog is groomed, provided frontline and heartgard and a collar.
5. The dog is microchipped and registered.
6. The dog is checked by a vet again just before transport and a health certificate is obtained.

The average total cost for this for a rescue is just shy of $310. Add to that the cost of transport which averages $150 and you can see the reason for an adoption fee in excess of $400. The rest of this has to be made up through relentless fundraising. 

Now, with the new regulations, we have to take the dog specifically to a Connecticut vet (no other vet will do). We must pay for a complete exam again within 48 hours even though if there is a disease, the odds of seeing it that soon after transport is next to zero as diseases generally take 5-7 days to show symptoms. That exam costs about $100. Then we must again take the dog to a Connecticut vet no more than 15 days before adoption for another exam and a health certificate at a cost of another $100.

Do the math. If we are all already spending $450+ just to vet the dog and transport it, even at a loss, then the addition of $200 in required vet visits raises the adoption fee to over $650. Very very few people can afford that, which causes rescue to die away and the breeders and pet stores win, as do the vets who presumably will get a boom in business.

What is it that Connecticut hopes to achieve?

If the goal of the law was to protect public health, we'd support this law or at least a version of it. However, this does nothing but cost rescues a lot of money to the explicit benefit of breeders and pet stores who are not required to do anything to their dogs at all but provide a shot and a deworming. Breeders and pet stores loathe rescue because it's competition. A look at who supported this bill is enlightening: the breeders association (Connecticut Federation of Dogs) and the vets. Who gets more money as the result of this? You can guess.

A better solution would have been to require that all rescues who import dogs adhere to a standard of care:

1. All dogs must be spayed/neutered.
2. All dogs must have distemper/parvo, rabies and bordetella shots.
3. All dogs must be cleared for heartworms and other parasites.
4. All dogs must be chipped and registered in the name of the rescue who adopted the dog.

All reputable rescues are already doing this, and those rescues that aren't reputable are going to ignore the laws anyway. All this does is punish the good rescues and make rescue in Connecticut impossible. Is this what Connecticut really wants, or was it what the breeders and pet stores wanted?