Subject: NEW YORK: Bill Threatens Working Dog Practices


Dear Friend,


New York Assembly Bill 381 (A381) would forbid penning, caging, tethering, or restraining of all working or non-working dogs outside from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.


A381 applies not only to pets, but also to working dogs such as Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGDs). LGDs have been bred to bond with the animals that they protect, and they usually stay outside with the animals 24/7. There is no exemption in the act for training of LGDs and the bill would make a violation a misdemeanor requiring at least two days in jail.


If this bill passes, it would pose a real problem to some small farmers across New York state. Many small farmers rely on LGDs to protect their livestock, as the LGDs stay in the pasture or pens with the animals throughout the night. Depending on how the bill is enforced, A381 could make the normal nighttime use of LGDs illegal. LGDs are arguably most useful at night because most livestock predators are nocturnal.


Please take action now! See action steps below. And please share this alert with your friends and family in New York.


In good health,


Alexia Kulwiec

Executive Director

TAKE ACTION #1

If your State Assemblymember is on the Agriculture Committee (see list HERE and their contact info below), please urge him or her to OPPOSE A381 or ask that the bill be amended to exclude working dogs.

 

You can look up who represents you in the Assembly HERE.

 

Agriculture Committee assemblymembers:

 

Senator Michelle Hinchey (chair)

hinchey@nysenate.gov

518-455-2350

 

Sen. George Borrello (ranking member)

borrello@nysenate.gov

518-455-3563

 

Sen. Pamela Helming

helming@nysenate.gov

518-455-2366

 

Sen. John Mannion

mannion@nysenate.gov

518-455-3511

 

Sen. Rachel May

may@nysenate.gov

518-455-2838

 

Sen. Jessica Ramos

ramos@nysenate.gov

518-455-2529

 

Sen. Kevin Thomas

thomas@nysenate.gov

(518) 455-3260

 

Sen. Mark Walczyk

walczyk@nysenate.gov

518-455-3438

 

Sen. Lea Webb

leawebb@nysenate.gov

518-455-2170

 

Remember, calls are far more effective than emails, and they can take just a couple of minutes! A few calls from constituents have been known to change a legislator’s mind on an issue. Keep your call or email short, polite, and clear—you can simply give your name, identify yourself as a constituent, and ask your Assemblymember to OPPOSE the bill or ask that the bill be amended to leave out working dogs. If you have time, add a sentence or two about why this issue is important to you. See More Information below, for some talking points that you can use.

MORE INFO

 

The bill states:

It shall be unlawful to tie, tether, restrain, cage or pen a working or non-working dog outdoors, between the hours of 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.

 

A working or non-working dog may be tied, tethered, caged or penned outdoors between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., to a stationary object or a pen or cage in a sized pen or cage four times the height and length of said dog; provided it is in a manner that is not inhumane or detrimental to the dog's welfare, doesn't cause the dog to choke, permits the dog to escape harm and permits the dog to reach food, water, shade and dry ground.

 

Because the bill applies to a “working or non-working dog,” it would likely make farming with LGDs very difficult and impractical.

 

See more info about A381, including the full amended bill text, HERE.

 

Talking Points:

• The most important talking point is how this bill would affect YOU. Why do you oppose this bill? Do you buy pastured poultry from a farmer who uses LGDs? Are you a small farmer who uses LGDs?

• The bill effectively would ban farmers from keeping LGDs penned outside at night at all. LGDs have been bred to bond with the animals that they protect, and they usually stay outside with the animals 24/7. For instance, some LGDs are penned with small livestock like poultry both day and night.

• The bill, if passed, would also pose hardships for LGD owners if they needed to confine their LGDs for whatever reason (injured, sick, etc.) because they wouldn’t be able to confine the working dogs outside even though they have been bred to remain outside.

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