I am so excited about the bill introduced in TX to protect shelter pets. It’s such a great piece of legislation and I really hope it gets passed. But the 6 o’clock news doesn’t care what my opinion is on TX CAPA. Typically, mainstream media outlets will contact the well known animal organizations who have national name recognition for their take on any pet related news. So this has me wondering, where will HSUS, ASPCA and BFAS come down on the TX bill?
Given their history of opposition to laws which limit the discretion of shelter directors as to which pets they can kill, I don’t expect HSUS to embrace CAPA in TX. Nor would I anticipate support for the bill from ASPCA, given that they oppose Oreo’s Law – which would grant rescuers the legal right to save pets from kill shelters – in their home state and in fact have offered a faux rescue access bill of their own in an attempt to quash Oreo’s Law. Best Friends – who disappointed so many of us by failing to support Oreo’s Law last year and this year asking for it to be watered down before they would consider supporting it – well I’m not sure what their reaction will be to the TX bill. Will they ring the hoarder bell and/or demand that the legislation be weakened before they could possibly support it? Or will they be the Best Friends of old – the group many of us supported and wanted to believe in for so long – and side with rescuers and the rights of shelter pets to be saved from death row?
Come on HSUS, ASPCA and BFAS – one of you step up and give me good news. The TX bill is too great to let slip away without getting major support from at least one of you.
From Nathan Winograd’s blog:
Versions of CAPA have been passed in California and Delaware.
And now a version has been introduced in TX. Noticing a trend? It’s becoming fashionable to oppose killing and support rescuers. Will HSUS, ASPCA and BFAS keep fighting CAPA forever – even if/when it gets introduced in more states? Or will they get on board finally and throw their support behind such bills? I’ll be keeping an eye out for a show of support or opposition from the Big Three on TX CAPA. Watch this space.
I think that at this point in time the big three have no choice but to oppose this bill because otherwise they will have to face the hypocrisy of supporting this and opposing Oreo’s law = when there really isn’t much of a difference. I am sure there are differences but when I first read your post on the TX law I was wondering why Oreo’s law was being posted as a new thing before I realized that is because it wasn’t Oreo’s law. But considering that two states put up similar legislation for the new year I feel that the writing is on the wall. More states will follow and the big three will realize that they have to either support it or fade away. I have no idea when that point will come, but as I am hoping Oreo’s law gets passed this year I hope it is sooner rather then later.
Daniela
There are some very large differences between the New York law and the Texas. New York’s is far more narrow in scope than the Texas bill, for one. There is also language in the Texas bill permitting litigious action by one shelter against another, which I do not believe is in the NY bill.
(I support the premise of both bills, by the way, but I don’t believe they are comparable in terms of language and content).
That will teach me to make comments without reading the entire bill first! I still don’t think the big three will support it though, but from what I see I think it is a good idea and will do what I can (as a non-texan) to support it.
Daniela
If the big 3 won’t support rescue access in NY, will they support rescue access PLUS in TX?
I doubt they would lend support to it, either, at least not in its current form. The feral cat issue and the litigation issue are two that pop out at me as unsupportable by at least two of the three (HSUS and ASPCA).
But yeah, if they aren’t supporting a New York Hayden’s Law (which works fine in California), it would be odd – at the least – if they supported a stricter and also more expansive companion animal protection act.
It was a huge disappointment with Best Friends not supporting Oreo’s law, It made no sense that they wouldn’t considering the “no more homeless pets” slogan -but very disappointing. I hope things go better in Texas.
I live in NYS and I have lost all hope for Oreo’s Law. Having dealt with the NYCACC and others in the past, the Big 3 and their somewhat smaller allies (and I consider Maddies Fund to be one of those) will never come out for it. They will pull the hoarder card every single time. I have personally cut all ties with HSUS, ASPCA, Best Friends. They are more disappointing and duplicitous almost, than Big Pharma and Big Ag. Almost.
The power is with the people and if you can convince enough pet loving people that these laws are a good thing sooner or later they will have to pass. I hoping for sooner, but think not enough everyday pet owning people are truly aware of what is happening in their shelters. But if all of us keep blogging, tweeting, facebooking, and emailing about what is happening more and more people will figure it out.
Yesbiscuit,
This is a great piece of legislation, but I don’t think there’s any chance in Hades that Rick Perry will ever sign it. Even if it passes, which I hope it does, I will bet you a dollar I don’t have that he vetoes it. I live in TX and our state budget is so unbalanced that anything that would even be perceived as costing ANYTHING is going to get vetoed. They are already talking about slashing funds for mental health for PEOPLE by 40%, and we are already at 49th of 50th in funding.
I really, really really wish there were not the case, especially since we have “shelters” that do not even adopt to the public – the only way for animals to get out is through rescue.
Like most I highly doubt they will support it in any form. As much as the “Big 3” are supposed to be ‘for the animals’ when it comes to shelters they seem to be fine with the killing of healthy, treatable animals. It is sad, really, when you think about it. The 3 largest animal ‘welfare’ groups talk the talk…but fail to walk the walk when it comes to our shelter pets. They can spend time & money busting “hoarders” and “factory farms”…but when it comes down to it they just don’t seem to care about animals that wind up in shelters.
I haven’t yet found out the Big Three’s stance on this, but the Texas Humane Legislative Network have already given HB 3450 the finger. Seems they think it needs more discussion first. (eye-roll)
Feline, they say that they oppose it because 1) it’s 30 pages; 2) they weren’t notified before it was filed; 3) Stakeholders i.e. shelters should make their own decisions on killing animals. Seriously.
Here is my response to THLN’s opposition. “A fox is guarding the hen house” http://exm.nr/efr9xg
I discovered some interesting information re THLN and caught them calling concerned citizens and their own former board members a “pain in the neck”
Bett,
I was just coming here to post about THLN.
By the way, I admire you for your tenacity and for getting a house member to actually sponsor this bill.
I tried to get it passed in Austin for a while but was unable to get any council member to even discuss it with me, let alone sponsor it.