ACTION ALERT UPDATE 8.17.12: Good News! Both SB 1221- the CA bill to ban bear and bobcat hound hunting and SB 1480 - the Consumer and Wildlife Protection Act - passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee on 8.16! THANKS TO ALL who have taken action on these bills. Your letters, calls & in person testimony & lobbying DO make a difference. WE STILL NEED YOU! We have only the next two weeks to get these bills to the Governor’s Desk! They both must pass the Assembly Floor. So please call and email your Assembly member TODAY and urge him/her to support SB 1221 and SB 1480. THANK YOU!
CA Residents: Speak Out for Wildlife
Contact Your Assembly Member in Support of
S.B. 1480 & S.B. 1221!
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Protect California Wildlife from Cruel Traps
Urge Assembly Members to Vote “Yes” on SB 1480!
In a major victory for wildlife and the public, the California Senate recently passed S.B. 1480, the
Consumer and Wildlife Protection Act. The bill, which was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro), would benefit both animals and consumers by restricting certain wildlife killing methods and establishing disclosure practices for trappers. S.B. 1480 is now under consideration in the Assembly, where it has passed the Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife and is pending in the Committee on Appropriations.
S.B. 1480, if enacted, will protect California’s treasured wildlife from indiscriminate and inhumane killing, reduce costs for animal control agencies and wildlife rehabilitation centers, help to prevent the inadvertent killing of family pets in traps, and protect consumers from misinformation.
Key Provisions of S.B. 1480:
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Require that before setting traps, trappers provide each client with a written contract outlining relevant laws governing trapping and wildlife in California.
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Require trappers to take steps to avoid orphaning dependent young and leaving them to die.
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Prohibit the most heinous methods of killing wildlife, which include drowning, chest-crushing an injection with chemical solvents such as nail polish remover.
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Require that special precautions be taken when dealing with bats, of which there are many imperiled species in California.
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Place additional restriction on the use of killer-type traps, thereby reducing the risk that family pets will be inadvertently killed.
Please call or write your Assembly member today and ask him or her to vote YES on S.B. 1480. You can find your representative’s contact information
here.
Sample message (please personalize using your own words):
My name is [name] and I am from [city or town]. As your constituent, I urge you to vote yes on S.B. 1480, the Consumer and Wildlife Protection Act. This bill, if enacted, will benefit California’s treasured wildlife, as well as its people. It will prevent the suffering of thousands of animals, protect imperiled bats, reduce financial burdens on animal control agencies, and enable consumers to make informed decisions about managing wildlife on their property. Please vote yes on S.B. 1480.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
************
Help Ban Hound Hunting of Bears & Bobcats in California!
Your Voice Needed in Support of S.B. 1221
A critical bill – S.B. 1221– that will ban the cruel and unsporting practice of hound hunting of bears and bobcat is moving through the legislature and needs your support! "Using dogs to hunt bears and bobcats is cruel to the dogs," said bill sponsor California Senator Ted Lieu of Torrance (7/22/12/
Sacramento Bee). "It is cruel to the bears. It is cruel to the surrounding wildlife, and it violates what is known as fair chase."
Please call and write your Assembly member TODAY and urge him or her to vote YES on S.B. 1221. You can find your representative’s contact information
here.
Join other wildlife advocates from across California and attend the hearing on S.B. 1221 and S.B. 1480 on Aug. 8
th and make your voice heard in person:
What: Hearing before the Assembly Appropriations Committee re: S.B. 1221 & S.B. 1480
When: Aug. 8
th (we urge you to arrive as early as 7:30 a.m. to secure a spot in the hearing room. The opposition is expected to be there in large numbers.)
Where: Room 4202 of the State Capitol, Sacramento, CA
Sample message (please personalize using your own words):
My name is [name] and I am from [city or town]. As your constituent, I urge you to vote yes on S.B. 1221- a critical bill that will prohibit the unsporting and unethical practice of pursuing and hunting bears and bobcats with hounds. California is one of a minority of states that still permits trophy hunters to use packs of dogs to chase bears and bobcats to exhaustion and then shoot the frightened animals from tree branches at point-blank range. I concur with the San Jose Mercury News that took a strong stand in support of this bill stating “California's Legislature should join 13 other states -- including hunting-friendly Oregon, Washington, Wyoming and Montana -- in banning the use of packs of dogs to hunt wildlife.” I agree and hope you will help ensure that California joins these states in prohibiting a practice that is inherently cruel and unsporting. Please vote yes on S.B. 1221.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING OUT FOR WILDLIFE!
PLEASE SHARE THIS ACTION ALERT WITH OTHER CA RESIDENTS!
