SB 250 tabled by Florez

SB 250, The Pet Responsibility Act, has been tabled by author Dean Florez (D - Shafter) until January in hopes of finding more support in the California State Assembly. It appears that the bill is 13 votes short of passage.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I was a supporter of the bill, despite the fact that there were a couple of things that troubled me. I believed that the bill was written with the best of intentions.

But I also believe in the legislative process, and if after all of this time the bill is still over a dozen votes short of passage, perhaps the people have spoken. Did they speak the way I wish they would have? No --- but it doesn't always work that way. I've been terribly disappointed in the past over laws I supported that didn't pass (or vice versa), but one thing I keep in mind is that we all have the opportunity to have our voice heard and if "my side" didn't have the will/gumption/organization to get their message out effectively enough to change the hearts and minds of other voters, then maybe "my side" doesn't deserve to win.

I'm not sure part of the "good fight" is to try really hard and encourage others to give it all they've got, then when it looks like things aren't breaking in your favor, go running off the field and hope the other team gets winded so you can swoop in and call it a win. Or take your ball and walk off the field, rather than having a loss on your record.

It may be permissible, but that doesn't mean it's honorable.

Halo, the pool playing dog

Just too cool to keep to myself. For the record, he plays better than I do...

AB 241 passes Assembly

AB 241, The Responsible Breeder Act, a bill introduced by Assemblyman Pedro Nava (D - Santa Barbara) has passed the full Assembly and is on its way to the Governor's desk for his signature. The bill limits the number of intact cats or dogs a seller can maintain to 50. Animal shelters, among other professional distinctions, are not affected by this bill.

To read the full text of the bill click here.

New natural treat for dogs

I'm a pretty simple person when it comes to treats for my pets. I like buying them snackables that have easily identified ingredients that are healthy and appealing. I may be willing to stuff myself with highly-processed, chemically-preserved snacks when the mood suits me, but since the critters can't make their own shopping choices, I take my job as guardian of their health quite seriously. That's why I'm thrilled to have found a new treat for the dog, DogNip! Catch of the Day.

DogNip! Catch of the Day is produced by the folks of The Original Free Range Dog Chews. They have created a line of dog treats based on dehydrating products that have as few ingredients as possible to a shelf-stable level, keeping the treats in as close to a natural state as possible. For a no-funky-ingredients-I-can't-pronounce girl like me, I was hooked.

Darby tried the "Skin and Bones" variety, made from wild caught salmon skin that is stuffed with salmon and sweet potato, shaped into dog bone shapes and dehydrated. That's it --- just two ingredients. Being the big fish junkie he is, I figured I'd know within seconds whether it measured up to his overly-spoiled palate.

It didn't take that long. Just a whiff of the strong fish aroma emanating from the bag as I cut it open had his full attention. Darby took his offering and headed for a quiet spot. Since most of his treats are of the one-bite variety, he rarely needs to settle in enjoy a handout, but the size of these treats dictated at least two or three chomps. He was a happy camper with his treat and I am a happy critter-mom for having another pet treat option.

The Original Free Range Dog Chews folks don't sell directly to customers, but their full line of products can be found at one of my very favorite online stores, SitStay.com. If you're like me and like feeding your dog healthy, wholesome treats, give them a try. Your dog may get hooked!

Pet limit laws limit positive solutions

Back when I worked as the office manager of a veterinary hospital in Sacramento, I had the good pleasure of knowing a woman who owned 22 cats. Yes, 22 --- and every last one of them were spayed or neutered, up to date on their vaccines, licensed and well cared for. We’d see her a couple of times a month, because with 22 cats someone was always either due for shots or one of the “special needs” felines needed a check-up of some sort. She’s one of the first people I think of when discussions come up about limiting the number of pets a person can have.

Kern County Animal Control Director Guy Shaw is proposing an ordinance that would, among other things, require people with 10 or more dogs and/or cats to apply for a permit to keep them. The Board of Supervisors expects to receive plenty of feedback from people when the topic comes up for discussion at its Sept. 29 meeting, and I’m sure the public will not let them down.

Don’t get me wrong. I empathize with Mr. Shaw’s frustration about the pet overpopulation problem we have in Kern County and the endless cycle of homeless pets that are brought to the shelter every day, more than can possibly find homes even during the best of economic times. I just don’t think an arbitrary number limit is going to help.

The problem with using a number is that people immediately seize on the number as a topic of debate, rather than discuss what it means to be a responsible pet owner. If Jane Citizen has eight cats and four dogs, and all are altered, current on their vaccinations, licensed and aren’t bothering the neighbors, what difference does it make to me how many pets she has? What difference should it make?

If, on the other hand, Judy Citizen has two dogs who are unaltered, produce litter after litter of half-breed “designer dogs” and are left to live the bulk of their lives in a concrete run on the side of the house, with little family interaction or stimulation, should that pass as O.K., just because they are within the prescribed limit?

It’s a big discussion, worthy of far more consideration than haggling over the appropriate “quantity”. Let’s treat it as such.