Senate Bill 876 passed the Senate Criminal Justice Committee last week and has been placed on the Senate intent calendar, which means it can be brought up for a vote at ANY TIME on the Senate floor. Texas’ sportsmen must email their state Senator IMMEDIATELY urging them to OPPOSE SB 876. Please use our Take Action below to ensure your state Senator knows you oppose SB 876.
As we previously reported, SB 876 lowers the licensing threshold to five intact females over 6 months of age and will remove the requirement of selling 20 dogs in a year. The Lone Star State has strict laws regarding animal abuse and Senate Bill 876 does nothing more than work to regulate sporting dog hobby breeders out of existence without any real chance that animal safety will benefit.
To add insult, the new requirements for becoming a commercial breeder will include an annual license fee of at least $300, home inspections upon application and at least once every 18 months, unclear dog housing standards and yearly reporting of all dogs at the facility.
Of course, nobody can back-up the claim that having five or more intact females leads to inhumane treatment. Nor can anyone claim that the sale of an occasional puppy from a litter automatically makes an individual a commercial breeder. But with animal extremists, facts never really matter, and pushing legislation that is way over-inclusive is their bread-and-butter.
“This has been a session unlike anything we’ve seen in Texas before,” said Todd Adkins, vice president of government affairs. “Gun bills, attacks on sporting dog breeders and other related issues are getting a level of support I can’t believe. If anyone asks how California started going downhill decades ago, I was there, I can tell you it looked just like what’s happening in Texas now.”
It is time to put an end to animal rights extremists destroying the good names of reputable sporting dog breeders due to the uncaring actions of others. Please make sure you email your state Senator NOW urging him/her to OPPOSE SB 876.
Don’t forget to share this message with your family, friends and fellow sportsmen urging them to also email the committee urging them to OPPOSE SB 876.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram/