Yesterday, Monday, April 24, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 876, a bill that will expand dog breeder licensing to ensnare sporting dog enthusiasts across the state, requiring them to pay licensing fees, forced home inspections and to submit to miles of bureaucratic red tape, all to appease animal-extremist groups that oppose hunting with dogs and the breeders who support such activity. SB 876 will now move to the House for further consideration.
Under current law, a dog breeder must be licensed only when they sell 20 or more dogs a year and have 11 or more intact females. SB 876, and its House companion bill, House Bill 2238, reduce that down to just five intact females and the sale of a single dog. This means that hobby breeders who sell a single puppy from a single litter will be required to obtain a commercial breeder license.
If SB 876 and HB 2238 pass, Texas will have one of the most excessive breeder licensing schemes in the country. This is why sportsmen need to oppose these measures and because the Senate already passed SB 876, we need to stop these terrible bills in the House.
“These extreme bills are a done deal unless sportsmen throughout Texas reach out and let their House member know you oppose these measures in no uncertain terms,” said Todd Adkins, vice president of government affairs at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “Texas must remain dedicated to its hunting heritage which includes the sporting dogs that are with us every step of the way.”
Your state Representative needs more than an email this time, they need to hear your opposition to these bills. We are asking you to please use our Take Action button to get your state Representative’s name and their capitol phone number, along with a pre-written script (feel free to personalize) urging them to OPPOSE both SB 876 and HB 2238.
Don’t forget to share this critical alert with your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen asking them to also call their state Representative urging them to OPPOSE SB 876 and HB 2238.
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.
