Five
bills aimed at protecting and helping animals have been introduced in the House
so far this session. Will every dog (and for that matter cat, horse, parakeet,
etc…) have his day? Let's see where those bills are:
Making
poisonous substances taste nasty
Antifreeze, or
rather, Ethylene Glycol, one of its main components, is sweet and tasty to
animals and humans but it can also be lethal. According to the Humane Society,
anywhere from 10,000 to 90,000
cats and dogs are accidentally poisoned with antifreeze every year across the
nation. To protect Washington's residents, both the two and the four-legged
kinds, a few years ago the Legislature passed a measure requiring that
antifreeze sold, produced or distributed in the state have an aversive agent to
make it taste bad. But that law didn't cover wholesale containers of 55 gallons
or more. This year Rep. Sherry
Appleton is sponsoring HB
1010 to include those large containers. The bill was approved by the Business
and Financial Services Committee a couple of weeks ago and is now in the Rules
Committee for further consideration.
See
something? Say something!
HB 1186 gives immunity to veterinarians who report
suspected incidents of animal cruelty from legal liability in any action brought
against them. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Kathy
Haigh, a vet herself, knows that sometimes veterinarians can tell, better
than the average person, if an animal has been mistreated. The risk of liability
keeps some veterinarians from reporting incidents they encounter in their
practice. The protections under this bill should encourage veterinarians to
report suspected cruelty to proper authorities. Haigh's measure was passed out
of the Judiciary
Committee earlier this week.
When buying
a pet, let's make sure it's not a murky transaction
Say you see a guy
selling lovely puppies out of his truck in a parking lot. You fall in love with
one of them and want to buy it. But how much do you know about this seller? Is
he licensed? Does he have a permit to sell animals in that location? What if
you're dealing with a disreputable seller who does not provide safe and humane
conditions for the puppies, and it turns out your puppy is sick? To prevent the
sale of diseased animals to unsuspecting buyers, Rep. Mary
Helen Roberts is sponsoring HB
1201, which already had a public hearing in the Judiciary
Committee. Under this measure, legitimate and responsible sales of animals
and adoption programs for animals are not affected.
Zero
tolerance for animal cruelty
People who live or
work with animals should treat them well; humans are supposed to care for their
animals. Sadly, not everyone seems to be on board with that common-sense notion.
Rep. Mary
Helen Roberts sponsored another bill, HB
1202, which modifies animal cruelty provisions relating to the crimes of
animal cruelty in the first and second degree, animal fighting, and leaving
and/or confining an animal in a motor vehicle or certain enclosed spaces. This
measure also had a public hearing in Judiciary
a few weeks ago.
Spay/Neuter
– it's the responsible thing to do!
Thousands of cats and dogs are put down every
year in shelters because they can't find a home, or they are old and sickly and
nobody wants to take care of them. The most effective and humane way to reduce
the number of animals dying in shelters is a targeted, statewide spay/neuter
effort. It is also the fiscally responsible solution. Rep. Kathy Haigh
sponsored a legislation (HB
1229) that would provide financial
assistance to support the costs of pet spay/neuter surgery. It would
significantly reduce costs for animal care and control of homeless animals, and
fewer animals would be euthanized in Washington shelters. This measure was heard
before the Agriculture
and Natural Resources Committee yesterday. You can find footage of the hearing in TVW.
Read this story in Spanish.
Read this story in Spanish.
