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California Sporting Dog Enthusiasts Rack Up Wins

As the California legislative session ended with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signing and vetoing multiple bills, the sporting dog community came out as clear winners.  California sportsmen saw the governor sign two bills that strengthen protection for sporting dog owners while vetoing two bills which could have negatively impacted sporting dog breeders.

 “This has been an important year for sporting dog owners in California and across the nation,” said USSA Director of State Services, Evan Heusinkveld.  “While we have concerns over some of the governor’s decisions regarding firearms, we are pleased that he made the right call for the sporting dog community.”

 “The California Outdoor Heritage Association was pleased to work with USSA and our other partners to strengthen the legal protections for hunters using dogs in the field, as well as to protect hunting dog breeders from burdensome legislation,” stated Mark Hennelly, Vice President of the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA).  

Gov. Schwarzenegger signed both Assembly Bill 1423, sponsored by Assemblyman Tom Berryhill (R- Modesto), and Assembly Bill 1442, sponsored by the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife.  AB 1423 adds field trials and dog training activities to the list of things that cannot be interfered with and AB 1442 makes it illegal to remove a collar from a hunting dog without the owner’s permission.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoed Assembly Bill 241, California’s version of the “puppy mill” bill craze that has swept the nation this year.   The bill, authored by Assemblyman Pedro Nava (D- Santa Barbara), would have arbitrarily limited the number of animals any person may own or possess at one time for commercial breeding purposes and could have severely damaged or put out of existence many law abiding sporting dog kennels.  In addition, the Governor vetoed Assembly Bill 1122, authored by Assemblyman Ted Lieu, which would have prohibited the sale of dogs on certain public properties. 

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) also recently reported on the blocking of Senate Bill 250, a mandatory spay/neuter measure, representing yet another big win for California sportsmen and sporting dog owners.

Collectively, these legislative victories will assure a healthy sporting dog community in California.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) and key partners such as COHA, Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America, National Animal Interest Alliance, National Rifle Association, California Rifle and Pistol Association, and Pet Pac worked aggressively to protect the interests of sporting dog owners.