Lisa Weisberg, Esq.
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs & Public Policy

Alaska
· Mandate reporting of animal cruelty
· Require person convicted of animal abuse to undergo psychological counseling
· Prohibit convicted animal abusers from having an animal for up to five years

Arizona
· Authorize civil penalties for keeping unconfined dogs in the open areas of trucks
· Oppose efforts to allow gaming at greyhound tracks

Arkansas
· Create pet friendly specialty plate with revenues generated to fund low cost spay/neuter
· Create felony cruelty for intentional acts

California
· Establish low cost spay/neuter program and task force
· Establish standards and certification program for animal groomers
· Amend cruelty law to enhance the penalty to force a child to kill an animal or witness a killing
· Prohibit the hunting of mourning doves
· Amend law regulating horses for hire to include pony rides and carriage horse operations

Colorado
· Create animal specialty license plates to fund low cost spay/neuter
· Oppose efforts to expand video gaming at greyhound tracks

Delaware
· Strengthen the dangerous dog law to cover dogs that present imminent threat of danger

Hawaii
· Elevate crime of aggravated animal cruelty to a felony
· Increase penalty for conducting cockfights to a felony

Idaho
· Prohibit bear baiting

Illinois
· Amend the Animal Control Act to include cat registration and provide a hearing process to determine whether a dog is dangerous or vicious
· Prohibit courts from sentencing animal abusers to court supervision
· Amend the Veterinary Practice Act to include the mandated reporting of animal abuse by veterinarians currently in the Humane Care for Animals' Act
· Outlaw the drowning of nuisance animals by nuisance wildlife trappers
· Establish trusts for companion animals

Indiana
· License and regulate pet stores
· Mandate humane transport of equines and prohibit double decker vehicles
· Humane euthanasia for wildlife

Iowa
· Oppose attempts to authorize the hunting of mourning doves

Kansas
· Create pet friendly license plate with revenues generated to fund low cost spay/neuter
· Increase penalties for intentional animal abuse; mandate psychological counseling for offenders

Kentucky
· Authorize courts to order psychological counseling of first time cruelty offenders and mandate counseling of subsequent offenders
· Criminalize bestiality (Class D felony)
· Create pet overpopulation fund license plate program
· Require humane euthanasia of animals

Louisiana
· Outlaw canned hunts

Massachusetts
· Prohibit display of exotic animals in a traveling show or circus
· Amend pet lemon law to provide refund of purchase price where dog dies within 6 months of sale
· Require public schools to offer alternative to dissection

Michigan
· Strengthen the pet shop license law
· Oppose efforts to authorize the hunting of mourning doves

Minnesota
· Oppose measures to authorize hound hunting of bears
· Oppose efforts to authorize bounty hunting of coyotes

Missouri
· Train and certify euthanasia technicians in shelters and allow these shelters to purchase humane euthanasia drugs directly.
· Provide purchasers of ill dogs and cats from pet stores certain remedies

Montana
· Establish training and certification of euthanasia technicians and authorize animal shelters to purchase controlled euthanasia substances directly.
· Enhance penalties for animal abuse
· Oppose hound hunting of bobcats and mountain lions
· Oppose measures to delist the wolf and manage via hunting

Nebraska
· Establish training and certification of euthanasia technicians in animal shelters and authorize the direct purchase of controlled substances for humane euthanasia
· Create trusts for pets

Nevada
· Outlaw bestiality

New Mexico
· Outlaw cockfighting
· Create effective, sensible means of addressing animal hoarders

New Jersey
· Strengthen law enforcement and animal control
· Strengthen dangerous dog law without being breed specific
· Impose civil penalty for the exhibition/use of a living bear, elephant, lion, or tiger
· Clarify cruelty statute to include the use of an animal to injure another
· Increase penalty for the abuse of an animal resulting in death and for subsequent offenders
· Amend law prohibiting convicted animal abusers from becoming animal control officers by strengthening local reporting to provide effective enforcement
· Require humane rearing of veal calves/prohibit certain practices · Oppose bill authorizing Sunday hunting
· Prohibit animal dissection by elementary and secondary students; provide humane alternatives
· Provide immunity from civil liability for persons performing animal rescue; authorize formation of emergency rescue response units
· Allow counties to develop countywide animal control plans; appropriate funding to provide counties with grants to develop plans (probably not feasible given current fiscal crisis).
· Create grant program for nonprofit animal welfare organizations (probably not feasible given current fiscal crisis)
· Authorize municipalities to finance animal shelter and care facilities operated by nonprofit organizations
· Increase the fee charged for unsterilized dogs of reproductive age

New York
· Alleviate pet overpopulation through dog licensing enforcement and increased funding for low-cost spay/neuter under the Animal Population Control Program
· Amend cruelty law to establish animal endangerment
· Provide veterinarians with immunity for reporting suspected cases of animal abuse
· Prohibit insurance companies from issuing homeowner's policies based on breed of dog harbored
· Amend felony cruelty law to include reckless behavior resulting in serious injury or death.
· Establish a private right of action for the wrongful death of a companion animal; provide compensation for loss of companionship, emotional distress, attorney's fees, medical and other expenses, and punitive damages.
· Ban private ownership of exotic animals as pets
· Prohibit the sale, transport, or marketing of "downed", non-ambulatory farm animals
· Prohibit the transport of animals in the open compartment of vehicles
· Provide for the identification, spaying/neutering of, and shelter care of cats at large
· Grant municipalities the authority to regulate/ban trapping
· Increase pet theft to a felony offense
· Prohibit animal irritancy tests solely for the production of cosmetics

North Dakota
· Establish training and certification of euthanasia technicians in animal shelters and authorize the direct purchase of controlled substances for humane euthanasia

Ohio
· Prohibit the use of a firearm to destroy an animal at a publicly owned or operated animal shelter
· Prohibit a person from entering/driving a drugged horse in a pulling contest

Oklahoma
· Create trusts for pets
· Establish dangerous dog law for all breeds

Oregon
· Authorize animal friendly license plate to fund low cost spay/neuter
· Mandate the reporting of animal cruelty
· Strengthen bestiality law
· Reporting requirements by greyhound tracks

Pennsylvania
· Oppose bill authorizing Sunday hunting
· Make intentional cruelty a felony
· Prohibit the sale of clothing containing the fur of dogs/cats
· Amend dangerous dog law to create potentially dangerous dog category and to prescribe parameters for keeping such a dog
· Prohibit transportation of equines for slaughter (misdemeanor of third degree)
· Prohibit the hunting/trapping of bobcats Rhode Island
· Prohibit the display of elephants, lions, tigers, or bears unless by an accredited zoo
· Create a civil cause of action where a pet is unlawfully and intentionally/negligently killed
· Prohibit the breeding of pit bulls; require sterilization by the age of five months

South Carolina
· Require cross-reporting of animal abuse by Dep't of Juvenile Justice where suspected in the home; develop treatment plan which includes psychological counseling
· Prohibit possession of exotic animals
· Prohibit canned hunting of deer
· Prohibit the breeding/training of animals for the purpose of fighting/baiting
· Prohibit various aspects of cockfighting, including being a spectator at such a fight

South Dakota
· Establish training and certification of euthanasia technicians in animal shelters and authorize the direct purchase of controlled substances for humane euthanasia

Texas
· Establish training and certification program for euthanasia technicians and authorize shelters to purchase directly controlled substances for humane euthanasia

Utah
· To be determined

Vermont
· Require breeders to retain litters until they reach eight weeks of age and vaccinate the puppies
· Authorize municipalities to regulate the possession/use of body-gripping traps
· Prohibit the use of elephants for public display/entertainment
· Require proper shelter for equines

Washington
· Ban the private possession of dangerous and exotic animals
· Oppose all efforts to repeal the ban on the use of the leghold trap
· Establish humane rearing of chickens

Wisconsin
· Provide funding for pet shop inspections

West Virginia
· Require registration of cats, impoundment of unregistered cats, and their euthanasia or sale
· Increase tax on unsterilized dogs; impose tax on unsterilized cats
· Prohibit unlawful trapping of domestic animals
· Strengthen cruelty law
· Create voluntary check off on income tax returns to obtain donations

Wyoming
· Create animal friendly license plates to fund low cost spay/neuter