HB 409 Details
Opposition Statement by Georgia Animal Control (PDF):
GA Animal Control Assoc opposes HB409! http://j.mp/YxXsGU #PetRescue #GAPOL
State Representatives attending tomorrows hearing and able to vote this forward or put a stop to it HERE and NOW.
Albany Dist 154 Winfred Dukes wwdukes_2000@yahoo.com 229.432.9891
Ambrose GA District 169 Chuck.sims@house.ga.gov 404 656 7855|912.384.1234
Athens UGA Dist 117 Regina Quick Regina.quick@house.ga.gov,
Avondale Estates Dist 87 Coach Earnest Williams Earnest.williams@house.ga.gov 404 656 0202
Brunswick Dist 127 Jeff Chapman, jeff.chapman@house.ga.gov, 404 656 0126
Canton Dist 22 Calvin Hill Calvin.hill@house.ga.gov 404 656 7855|678.493.7257
Carrolton Dist 18 Kevin Cooke Kevin.cooke@house.ga.gov Carrollton
Carrolton Dist 18 Kevin Cooke Kevin.cooke@house.ga.gov Carrollton
Clarksville Dist 10 Terry Rogers Terry.rogers@house.ga.gov 404 656 0178 706.754.0706
Eastman Dist 149 Jimmy Pruett Jimmy.Pruett@house.ga.gov 404.656.3947|478.374.4316
Sample email: Vote No on HB 409
Hi Rep. ____________
Sample Greeting I don’t know if you remember me, but I came out and tried to help on your campaign when you first ran for office. I had connected with your Mom, --------. Hope your parents and you are well.
Like most folks, I know that you are a compassionate person who loves animals. Did you know an estimated 300,000 pets are killed in GA shelters every year because people do not spay and neuter their animals? Georgia Taxpayers already spend at the County Level an estimated statewide aggregate cost of $100 million a year running animal control and euthanizing 1000's of animals, 85% are estimated to be adoptable. The numbers are cited in the proposal to solve this problem, once and for all, by the SEPRR 3 Year Free Spay Neuter Program, details can be viewed here.
Did you know that animal controls across our state want to put an end to this senseless waste thru low cost and free spay neuter? While Georgia's current practices are already deemed a wasteful practice, this bill comes along and will only make the problem explode!
Ask your county officials how much they budget for animal control every year. Then ask them how many animals that are otherwise adoptable must be killed, and how few are ever rescued. Then ask them how much it would cost to run a county wide spay neuter program, and how much money it would save over the near and long term. I am all about saving tax payers money, and when it can save lives too, especially in a humane manner, then so much the better.
Rescues and county/city animal controls all over the state are combating this senseless killing of our beautiful, healthy homeless pets. Coincidently, perhaps even fortuitously, tomorrow at 3 PM there will be a press conference addressing this very crisis at which Ag Commissioner Gary Black will speak. You are invited.(View Press Conference Details Here)
At 1 PM there will be a hearing on HB 409 which will set GA back twenty years if passed. It puts great restrictions on local counties and cities to enact their own animal welfare laws from regulating spay and neuter to tethering. I have heard from the GA Animal Control Association, individual Animal Control Directors, prosecutors, solicitors and rescues working to reduce the killing of 300,000 GA pets.
All are opposed to HB 409. I’m afraid that special interest groups may be trying to affect GA law for their own profit and other endeavors. There will be a fact sheet coming out on this, but this bill was just introduced and we have had short notice to oppose it.
I appeal to your decency as a humane person to vote NO on this bill should it come up for a vote. Thank you.
I will be at the Capitol tomorrow and will look for you.
Yours,
NAME
