If you called already, call again!! If you emailed before, send another email, Facebook and Tweet!! Tell Governor Ducey to VETO SB1248!! This bill is still in the Governor's hands, and he has until May 18th to decide to veto it! Please keep calling, emailing, tweeting, and posting on his Facebook! Action 1: Call Governor Doug Ducey’s office at 602-542-4331 Action 2: Email Governor Ducey. Tell a personal story, if you have one http://azgovernor.gov/governor/form/contact-governor-ducey Action 3: Tweet at the Governor: @dougducey and post on his Facebook: www.facebook.com/dougducey/ Click the link below to see an investigation of a breeder admittedly used by an Arizona pet store chain. This breeder has no current USDA violations, but admits that inspectors look the other way when he does violate the Animal Welfare Act. Please watch the video and try to imagine that the breeding dogs live their entire lives in these conditions, and breed every cycle. When they can no longer breed, no one knows what happens to them. SB1248 is protecting inhumane breeders like this one, and it allows Arizona pet stores to keep doing business with them! http://www.caps-web.org/research-investigations/investigations/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1213&Itemid=269 Major concerns about SB1248: This bill will rely on the USDA to regulate the commercial breeding facilities where pet stores can source their dogs from. According to the USDA standards: • Dogs can live out their entire lives in cages that are no bigger than 6 inches beyond their bodies. • Veterinary care is limited to a written care plan, and most breeders are only accountable for dogs with visible ailments that might be noted by an inspector’s annual visit. • An exercise plan is required ONLY IF the dog is in a space less than 2 times the minimum required. • Cages may be stacked on top of each other. • Animals can be housed outside, with additional bedding required only when temperatures drop below 35 degrees F. • The flooring of the cages can be made of wire, so that the dogs’ feet never touch solid ground. • Primary enclosures and food/water receptacles only have to be washed with soap and water once every two weeks. • Positive human contact with humans is recommended but not required. As inhumane as these standards already are, the USDA standards are inadequately enforced. According to an internal audit, the USDA, itself, found that: • There are not enough inspectors to effectively regulate the number of facilities. • The agency has a history of not aggressively pursuing enforcement actions against Animal Welfare Act violators. • Inspectors failed to cite or document violations to support enforcement. • The enforcement process is ineffective at achieving dealer compliance. Commercial breeders have been found to obtain new USDA license numbers, after their previous licenses were cancelled by the USDA. • SB1248 does NOTHING to stop this from occurring, and in fact, protects pet stores if they use deceptive breeders by only requiring them to “presume to have acted in good faith” that their breeders have not had recent USDA violations. SB1248 takes away the ability of Arizona cities to foster more humane treatment of dogs by enacting their own ordinances to regulate pet stores.