Animal Advocacy Alliance of Utahour work isn't over until the suffering ends.

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Last year, we raised nearly 10,000 pounds of pet food which started off with a pallet of food donated by Associated Foods. The economy has caused such an increase in animals being taken, or even dropped off in the middle of the night, at shelters.

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CatLegislative Action:

From the AnimalLaw Coaliton's Website

Animal Law Coalition

Limiting Pound Seizure in UT

H.B. 107 was introduced by Utah state Rep. Jennifer Seelig. The bill is now before the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee.

Basically, this bill attempts to limit pound seizure which is the policy of providing shelter animals for research, experiments, testing, or "educational purposes". Utah law requires public shelters to make animals available for these Under H.B. 107 a local government would have the discretion to decide not to send animals to be used for research or "educational purposes". The bill would also prohibit making an animal available to be used for research or educational purposes unless: (1)  the animal has been legally impounded for at least five days or a longer period  as provided by local ordinance; (2) the animal has not been claimed or redeemed; and (3)  the animal shelter has made a reasonable effort to find the rightful owner of the animal or to make it available to others.

Significantly, the bill provides that an animal could not be used for research or educational purposes if the surrendering owner signs a statement prohibiting use of the animal in that way.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Please support this bill which amends Utah's law, UT Code § 26-26-3. If you live in Utah, find your state representative here and call or write (faxes are best) and urge him or her to vote yes to H.B. 107.  Let your representative know that you are a constituent, that you live in his or her district.

Also, find committee members here and their contact information here,  and call or write and urge them to vote yes on H.B. 107.

There are two bills before the Legislature this session directly affecting animals.

  1. A bill to end Mandatory Pound Seizure in Utah and lengthen the time period that an animalcan stay in a shleter and it will mandate that shelter employees contact the owners of an animal where a tag or a micro chip exists.  It will also mandates the notifaction of whomever turns in an animal, that the possibility exists that the animalmay end up  in a reasearch facility.  Thebill is HB107, Sponsored by Representative Jennifer Seelig.
  2. We have a bill that states that the only  legal means of euthanasia in Utah will be lethalinjection.  We initially were going to 'grandfather' existing gas chambers, but a surprising opponent of these chambers requested that wetake that phrasing out of the bill.  The bill currently is in the House Rules Committee awaiting amendment.  The bill is HB185, sponsored by Representative Jay Seegmiller.
  3. We had a puppy mill bill, but in as  much as Utah has nothing currently in place that defines and controls the over breeding of dogs and cats, as well as sets condition and care standards.  This issue will be taken up in an interim session in April.  All concerned  with this ssue are encouraged to participate.  Both pro and con.
  4.  

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Letters to the editor are a very important way to increase the public’s awareness of the issues affecting animals in Utah. A letter to the editor should be very short and to the point. Each newspaper will have its own rules about the length of letters, as well as other guidelines. Before you write your letter, please find out what the guidelines are for each paper.

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