Sportsmen and women, if you live in the City of Indianapolis or Marion County, Indiana and own at least one intact dog then you will want to attend this hearing. At 5:30 p.m., on Monday, July 15, the Indianapolis City-County Council, Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee is scheduled to hear an overreaching proposal to require all dog owners to register any intact dog over six months to the new, Marion County Unaltered Animal Registry.
“The proper care of animals is a serious subject and one that is important to the Sportsmen’s Alliance. However, we will not stand on the sidelines letting animal “care” advocates lump responsible sporting dog owners and breeders into the same categories as those who mistreat animals in any way, shape, or form,” said Naomi Farmer, associate director of legislative affairs at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “Instead of creating a lazy overbroad new definition to address this issue, the council needs to listen to sportsmen and fix this massive over-reach because we are not the problem.”
In a feel-good effort to reduce the overcrowding at animal shelters, Proposal 207,2024 was introduced. This overreaching proposal requires the owners of any unaltered dogs to annually register in the “free” Unaltered Animal Registry, which is not so free on several levels. Upon registering you agree to adhere to the Guidelines for Responsible Unaltered Animal Ownership. This entails:
- An annual veterinary exam that includes an oral exam and the administration of core vaccinations as recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association, including a current rabies vaccination for all dogs over 3 months of age and vaccinations necessary to prevent common canine diseases, such as Parvovirus.
- Keeping records for a period of two (2) years from the date of birth as to the birth of each litter of dogs and keep records for a period of two (2) years from the date of sale of the name, address and telephone number of each buyer or new owner/guardian of any dog sold or transferred.
- Reporting new litters to Indianapolis Animal Care Services (IACS) prior to the birth of the puppies, or within two (2) weeks of the litter being born,
- A female dog shall not be bred if the dog has not maintained a normal body condition and been declared healthy enough for breeding by a veterinarian following a physical examination. No female dog shall birth more than one litter per 18-month period, and six litters in her lifetime.
- Obtaining a unique “Litter ID Number” from IACS that must be included in:
- Any offer for the sale or transfer of the puppies, and
- Provided to the purchaser or recipient of any puppies.
- Microchipping – All puppies shall be microchipped prior to being sold or transferred. New owners shall be responsible for updating the microchip information.
If you are unable to attend the Monday hearing, use our Take Action button to email and/or call the members of the City-County Council urging them not to lump responsible dog owners and breeders into the animal “care” advocates unsavory category of “backyard” breeders. Ask them to OPPOSE Proposal 207, 2024.
This is not the first time, the Sportsmen’s Alliance has seen animal-rights advocates working to enact local proposals and ordinances adding overreaching government-mandated oversight to the masses in the name of animal welfare. And we know they will just come back year after year to broaden the burdensome requirements of caring for pets with hopes of wiping out hunting with dogs.
Sportsmen and women must take local proposals like this seriously. If you have family and friends who live in Marion County, do not forget to share this important alert with them.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance and its supporting Foundation protect and defend America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. The organization accomplishes this mission through several distinct programs, including public education, advocacy, litigation and research. Stay connected to the Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
