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URGENT HELP NEEDED
to Pass NJ Animal Anti-Cruelty Law


PLEASE ACT BEFORE MONDAY 6.9.2008
Dear Friends of Animal Well-Being ...  
 
If you are in NJ PLEASE ACT ON THIS NOW!!!  OR 
If you have a friend or relative in NJ, PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO THEM AND ASK THEM TO ACT NOW!!!

THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO CHANGE A LAW AFFECTING HOW ANIMAL CRUELTY AND ABUSE CASES ARE LEGISLATED IN NJ!!! 

The Animal Cruelty Recodification and Modernization Act (S. 1516) would, among other positive changes, increase penalties for certain acts and update the current law's outdated language. Unfortunately, S. 1516, now before the New Jersey Senate Economic Growth Committee, has NOT been placed on the agenda for the committee's last hearing before summer recess. The hearing is this Monday, June 9. If S. 1516 is not heard, it may not have sufficient momentum to pass both houses next year.

What You Can Do  
USE YOUR VOICE to convince members of the Senate Economic Growth Committee to make time on Monday for this important legislation. Please call Senator Raymond Lesniak, chair of the Senate Economic Growth Committee, at (908) 624-0880 TODAY to urge revision of Monday's agenda to include S. 1516. YOU can call Sr. Lesniak directly even if you are not one of his constituents!  
 
If you are not in NJ, please call or contact any friend or relative you have in NJ, who cares about animal well-being, and urge them to act NOW!
 
The categorization of crimes (and their punishments) in the United States is under the control of the individual state governments.  Changing a State law is a difficult and lengthy process at best, no matter how just the cause.

Please take action today - one person can make a difference. Remember, all great changes begin with ONE person! PLEASE BE THAT PERSON!   
 
Legislation
 New Jersey: Support Bill to Restrict Cruel, Dangerous Chaining of Dogs

Update 2/19/08

BILLS A2773 AND S1705 Establish animal cruelty offenses pertaining
to chaining or other restraint of animals.

Bills A2773 and S1705 were not posted for a vote during the last
legislative session. These are very important bills and we need your
help to get them reintroduced during the new session so that they
do not disappear forever.
Please contact the assemblymen and assemblywomen below.

HTTP://WWW.NJLEG.STATE.NJ.US/SELECTMUN.ASP

CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR(S)

Copy and paste this letter:
"I respectfully request that bills A2773 and S1705 be reintroduced
during this new session.

Over thirty different states have communities with ordinances that ban,
limit time, or set are standards for chained dogs. Please reintroduce
and upgrade these bills to eliminate chaining altogether. By banning
dog chaining, we are moving in the right direction to a safer community."
TO CONTACT THE THREE ASSEMBLYMEN BELOW:
HTTP://WWW.NJLEG.STATE.NJ.US/MEMBERS/BIO.ASP?LEG=31
* Holzapfel, James W. as Primary Sponsor of A2773
* Wolfe, David W. as Primary Sponsor of A2773
* Ciesla, Andrew R. as Primary Sponsor of S1705

TO CONTACT THE TWO ASSEMBLYMEN BELOW:
HTTP://WWW.NJLEG.STATE.NJ.US/MEMBERS/BIO.ASP?LEG=299
* Van Drew, Jeff as Co-Sponsor of A2773
* Albano, Nelson T. as Primary Sponsor of A2773

TO CONTACT THE INDIVIDUAL ASSEMBLYMEN AND ASSEMBLYWOMEN BELOW:
* Voss, Joan M. as Primary Sponsor of A2773 -
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=244
* Diegnan, Patrick J., Jr. as Co-Sponsor of A2773 -
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=203
* Giblin, Thomas P. as Co-Sponsor of A2773
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=257

As you know, keeping dogs chained—or as it's sometimes called,
"tethering" — is cruel, because it deprives these highly social pack
animals of proper socialization and often leaves them unable to reach
whatever shelter, food, and water they've been provided.

The dogs grow aggressively protective of their tiny space and often
attack children who come near them. Legislation that would help
make the state a safer place for dogs and the public — Senate Bill
No. 1705 and its companion bill, Assembly Bill No. 2773 — has
been introduced in the New Jersey Legislature. Today, please urge
your legislators to do the right thing and support this legislation.

If it becomes law, S1705 and the identically worded A2773 would
prohibit chaining or otherwise restraining animals such that they're
deprived of the ability to properly eat, drink, access shelter, remain
in good health, or avoid serious injury. Those convicted of violations
would be guilty of a disorderly persons offense and facefines of up
to $1,000.

Today, please politely urge your state senator and assembly member to
support S1705 and A2773, respectively. You can find your legislators'
names and contact information here.
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/legsearch.asp
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2006/Bills/S2000/1705_I1.HTM
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2006/Bills/A3000/2773_I1.HTM

SYNOPSIS
Establishes animal cruelty offenses pertaining to chaining or other
restraint of animals. Please contact Senator Asselta, Assemblyman
Van Drew and Assemblyman Albano today in support of A-2773
and S1705. Or, contact your Senator and Assemblymen.

Please ask them to support and upgrade the bills to eliminate
chaining altogether as have California and Maryland Senates
this month.

PLEASE follow your email with written correspondence which always
has a greater impact than email.

Click on:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/abcroster.asp
Click on Asselta
Click on Contact Your Legislator
Click on Select Your Representatives
Complete form
Repeat for Van Drew and Albano
Senator Nicholas Asselta, Republican
District Office: Main Tree Commons, 1450 East Chestnut Avenue,
Building 1, Suite B, Vineland, NJ 08361 (856)-691-3004
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/asselta.asp

Assemblyman Nelson T. Albano, Democrat
District Office: 21 North Main Street, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
(609)-465-0700
District Office: 223 East Main Street, Millville, NJ 08332 (856)-293-8353
District Office: 1028 East Landis Avenue, Vineland, NJ 08360 (856)-696-7109
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/albano.asp


Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew, Democrat
District Office: 21 North Main Street, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
(609)-465-0700
District Office: 223 East Main Street, Millville, NJ 08332 (856)-293-8353
District Office: 1028 East Landis Avenue, Vineland, NJ 08360 (856)-696-7109
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/vandrew.asp
 

Follow the links below and listen to Dec 5th & Dec 12th. NJAFA President, Kathy McGuire can be heard on the tapes.
     
Monday, December 12, 2005 Committee Room 6 Listen
     
Monday, December 05, 2005 Committee Room 1 Listen

Senate Unanimously Passes Animal Fighting Bill; Call On President Bush To Sign This Historic Legislation

April 11, 2007 : 12:00 AM

The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed the Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act! The bill, H.R. 137, previously passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 368-39. The bill will now be sent to President Bush for his signature.

 Call on President Bush to sign this important legislation. Contact the President

It has taken proponents 6 years to pass this bill. The new law creates felony penalties for any interstate or foreign sale, purchase, transfer, delivery or receipt of animals for fighting purposes. It will be illegal to sponsor or exhibit animals moved in interstate or foreign commerce in fighting ventures. It will even be illegal to use the mails to promote such events.

This new law will give law enforcement the tools needed to crack down on the growing underworld of dogfighting and cockfighting. The law even bans the interstate and foreign movement of cockfighting paraphernalia, "a knife, a gaff, or any other sharp instrument" attached to the legs of roosters to "enhance" cockfighting.

Dog fighting and cock fighting, in particular, are brutal activities, cruel for the animals, and characterized by illicit drug sales, illegal gambling, weapons and violence. In these blood sports the animals are moved not only from county to county but state to state and country to country for fighting that takes place all over the world. State and local laws are simply not able to stop the sale, purchase, or movement of dogs or birds across state and international borders for fighting.

The prevalence of cockfighting has also raised concerns about the spread of bird flu.

Violators of the new law will face fines and up to 3 years in prison.

http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillsByNumber.asp