|
New Jersey State Legislation
A 1135
On October 4, 2004 this bill was combined with A2373. This bill
prohibits insurance underwriters from discriminating against
homeowners based on a dog's breed. Insurance companies have been
fighting this bill. This bill needs support from the dog owning
public. Contact Assembly Majority Leader, Joseph Roberts, as well
as your own assembly member and ask them for their support and to
bring this to the floor for a vote.
What You Can Do:
Contact Assembly Majority Leader,
Joseph J. Roberts, Jr.
Brooklawn Shopping Center Plaza
Route 139 & Browning Road
Brooklawn, NJ 08030
(856) 742-7600
AsmRoberts@njleg.org
Contact your own New Jersey State Assemblyman/woman.
Tell him/her that the passage of this bill is very important to
you and urge him/her to support this bill. To find out who is your
representative go to: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/legsearch.asp
A3219
Sponsored by Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein, Legislative District
14.
Requires all cats and dogs released from pounds and shelters be
sterilized with certain exceptions; establishes special fund for
sterilizations; increases certain dog-related fees and dedicates
increases to the fund. The bill is complex and contains factual
errors, such as referring to "professional licensed breeders,
registered with the American Kennel Club". It would place the
entire licensing burden on the dog owners by increasing the
differential portion of the license for an unsterilized dog to $20.
A delegation from the NJFDC met with
Assemblywoman Greenstein and several other parties concerned with
this bill. We have agreed to meet again with some revisions to the
bill. Anyone who wishes to let the Assemblywoman know their
position on this bill may contact her office.
Contact:
Assemblywoman Linda R. Greenstein
7 Centre Drive, Suite 2
Monroe, NJ 08831-1565
609-395-9911
FAX (609)-395-9032
AsmGreenstein@njleg.org
A3578
Sponsored by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora and Assemblywoman Bonnie
Watson Coleman, both District 15 (Mercer)
This bill requires an animal to be removed from any individual
who is found to have trained, tormented, badgered, baited or
encouraged the animal to engage in unprovoked attacks upon persons
or domestic animals. Individuals who have had an animal removed for
the above reasons would not be permitted to own, harbor, possess or
adopt, or reside with an animal for two years without posting a
$550,000 bond. Anyone found violating this act would be fined
$2,000.
While this bill had good intentions of removing animals from
individuals who intended to use them for harmful purposes (mostly
dog fighting), it does not handle the real problem of failing to
enforce existing laws dealing with dangerous or vicious dogs. It
offers no alternative for children who encourage their dog to be
aggressive towards another child, or dog and whose family may own
other pets. Does this mean the family must be made to give up all
their pets? It also does not mention where the money from the fines
is to go or who is enforcing this law. Who in the end is harmed by
this law? The intentions may have been good by the outcome is not
so certain.
Contact:
Assemblyman Reed Gusciora and Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson
Coleman
226 W. State Street
Trenton, NJ 08608
609-292-0500
AsmGusciora@njleg.org and AsmColeman@njleg.org
A3873
Sponsored by Assemblyman John Rooney, Legislative District 39
(Bergen)
This bill was introduced on March 1, 2005. It requires the
reporting of all dog bites by animal control, doctors, vets, parents
or other caregivers to the local public health officer, who will
then forward the information to Department of Health and Senior
Services (DHSS) and municipal prosecutors. It also includes any dog
or cat bitten by a dog. This bill requires municipal court hearings
for dog owners whose dogs have been impounded. This is a bad bill,
as written. We urge you to contact the Bill's sponsor and tell him
of your feelings.
Contact:
Assemblyman John E. Rooney
Valley Office Park
436 Old Hook Road
Emerson, NJ 07630
|
