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CFA Legislative ALERT

CFA LEGISLATIVE ALERT - CALIFORNIA AB 1634

California Veterinarians - Take Action to Oppose AB 1634

Fanciers:

The letter below is from Dr. Charles A. Hjerpe, Professor Emeritus, University of California Davis College of Veterinary Medicine to the California Veterinary Medical Association.  This is an example of the outrage felt by many veterinarians in California concerning AB 1634, mandatory spay/neuter bill.  Urge your Veterinarians to join the growing numbers who now oppose this bill and insist that the CVMA withdraw their sponsorship.  The CVMA President, Ron Faoro, must hear from veterinarians in California, both members and non CVMA members.  

What YOU can do:

1. Veterinarians should write a brief one page letter to their own Assembly Member expressing opposition to this bill.  To find one's own legislators go to the State website.  

2. Have your veterinarian go to the NAIA website to add their name to the growing list of California veterinarians opposed to AB 1634.  Scroll to the section with letters and editorials to see several good letters from Dr.Hjerpe with points.   

3. Ask your veterinarian to send a letter to the CVMA requesting they withdraw their support for this detrimental and misdirected legislation.  Print out the CFA letter to the CVMA, written March 8, 2007 right after the bill was introduced.  

   Address letters to:  

   Dr. Ron Faoro, President
   Valerie Fenstermaker, Executive Director
   California Veterinary Medical Association
   1400 River Park Drive, Suite 100
   Sacramento, CA 95815-4505
   FAX to:         916-646-9156  
   Email:          staff@cvma.net
   Phone:         916-649-0599  

4. Give a copy of the CFA article "Mandatory Spay/Neuter - the Wrong Answer for Cat Lovers" to your veterinarians so they can educate pet owner clients on why we oppose this legislation. We are concerned with the negative impact on pedigreed cat breeds/purebred dogs, working dogs, law enforcement dogs and the homeless free-roaming cats.  

5. Print the Alley Cat Allies opposition statement so your veterinarian, who may think this is a good law to reduce homeless cats, will know how detrimental it is. 

As long as the CVMA is a sponsor of AB 1634 the public and lawmakers will believe the bill has credibility.

With thanks to the group of San Diego veterinarians, Dr. Hjerpe and the NAIA for taking the lead in reaching California veterinarians.  

Joan Miller
CFA Legislative Coordinator
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<< I have permission from Dr. Charles A. Hjerpe, Emeritus Professor at University of California Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, to share his letter to the California Veterinary Medical Association ....... Please distribute this powerful and excellent letter far and wide, ASAP!!!

Sharon Vanderlip, D.V.M.>>

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Letter as a PDF file

Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 10:18 AM
Subject: AB 1634

To President Ron Faoro and the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) Board of Governors:

Dear Dr. Faoro and CVMA Governors:

I hope that CVMA will learn something from the mess you have created by writing and sponsoring AB 1634. The leadership of your organization which, supposedly, represents the interests of all veterinarians, helped to write a controversial bill in secret, without any input from rank and file CVMA membership, or any broad consultation with the animal lovers and their organizations that would be adversely impacted by the bill. The bill proposes to deprive more than half of the citizens of California of what they have come to believe, and have every right to believe, is a basic civil and constitutional right: that every citizen has the right to decide if they want to spay or neuter their animals and, if so, when they would like to do it. CVMA has jeopardized the reputation of the entire veterinary profession, by supporting a piece of legislation which has enraged millions of animal owners and promises to enrich one segment of the veterinary profession. Now that the legislation you have helped to create has been high-jacked by some of the most extreme elements in society, CVMA remains absolutely silent, aloof from the problems and concerns of "the huddled masses" and, seemingly, powerless or fearful to try to "fix" anything. Meanwhile, thousands of rank-and-file veterinarians and animal lovers are being forced to  become involved in things that we hate doing: writing letters to politicians, rallying support from breed organizations, meeting with our elected representatives and attending legislative hearings. I am attaching two of the letters I have written, as they provide examples of the problems with the piece of legislation of which you are so proud.

The tragedy of this whole fiasco is that "it is all for naught". The evidence from past experiences with Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws is that they make the problems worse, rather than better. As an example, I have copied (see below) some statistics from the web site of Save our Dogs www.saveourdogs.net/population.html>. There are plenty of other studies out there that have come to the same conclusion. You should have researched this whole issue more thoroughly, before you put the collective heads of the veterinary profession "on the chopping block".

Sincerely,
Charles A. Hjerpe, DVM
former CVMA member and emeritus professor of veterinary medicine, UC Davis

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To correspond with the CFA Legislative Committee, please send email to legislation@cfa.org