Callie inspired Dexter's Law   A bill introduced by Florida Senator Mike Fasano proposed to have all persons convicted of an animal abuse offense register with the state animal abuse registry, which would be available for public inquiry on the Internet. This bill would come into effect October 1, 2012. On a related note, Senator Fasano also introduced the Domestic Violence Against Family Pets bill on the same day. The bill would ensure that a...

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The movement to ban dog auctions in Ohio is gaining momentum. The Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions (CBODA) advocacy group has been working for several years to gather enough signatures to be able to present the Ohio Dog Auctions Act to the Ohio General Assembly. The CBODA recently collected the necessary number of signatures and is awaitng the certification review in order to be able to present the bill to the Ohio General Assembly....

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For the first time in nine years, ownership of pit bulls is officially legal in Cincinnati, Minneapolis. Cincinnati City Council voted 8-1 to officially repeal the breed-specific legislation. Cincinnati's vicious dog ordinance, which previously made ownership of pit bulls within city limits illegal, will be changed. The amendments to Section 701-1-V of the Cincinnati Municipal code completely remove breed-specific terminology. Dog lovers and animal welfare advocates are celebrating. "It's fantastic. It's been a long effort, but...

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Dog owners in Arlington, Texas will not be allowed to tie up their dogs and leave them alone outside, according to a new anti-tethering law. The new city ordinance prohibits owners from using a chain, rope, tether, leash, cable or any other device to restrain an unattended dog to a stationary object or trolley system, unless the owner remains in physical control of the animal. The ordinance will be introduced on May 18th and is...

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Irresponsible dog owners of dangerously out of control dogs will face jail time under new legal guidelines introduced in England and Wales. Judges were advised that people who fail to stop their dog from attacking others should face at least six months in jail with a maximum sentence of eighteen months. The changes come after recent statistics revealed a dramatic increase in dog attacks throughout the country. Over 210,000 people are attacked by dogs each...

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is planning to close a longstanding loophole in federal animal welfare law to regulate dog breeders who sell dogs on Internet in the United States. The proposed changes to the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) would mean that dog breeders that sell puppies on the Internet would face tighter scrutiny under a proposed rule change. Many of the ads for puppies placed online are from large-scale commercial facilities where dogs...

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Pit bulls, American Staffordshire Terriers and seven other breeds are once again able to fly the friendly skies with United Airlines. United has lifted its ban on 9 breeds of dogs that were previously disallowed to fly with the airline. The revisions to its pet-restriction policy were made in response to customer feedback that included an online petition which had gathered over 45,000 signatures. The nine breeds restricted were: Pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier,...

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Frederick County Animal Control shelter in Maryland is once again adopting out pit bulls, after temporarily halting adoptions of the breed and breed mxes earlier in the week. The shelter stopped adopting the dogs after the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled that pit bulls are inherently dangerous. According to the decision handed down by Judge Dale R. Cathell (Tracey v. Solesky), prior violent behavior no longer must be proved by plaintiffs for the dog's owner...

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Many people still don't realize that there are millions of incredible dogs waiting to be adopted at animal shelters. Max A Pooch the throaway dog who is trying to raise awareness of this fact. He is a nominee of the 2012 American Humane Association Hero Dogs Award competion. If he wins he will have a national platform from which to communicate. Vote for Max A Pooch every day between now and June 30 at http://www.herodogawards.org/vote/?nominee=61639598

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Steal a dog, go to jail. That's what a bill passed in New York State Senate proposes to do by making the theft of a dog or cat a felony. The bill is aimed at helping prevent the theft of pets by increasing the penalties for committing the crime. Senate Bill S.946 is sponsored by Senator Carl L. Marcellino (R, Syosset). "Dogs and cats are stolen and sold for many reasons: dog-fighting, puppy-mills, prey for...

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Please sign the petition to help make a change in Cisco's (the dog killed "by mistake" by a policeman in Austin, TX, USA) name!http://www.change.org/petitions/justice-for-cisco-dog-killed-by-austin-police-department4 hours ago outrageous update: "No investigation. No disciplinary action.As far as APD is concerned the case is closed.A similar incident occurred on September 11th, 2011. At the time APD and City Counsel determined that mandatory training for officers in regards to dealing with domestic animals would be given to cadets, and as a...

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Michigan has proposed several bills aimed at improving current legislation for animal welfare on issues such as animal abuse, dog fighting and puppy mills. In the last month, two high profile cases have spotlighted the urgency for changes to be made to update laws in order to better protect dogs.  Michigan State Representative Harvey Santana, D-Detroit introduced two bills last month in an effort to toughen legislation against animal cruelty and dog fighting. One bill...

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