The
Dog Owners of Michigan: - Believe that dog
owners have a responsibility to provide proper care for and humane
treatment
of their dogs, including an adequate and nutritious diet, clean water,
clean living conditions, regular veterinary care, kind and responsive
human companionship, and training in appropriate
behavior.
- Support public education
about responsible dog ownership, dog training and behavior, and
responsible
dog breeding.
- Support rescue and
re-homing of adoptable dogs and encourages dog breeders and owners to
support dog rescue efforts.
- Support the training
and use of dogs to provide assistance and service to humans.
- Support the use
of dogs in veterinary and medical research where no alternative
exists,
and provided that researchers comply with all federal, state and local
regulations.
- Support the use
of dogs in sporting activities, working circumstances and in
competition
events.
- Support the right
of Americans to own, breed, train, interact with and exhibit their
purebred
dogs without interference.
- Support reasonable
and enforceable laws that use performance-based standards of care to protect
the welfare and health of dogs without restricting the property rights
of breeders and owners.
- Support state laws
to require shelters to report intake and disposition of unwanted dogs
so that the solutions to canine population problems can be based on
facts.
- Support reasonable,
enforceable dangerous dog laws based on clearly defined dangerous
behavior
and with reasonable penalties.
- Support state laws
outlawing any participation in dog fighting.
- Support the right
of dog owners to choose elective procedures such as ear cropping, tail
docking, debarking, dewclaw removal and spay/neuter operations for
their
dogs, provided these procedures are performed humanely and by a
licensed
veterinarian when necessary.
- Support reasonable
consumer protection laws for puppy buyers provided that such laws are
designed to encourage consumer education and also that such laws take
into account the limitations of a seller’s ability to identify or
predict defects in a living animal, and recommend the adoption of the
National Animal Interest Alliance Dog Purchaser Law. (Model law
at http://www.naiatrust.org/PDF/dogpurchaserlaw.pdf )
- Support the enforcement
of the already-existing common law and statutory offenses of public
and/or private nuisance rather than the enactment of laws that limit
the numbers of pets a person may own.
- Support city, county
and state ordinances giving dog owners the option of electing a
three-year
rabies vaccination protocol.
- Support enforcement
of the federal Animal Welfare Act and American Kennel Club and United
Kennel Club rules and regulations.
- Support legislation
that rewards owners who permanently identify their pets by means of
microchip or tattoo.
- Oppose legislation
that restricts an owner’s right to humanely restrain a dog by
tethering
or that establishes “one size fits all” requirements for crates
and kennels.
- Oppose government
restriction on dog breeding by means of breeding bans, breeding
permits
or mandatory spay/neuter laws.
- Oppose dangerous
dog laws based on breed, type or size of dog.
- Oppose statutes
that label such normal conditioning tools as treadmills and flirt
poles
as dog fighting paraphernalia.
- Oppose any statute
that redefines the relationship between dog and owner so that the
owner’s
constitutionally protected property rights are in any way diminished.
Specifically, we oppose redefining dog owners as “guardians.”
- Oppose setting
limits on the number of pets an individual may own.
- Oppose warrantless
searches of breeders’ or pet owners’ homes.
- Support the legislative
work of and membership in the National Animal Interest Alliance, state
federations of dog clubs and other allied groups.
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