AS THE LAW IS WRITTEN NOW. YOU GO TO YOUR VET AND GET THE SHOT,TAGS AND CERTIFICATE, THE VET GETS THE PROFIT. THIS IS AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN OWNER RESPONSIBILITY. NOW YOU ARE HAVING ANIMAL OWNERS MAKING TWO TRIPS TO GET A LICENSE. THE COUNTY GETS THE PROFITS. WHO DOES THIS BENEFIT? THE COUNTY TO GENERATE MORE REVENUE. LEAVE THE LAW THE WAY IT IS. IT WORKS. IT DOES NOT BENEFIT THE DOG OR ITS OWNER. IT WILL NOT MAKE PEOPLE THAT DO NOT FOLLOW THE LAW GET THEIR RABIES TAGS. EXAMPLE: AN INDIVIDUAL CAN PURCHASE RABIES VACCINES BUT MUST BE ADMINISTERED BY A LICENSED VET.

You seem not to be reading anything about bills before you comment on them. This bill would not in any way do what you say that it would do. All it does is keeps private records of rabies vaccinations.

Waldo-
HB537's a very tricky bill. If you read it carefully and are familiar with the documents involved, it's evident (but hardly clear) the bill's intent is to destroy any record of the veterniaran's name that supplied the rabies certificate to the local treasurer. The press association and VVMA both supported Bobby Orrock's smoke and mirrors effort.
Bob

Why are all the breeders and so suspicious of any animal Bill? What are they hiding? Are they afraid the IRS will catch then for not reporting all those puppies they breed & sell? I'd say yes! They are so greedy! They sure don;'t mind all of us tax paying people to make up the deficit for all those dogs they breed. Look at your county budget? Compare it w/previous years! See what I mean? Up & up every year! Make those breeders pay their fair share. We're sick of cleaning up after them.

Florida tried a law that mandated vets report to the local county treasurer information on each pet who received a rabies license. It was a disaster. In 2 years time, rabies vaccination fell through the floor as individuals with more than the legal pet limit (which is usually 3 or less) stopped vaccinating pets for rabies. The incidence of confirmed reported rabies went way up, particularly in middle and south Florida where going to a vet out of state for a rabies shot was not a very viable option (areas south of Orlando can take up to 8 hours drive to reach the state line). Finally, the state Veterinary Association said enough is enough, petitioned the legislators to repeal the bill, and succeeded in doing so. For those who say the only opponents and scuffaws would be the so-called breeders I say not so. Because of zoning and limit laws, that latter of which have been held unconstitutional, this legislation will most affect the kind hearted soul who has opened up their homes to more than the legislated allowed number. It won't take too many times of Animal Control or zoning showing up at individuals home demanding the removal of the excess animals, they don't care how (Where's the AR's concern over impact on these animals and near certain fate of execution at the local humane society and the fact this legislation will help contribute to their numbers?) before word will get out, if you've got more than the three or four allowed pets don't get your animal's rabies shot in this state and don't license.

This bill will NOT solve the problem of information about the number of pets you have, what type of breed they are and whether they are intact or neutered being public access information for any and all who desire it. Read what it says it ONLY EXEMPTS INFO NOT APPEARING ON THE LICENSE APPLICATION. Go pull up your local license application. Its all there and accessibe to any would be theif who want to steal you dobe, rottweiler, Staffordshire, yorkshire terrier, or any other they deem valuble whether for fighting, a guard dog, hunting dog, or use as a breeder (remember it lists whether dog is spayed or not); it makes your info available to any Animal Rights activist who wants to target you because you have the wrong breed or are a breeder as evidenced by the fact you have intact animals; if the bill defining abandoment as 24 hours and allows warrantless seizures passes it also makes you a target for overzealous animal control officers or "citizen humane officers" to target you for again, having the wrong breeds, being a "breeder" for having intact dogs, or having too many; It makes you a target for communities trying to enforce their limit laws (which have been found unconstitutional) because it will enable them to see how many animals you have; and it could and most probably would result in the canecellation of home insurance policies for having the wrong breeds by companies looking to reduce their costs; It will also provide the Animal Rights extremists with a much needed database to be used if or when they pass their compulsory spay/neuter bill to locate all those "breeders" out there by counting the number of intact dogs they've got.

This Bill does NOT correct the problem of reduced rabies compliance and its companion reduced licensure. All it will due is insolate the Vet who reported the info from possible litigation.

The only bill that would have corrected this problem would have been the one that repealed the rabies "Gotcha" law in its entirety. Will it take a rabies epidemic like what occurred in Florida before Virginia wakes up and realizes the fallacy of this bill?