[oucorry]

Hunting dog retrieval bills
California, Missouri and Georgia move to protect hunters
U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance



Additional protections for sportsmen and their hunting dogs could be on the way in the California, Missouri and Georgia.

Bills making it illegal to remove a dog's tracking collar without the consent of the dog owner have been introduced in the legislature of the three states.

California Assembly Bill 2132, introduced by Assemblyman Guy Houston (R-San Ramon), is being heard in the Assembly Public Safety Committee. The bill would prohibit the intentional removal of a dog's collar and would give the courts the ability to grant restitution for lost breeding revenues in addition to the required restitution of the dog's value.

Representative Brian Munzlinger (R-Williamstown) introduced Missouri House Bill 2039 which makes it a Class A Misdemeanor to intentionally remove a dog's collar. The bill is currently in the House Conservation and Natural Resources Committee. This bill also requires violators to provide restitution for the value of the dog, and may also allow the courts to require restitution for any lost breeding revenue caused by the loss of the dog.

In Georgia, Senate Bill 520 was recently introduced by Senators Greg Goggans (R-Douglas), Ross Tolleson (R-Perry), Ralph Hudgens (R-Comer) and Jeff Chapman (R-Brunswick). The bill which makes intentional removal of a collar a misdemeanor also requires restitution for the value of the dog. The bill passed the Senate on March 5th by a vote of 126-0. The bill is awaiting further hearings before the Georgia House of Representatives.

[birdman]

WTF??? Why would you need legislation for this? What is reasoning for people removing collars? I catch a stranger messing around with my dogs (removing collars) their gonna have more to worry about than a Misdemeanor.

[D Winkler]

Why would you need a bill for this? I would think messing with someones dog like that would be illegal anyway.

[oucorry]

The sad part about this is, that you know that have had more than one case on this, or they just don't have anything better to do.

[shortbus]

I'm guessing it's due to PETA types and other organizations in California intentionally doing this to hunting dogs to separate them from their owners due to their disdain for hunting.

I'm just pulling that out of my a$$ but it stands to reason I guess.

[oucorry]

Sounded good to me

[S and J KENNELS]

There is a BIG problem with that sort of thing going on in Texas right now. Alot of "city" folks are moving into the rual areas and either taking the "harmful collars" aka tracking system off and distroying them, shooting the dogs as they are mean, or both. Recently somebody turned a tracking system off, shot the dog, and then called the owner of the dog to brag about it. What is this world coming too? Nobody has any respect for other folks property any more.

[oucorry]

That would get me a little fired up if someone did that to my dog.