Looking to grow government with some 4th Amendment infringements, a side of the slippery slope and a bit of infringing on your property rights? HB688 fits the Bill.
This legislation establishes the Companion Animal Welfare Division within the Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food. It will,
- Establish a statewide animal transfer database to track animal transfers, licensed and registered pet vendors, shelters, and hobby breeders, animal health certificates and records, and municipal licenses of pets.
- License, register, regulate, inspect, and investigate pet vendors, shelters, and hobby breeders to ensure compliance with the requirements of this bill, such as, sanitary conditions for animals and appropriate record keeping.
You read that right. A database for licensing Hobby Breeders, Pet Vendors, Animal Shelters and tracking all the domestic animals in the State.
With eight inspectors that can just pop on in whenever they feel like it so who needs those stinking 4th Amendment rights. Certainly not pet vendors, shelters and hobby breeders.
What’s next? Inspectors coming onto your property to make sure you have properly watered the plants in your garden?
Are you Buying a Pet from Outside NH?
HB688 says you not only won’t be bringing it right home the expense has just gone up! Your new pet
“shall be held at least 48 hours at a facility licensed under RSA 437 or at a facility operated by a licensed veterinarian…”
Oh, and they will need an “interstate certificate of veterinary inspection… ” and only after the following can you take your new pet home
“Evidence of the satisfaction of the quarantine requirement in subparagraph (a), the accompanying interstate certificate of veterinary inspection, and the issued health certificate upon transfer shall be reported to the department.”
If I were to list off all the requirements, we would run out of space!
Why Does NH Need a Ministry Of Pets?
When I spoke to a co-sponsor of HB688, they stated that,
“The problem we are trying to solve is we have many small breeders around the state and unfortunately a few of them are not conscientious in their animal care and welfare.”
And punishing everyone is conscientious government?
The database proposed to “solve” the problem could create more problems Radical animal rights groups could use the state database to gain easy access to every animal breeder and seller in the State.
People who have no knowledge of the new law, that has a litter of bunnies to sell would become criminals.
On top of that New Hampshire already has sufficient animal cruelty and welfare laws. Those laws simply need to be enforced. A better use of some of that money they are proposing to spend.
So what is all this government growth going to cost us?
They are anticipating an expense of $455,000 per year for the first two years for the IT Contractor and the construction of the database. Starting the third year they plan to spend $1,533,000 on personnel, database, licensing, and support, and a hearing officer contractor. And an expected increase of 14.5 State Employees, 8 of which are inspectors.
What a gross misuse of tax dollars and resources!
What appears on its face to be a kind-hearted “protect our puppies bill” gets us used to the idea of data collection, inspections, and tracking. Our elected officials are overreaching yet again.
Training people to be more open to these invasions in other areas of their lives. Take Oregon for example. They could become the first State to require in-home universal surveillance of newborn babies!
“Patrick Allen, director of the Oregon Health Authority, told the Beaverton Valley Times that he’s enthusiastic about the idea of universal inspections for newborns. “This isn’t something for people in trouble. This is stuff all kids need. Stuff my kids needed,” Allen said.”
Really Patrick? What kind of parent were you that your babies needed State monitoring?
Call to Action!
Please contact the members of the House Environment and Agriculture Committee, and tell them to kill HB688.
