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THIS ALERT IS CLOSED. It is a live archive
to use
as a letter-writing example and for background research.
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We couldn't have done it without Kinship Circle.
"Dear Kinship Circle — On April 22, 2010 Gov. Deval Patrick signed Logan’s Law, making
Massachusetts the
first state in
the nation with an effective law banning the cruel practice of canine and feline
devocalization — cutting vocal
cords to suppress the voice.
Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets couldn’t have done
it without Kinship
Circle. The
Coalition is an all-volunteer, unfunded advocacy network with statewide reach; but passing
legislation against
opposition from the AKC
and state veterinary association required far greater numbers.
The powerhouse animal welfare organizations in Massachusetts refused to help. Luckily for
animals, Kinship
Circle
stepped up. You rallied
your members at every stage of the 15-month legislative process. Whenever you were asked to
put the word out, you
unhesitatingly did.
Animal lovers in Massachusetts are very grateful to Kinship Circle for embracing this
principle, and for working
with
the Coalition to put
landmark humane legislation on the books. Thank you, Brenda and Kinship Circle!"
Sincerely, Sandra Finder,
Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets
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FRIENDS OF KINSHIP CIRCLE ALERTS are from our
supporters, not
researched/written
by Kinship Circle.
QUESTIONS? CONTACT ALERT WRITER:
Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets
FRIENDS OF KINSHIP CIRCLE BLOG
The Massachusetts legislature is considering a bill to ban devocalization — cutting a dog
or cat’s vocal
cords to suppress his
voice. This convenience surgery renders the animal mute, chronically hoarse, wheezy or
shrill. Long-term risks
include
breathing problems,
persistent gagging and coughing, difficulty swallowing or even death, regardless of the
veterinarian’s skill or
how the vocal cords are cut
(through the oral cavity or a neck incision). Because tissue regrowth is common, the animal
may be subjected to
the
pain, stress and
repeated surgeries.
Devocalized dogs and cats don’t benefit. They are abandoned just like other companion
animals. Still,
devocalization is more common than most people
think. Some breeders routinely devocalize to run their businesses without complaints or
because they don’t want
to hear their own animals. Dogs tend to bark
more when kept in groups.
An Act Prohibiting Devocalization, House Bill 344 bans devocalization in Massachusetts.
The bill is
sponsored
by Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets, an unfunded,
volunteer network of animal
caregivers and
compassionate people. It is endorsed by Humane Society Veterinary Medical Assn., more than
200 Massachusetts vets,
and
many animal
shelters statewide. H.B. 344 has stalled in committee for more than three months. Without
action, this humane bill
will
die.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
STEP 1, MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS: Call
Speaker Robert Deleo and
ask
to speak to his aide. State comments or leave voicemail.
NON-MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS: Do not call! We’ve been told non-MA calls can hurt the
bill.
State why this bill matters to you and why it should be passed as written, without
amendments by special
interests
that profit from devocalization. Legislators state that there is no guarantee emails will be
read. We are told
aides
often delete them without counting them. Powerful lobbies that profit from devocalization
want to kill the bill:
Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA), the American Kennel Club-affiliated
Massachusetts Federation
of
Dog Clubs… and others. Without your voice, animals will continue to be robbed of theirs.
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STEP 2, MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS ONLY:
Call your state
Representative on Beacon Hill. To
find your
Massachusetts State Representative try 1-800-462-8683 or www.wheredoivotema.com.
HOW TO SEND YOUR COMMENTS:
1) There is NO AUTO PETITION for this alert.
2) Massachusetts residents contact Speaker Deleo and your state Reps directly.
Everyone, write (no calls)
to
Speaker
Deleo.
TO PERSONALLY EMAIL YOUR LETTER:
- Copy sample letter and paste it into an
email.
- Copy email addresses. Paste them in
the TO: line of your
email. Hit send. Done.
- Or copy/paste your letter into a web
form on
legislator’s website. Click
submit. Done.
TO MAIL OR FAX LETTER:
- Open sample letter as a DOC or PDF.
- Change some words. Print letter to mail or fax. Done.
LINKS TO FIND: LEGISLATOR CONTACT
INFO
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direct send
sample letter
go to petition instead
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how to email a letter:
- Copy LETTER below. Paste into an email.
- Change some words. Sign name, address, country.
- Copy EMAIL ADDRESSES. Paste in TO: line of an email.
SEND letter from your email program.
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how to fax or mail a letter:
- Open sample letter as a DOC or PDF.
- Change some words. Sign name, address, country.
- Print letter to fax or mail using CONTACT INFORMATION on this page or in the DOC or PDF.
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*****THIS ALERT IS NO LONGER ACTIVE*****
DO NOT SEND THIS ALERT!
Dear Speaker DeLeo,
Please ensure that House Bill 344, An Act Prohibiting Devocalization, passes this
session. Special interests that profit from devocalization of
dogs and cats want to dilute this humane legislation. I am counting on you to
advocate for H.B. 344 — minus any amendments that
permit the surgical removal of an animal’s voice.
Devocalization does not benefit animals, but it does pose grave risks for them. One
little Pom choked to death after a prominent MVMA
veterinarian devocalized her. Others suffer infection, aspiration pneumonia, or
breathing difficulties. Some gag on food and water the rest of
their lives.
House Bill 344, as written, stops this unnecessary cruelty. It limits vocal cord
surgery to three exclusively ethical
situations:
To treat disease, injury or congenital abnormality.
Shelter executives testify that devocalized dogs and cats are abandoned just like any
others. Tissue regrowth is common, subjecting animals to
stress, pain and repeat surgeries. Caretakers unable to pay ongoing costs further
jeopardize animals with surrender or euthanasia.
Surgically silencing an animal for convenience or profit is an act of cruelty.
Massachusetts can open the door for other states to introduce
equally humane and responsible legislation. Please support this landmark bill to
prohibit devocalization.
Thank you,
YOUR FULL NAME
ADDRESS, CITY, STATE
COUNTRY
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contact information
go to petition instead
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Most alerts have many email recipients. If one or more emails bounce that does NOT mean all failed.
Send failed email messages to: info@kinshipcircle.org
Please do not send us hostile notes.
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- Official websites list outdated or incorrect emails.
- Recipients block emails if swamped with mail.
- A server may be down or not accepting email.
- The email recipient's inbox is full (over quota).
- Occasionally the same email works at later time.
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email addresses only
*****THIS ALERT IS NO LONGER ACTIVE*****
DO NOT SEND THIS ALERT!
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full contact information
1)
MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS ONLY: Contact Speaker
Robert Deleo. Ask to speak to Speaker DeLeo’s aide and state your comments. Or,
leave
a voicemail.
1) NON-MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS: Do not call! We've been told non-MA calls can
hurt the bill.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
Robert A. DeLeo
State House Room 356 / Boston, MA 02133
ph: 617-722-2500, email: Robert.DeLeo@state.ma.us
2) MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS ONLY: Call your state Rep on Beacon Hill. To find
your Massachusetts State Representative: 1-800-
462-8683
or www.wheredoivotema.com. Enter your
address, then look for your Representative in
General
Court.
Find contact info for all Massachusetts House members here too: www.mass.gov/legis/memmenuh.htm
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***NO AUTOMATED PETITION FOR THIS ALERT***
- Copy sample letter and
paste it into an email.
- Change some words. Sign your name, address, country.
- MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS, copy emails addresses found for your state legislators.
Paste them in TO: line of email. Hit send.
- EVERYONE, paste modified sample letter into an email to Speaker DeLeo. Or print
letter to send by mail or fax.
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automated web petition
go back to direct-send
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about web petitions
When you use the web petition instead of direct-send, your comments — and everyone else's — come from one place: Our website server.
WEB PETITIONS REQUIRE THE LEAST EFFORT, BUT SOMETIMES CAN:
- Create a spam effect that angers recipients and hurts outcome for animals.
- Compel recipients to block the entire petition, so no one's comments get through.
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Your tax-deductible gift pays to develop learning initiatives and mass print literature for educators, advocates, students… Together, we can spread the truth about animals!
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source of information & references
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DISCLAIMER: Information in these materials is verified with original source. Kinship Circle does not assume responsibility for accuracy of information or for consequences of its use. Nothing on this website intends to encourage illegal action in whatever country you are reading it in. Kinship Circle does not engage in, nor support, any form of harassment or unlawful action. Nothing in this alert serves to promote such conduct.
EMAIL ADDRESSES: Kinship Circle cannot guarantee validity of email addresses. During a campaign, recipients may change or disable their email addresses. Email addresses obtained from government or other official websites may be outdated or incorrect.
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