Proposed Legislative Amendment:
§
3.2-6503.2. Regulation of care and handling of agricultural animals.
Provides that the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services occupies the entire field of regulation of the care, control, and
handling of agricultural animals and that no locality or humane society shall do so.
Dear Virginia Resident,
In February 2011, the Virginia General Assembly quietly passed legislation allowing farming interests in the state to withhold food, water,
shelter and veterinary care from farmed animals without penalty. Despite UPC’s vigorous Internet campaign urging Gov. Robert
McDonnell to veto the legislation, he signed it into law. (see www.upc-online.org/welfare.)
Now the VA Department of Agriculture seeks to slam the
door completely on any hope of improving the living conditions, and lives, of any Virginia farm animals, including dogs, as defined in
SB 610:
"Agricultural animal" or "livestock" means any domestic animal raised, herded, or farmed as an agricultural product or associated with
agriculture, including equids, cows, calves, yearlings, bulls, oxen, sheep, goats, lambs, kids, hogs, pigs, poultry, gamefowl, fowl,
hunting dogs, working dogs, and show dogs.
If this legislation passes, not even a local humane society will be able to help farmed animals, birds used for cockfighting, or even dogs used
for hunting, work, and show. The legal abandonment of millions of chickens, turkeys, pigs, horses and all other animals defined as
“agricultural” will be total in the state of Virginia. (VA SB 610 can be read below.)
What Can I Do?
Please urge your VA Assembly Members (your Senator and your Delegate) to Oppose SB 610. Ask your friends to help you defeat this bill.
To
learn the name of your own VA Senator and Delegate and how to contact them directly online, by mail or by phone, please click on http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform and follow the simple
instructions.
For a legislative history and updates on this and other bills, click on Bills & Resolutions at http://lis.virginia.gov/
Sample letter to your state legislators:
Dear Senator _____________:
Dear Delegate ____________:
As a constituent who believes that all animals need and deserve legal protection and recourse, I totally oppose Virginia SB 610 and any
similar bill that may be introduced to the General Assembly. I urge you please to oppose SB 610 and to tell me your decision as soon as
possible. SB 610 seeks to deprive animals defined as “agricultural” of all legal protection from abandonment, neglect,
starvation and abuse. This is not a law that I as a citizen can support. The ability of local humane societies, animal control officers and
private citizens to intervene on behalf of suffering and abused animals, regardless of species or use, is crucial to farm animal
protection, responsible citizenry and decent lawmaking in Virginia. Please oppose SB 610 and inform me of your decision in writing. Thank
you for your attention. I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely [your name, street address & phone number].
SENATE BILL NO. 610
Offered January 19, 2012
A BILL to amend and reenact §
3.2-300
of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered
3.2-6503.2
, relating to the regulation of animal agriculture.
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Patron—Richard H. Black
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Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 3.2-300 of the Code of Virginia is amended and
reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 3.2-6503.2 as follows:
§ 3.2-300. Definitions.
As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
"Agricultural animal" or "livestock" means any domestic animal raised, herded, or farmed as an agricultural product or associated with
agriculture, including equids, cows, calves, yearlings, bulls, oxen, sheep, goats, lambs, kids, hogs, pigs, poultry, gamefowl, fowl,
hunting dogs, working dogs, and show dogs.
"Agricultural operation" means any owned or leased operation, facility, or land devoted to the bona fide production or processing of crops,
or
agricultural products,
animals, or fowl including the production of fruits and vegetables of all kinds; meat, dairy, and poultry products; nuts, tobacco, nursery, and
floral products; and the production and harvest of products from silviculture activity.
"Agricultural operation" includes the use of farm machinery, equipment, devices, chemicals, medications or devices used for administering
medications, products for agricultural use, and materials or structures designed for agricultural use or housing and used in accordance
with generally accepted or traditional farm or sporting practices.
"Production agriculture and silviculture" means the bona fide production or harvesting of agricultural or silvicultural products but shall not
include the processing of agricultural or silvicultural products or the above ground application or storage of sewage sludge.
"Traditional farm practice" means an accepted and customary standard established by similar agricultural operations under similar
circumstances, including notching, docking, tagging, dehorning, debeaking, shoeing, trimming, dubbing, castrating, penning, cooping,
caging, tethering, herding, hauling, training, showing, and culling.
§
3.2-6503.2. Regulation of care and handling of agricultural animals.
The Department occupies the entire field of regulation of the care, control, and handling of agricultural animals. No political
subdivision, locality, or humane society shall regulate the care and handling of agricultural animals.
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Please Tell Your Virginia Senator and Delegate to Oppose SB 610! Thank you for speaking out on behalf of helpless animals in Virginia.
