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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Bryan Lentz |
  
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Lentz to hold public meeting on bills cracking down on dog cruelty
Bill Smith, Main Line Animal Rescue founder and featured on Oprah Winfrey Show, to attend
FOLSOM, June 6 – State Rep. Bryan Lentz, D-Delaware, will hold a discussion on three bills currently being considered in the House that would strengthen current dog and animal cruelty laws in Pennsylvania.
The event will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 12 at the Folsom Fire Co., 411 Sutton Ave.
The bills would seek to raise standards for commercial breeding kennels without affecting other types of kennels that house dogs.
A panel of guest speakers will include Bill Smith, founder of the Main Line Animal Rescue, recently featured on "Oprah"; Tom Hickey, member of the governor’s Dog Law Advisory Board; and Jessie Smith, special deputy in the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement.
"Many pet owners have contacted me about the dog legislation to express their support, and a local public forum will provide an opportunity for everyone to share concerns and information about these proposals," Lentz said. "It's troubling to know that animals are still subjected to the types of brutal treatment this legislation would address, so this can be a very emotional issue, especially for animal lovers."
The first bill, H.B. 2525, would double the minimum floor space for dog enclosures and require solid flooring, as well as access to an outdoor exercise area twice the size of the dog’s primary enclosure. The legislation also would mandate annual veterinary care, and eliminate the stacking of cages for adult dogs.
A second measure, H.B. 2532, would allow only veterinarians to perform debarking, the practice of cutting or destroying a dog’s vocal cords. Tail docking would be allowed by individual owners until a dog is 3 days old, after which point it would have to be done by a veterinarian.
Under a third measure, H.B. 499, fines would be increased for cruelty to animals. It would also require owners of dogs seized for cruelty to pay reasonable expenses for the care and keep of a dog while it is held at a humane society or animal shelter – or surrender ownership of the dog.
For more information about the event, call Lentz's constituent service office at 610-544-7301.
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