**********

Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Bill to Ban Cruel Dog Chaining
California Residents: Thank the Gov. for supporting animal-friendly legislation

Good news for California's canines: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 1578, the bill to outlaw the long-term tethering of dogs, into law last week. IDA is grateful to our supporters in California who contacted the Governor in response to our Bay Area Alert: your action helped convince the Governor to protect dogs from being condemned to lives of suffering at the end of a chain.

SB 1578, introduced by Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), prohibits guardians from tethering their dogs to stationary objects for a period of more than three hours. As Governor Schwarzenegger pointed out, "This bill helps protect dogs from cruelty, and enhances public safety by preventing aggressive animal behavior that can result from inhumane tethering." Californians can now report infringements to their local animal control, police, or sheriff's departments. Violators will be charged with an infraction or misdemeanor, depending on the nature and severity of the offense, and would face a fine of as much as $1,000 per dog and/or up to a six month jail sentence.

Read more of this article by IDA at:

http://ga0.org/indefenseofanimals/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=4297101

**********