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Animal
Law & Legislation
| Want
to Work on Better Laws for Animals?
•
E-mail
us and we’ll add you to our Legislative
E-mail List so you’ll know when (and who) to contact
about what.
•
Join
the Johnson County
Humane Society (JCHS) and become an active member!
•
Join
the Humane Society
of the United States (HSUS)
•
Join
the Iowa
Federation of Humane Societies (IFHS). This nonprofit organization
serves as the umbrella group that links animal advocates and organizations
across the state. IFHS supports and actively promotes legislation
that protects animals. They accomplish this through lobbying and
educating our state legislature about animal-related issues. The
IFHS also responds to and investigates allegations of cruelty
to animals and offers rewards for information leading to the arrest
and conviction of perpetrators.
• Join Iowa
Voters for Companion Animals (IVCA). This nonprofit organization
focuses on grassroots engagement to influence legislation to improve Iowa animal-welfare laws. They also work to educate and support the law enforcement and judicial communities in the enforcement and administration of these new laws.
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| It’s
Lobby, Lobby, Lobby...or Nothing (good) Happens
Humane laws
with sharp teeth don’t just happen. It takes a lobbyist who
knows the issues that animals in our state face, and who is familiar
with the backgrounds and agendae of the senators and representatives
in the state capitol. Fortunately, the lobbyists working for the
Iowa Federation
of Humane Societies have known how to make things happen.
•
That’s
why Iowa now has a spay/neuter requirement
for shelters/humane societies adopting out dogs and cats.
•
That’s
why pound seizure is no longer mandatory
in Iowa.
•
That’s
why Iowa now has an animal torture
law.
•
That’s
why Governor Vilsack vetoed the Iowa Dove
Hunting bill in January 2001.
• That’s
why Governor Culver just signed the Puppy Mill bill in March 2010.
These laws
didn’t come cheaply. It costs roughly $20,000 per year for
IFHS to keep a lobbyist on the hill. If only everyone who wants
to see that animals in our state get the protection they deserve
would chip in...
JCHS has a
member who has served on the IFHS board of directors for more
than 20 years. The Board meets quarterly in Des Moines. E-mail us and we’ll get back to
you about attending the next IFHS meeting, or about how you can
support animal welfare and protection law in Iowa. |
Familiarize
Yourself with the Law
You probably
have some ideas about how animals should (and should not) be treated.
Be prepared to be “underwhelmed” by the animal-related
laws and ordinances in effect in this largely agrarian state.
Change comes slowly. Get to know the rules and those who make
them. |
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Coralville Pet Ordinances—Chapter
55 Animal Protection and Control—or
call the City Clerk (248-1700)
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| Hills
Animal Ordinances—Chapter
36 Regulation of Animals and Fowl—or
call the City Clerk (679-3197)
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Hills
City Council |
Russel
Bailey—Mayor
(679-2746)
Steve
Harris (679-2969)
Merle
J. Hill l (679-2571) |
Tim
Kemp (679-3309)
Thomas
Kirkpatrick (679-2426)
Cathy
S. Kneble (679-2517) |
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| Johnson
County Animal Ordinances—call
the Board of Supervisors (356-6000)
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| Lone
Tree Pet Ordinances—call
the City Clerk (629-5166)
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| Oxford
Pet Regulations—call
the City Clerk (828-4742)
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Oxford
City Council
|
Bryan S. Cooling (828-1017)
Darrell W. Ealy
(828-4558)
Edward Kasper
(628-4178) |
Twyla
Morlan (828-4880)
Don Saxton—Mayor
(828-4778)
Gary L. Wilkinson
(828-6044) |
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| Schueyville
Pet Regulations—call
the City Clerk (848-4093)
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Schueyville
City Council
|
Bryan
S. Bredman—Mayor (848-8174)
Jerry Cada (848-2020)
Mickey
Coonfare (848-7302) |
Larry W. Ilg
(848-5154)
Steve Kass (na)
Jennifer Winter (533-0787)
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| Solon
Pet Regulations—Chapter
55—Dogs and Cats—or
call the City Clerk (624-3755)
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|
Swisher
Pet Regulations—Chapter
55 Animal Protection and Control—or
call the City Clerk (857-4539)
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|
Scott
Grabe—Mayor
(857-4445)
Mary Gudenkauf
(857-4353)
Angie Hinrichs (857-4383) |
Scott
W. Huston (899-8668)
Tim Mason Mayor Pro Tem (892-3065)
Larry Svec (857-4532) |
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| Tiffin
Pet Regulations—call
the City Clerk (545-2572)
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|
James
Bartels (545-2613)
Chris J. Ball (545-1106) Michael Gericke
(545-2583)
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Mark
Petersen (545-9917)
Royce W. Phillips—Mayor
(545-1739)
Travis Weipert (721-6018) |
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| West
Branch Pet Regulations—Chapter
55 Animal Control—or
call the City Clerk (643-5888)
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| State
Law
Visit
the Code of Iowa (IC)
online. Copies of past Codes are available online from
1995 to the present. (Be
aware that updating the online version of the Code after
each legislative session is not the State’s first priority.
The following chapters are key:
Chapter
145B
•
Dogs
for Scientific Research
•
aka
“State Pound Seizure Law”
(see also IAC
Chapter 128
• Dogs
for Scientific Research)
Chapter
162
•
Care of Animals in Commercial Establishments
•
aka “State
Animal Welfare Law” (which also includes the newly-passed “Puppy Mill Bill” allowing IDALS to inspect USDA-licensed breeders upon request)
(see also IAC
Chapter 67
• Animal
Welfare)
Chapter
162.20
•
Sterilization
•
aka
“State Spay/Neuter Law”
Chapter
717
•
Injury
to Livestock
Chapter
717A
•
Offenses
Relating to Agricultural Production
Chapter
717B
•
Injury
to Animals Other than Livestock
Visit
the Iowa Administrative Code
(IAC) online.
The IAC is a composite of rules written by the executive
branch which have the full force and effect of law (i.e., how
the laws are enforced). IAC chapters relate to chapters
in the Code of Iowa. The
following chapters are key:
Agriculture &
Land Stewardship (21)
Chapter 67
•
Animal
Welfare
(relates to IC Chapter 162
• Care
of Animals in Commercial Establishments)
Agriculture &
Land Stewardship (21)
Chapter 67
•
Animal
Welfare: §12.6
Fostering
Oversight Organizations and Foster Care Homes
(relates
to IC Chapter 162 •
Care of Animals in Commercial Establishments)
Public Health (641)
Chapter 128
•
Dogs
for Scientific Research
(relates to IC Chapter 145B
• Dogs
for Scientific Research and IC
Chapter 351A •
Dogs & Other Animals)
The
IAC is a PDF file. If you don’t already
have Adobe’s Acrobat Reader (the application necessary
to read PDF files), you can download it free by clicking
the button below: |
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| Finding
Your Way Around the Iowa
General Assembly
From
“Meet
Your Legislators” to Lobbyist
Information
In
the Chambers—choose
from live audio broadcast of chamber activity or Chamber
Action (text log of event in each chamber. Also, schedules
of chamber events, the display board, subcommittee schedules,
session calendars, and rules of procedure.
Track
Legislation—find
bills, resolutions, and amendments by number, subject, committee,
date, sponsor, etc. Popular tools include:
Bill
Book—all versions
of bills, amendments, resolutions, study bills, bill histories,
fiscal notes, and sponsor information
Bill
Watch—allows you
to create customized lists of bills to track
Directory
of Legislation—indices
of bills, study bills, resolutions, and amendments
Study
Bill Committee Tracking—find
the committee assignments for study bills
Bill
Version Tracking—locate
multiple versions of a bill or study bill
Total
Bill History—displays
legislative action for a Bill or Resolution
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|
| Federal
Law
Visit
the United States Code (USC)
online. Copies of past Codes are available online from
1994 to the present. The following chapters are key:
Title 7—Agriculture:
Chapter 54
•
Transportation,
Sale, & Handling of Certain Animals
•
aka
“Animal Welfare Act”
(see also CFR Title 9: Chapter 1
• Subchapter
A—Animal
Welfare Regulations Parts 1-4)
Title 15—Commerce
& Trade: Chapter 44
•
Protection
of Horses
•
aka
“Horse Protection Act”
(see also CFR Title 9: Chapter 1
• Subchapter
A—Animal
Welfare Regulations Parts 11-12)
Visit
the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
online. Copies of past Codes are available online from
1996 to the present. The following chapters are key:
Title 9—Animals
& Animal Products: Chapter 1
•
Animal
& Plant Health
•
Subchapter
A—Animal
Welfare Regulations
Part 1—Definition
of Terms
Part 2—Regulations
•
Attending
Veterinarian & Adequate Veterinary Care
•
Compliance
with Standards & Holding Period
•
Identification
of Animals
•
Licensing
•
Miscellaneous
•
Records
•
Registration
•
Research
Facilities
•
Stolen
Animals
Part 3—Standards:
Specs for Humane Handling, Care, Treatment, & Transportation
•
Dogs
& Cats
•
Guinea
Pigs & Hamsters
•
Marine
Mammals
•
Nonhuman
Primates
•
Rabbits
•
Warmblooded
Animals Other than the Above
Part 4—Rules
of Practice Governing Proceedings
(relates to USC Title 7: Chapter 54
• “Animal
Welfare Act”)
Title 9—Animals
& Animal Products: Chapter 1
•
Animal
& Plant Health
•
Subchapter
A—Animal
Welfare Regulations
Part 11—Horse
Protection Regulations
• Prohibitions Concerning Exhibitors
Part 12—Rules
of Practice
(relates to USC Title 15: Chapter 44
• “Horse
Protection Act”)
User-friendly
versions
of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA)
and the Animal Welfare Regulations,
and a whole bunch of other animal care/welfare stuff you’d
probably never find even if you were looking!
Lists
of USDA-licensees. The same standards of animal care
apply to all registered and licensed businesses, and Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) field inspectors make
periodic unannounced visits to all locations where animals are
held to see that regulations and standards are followed. There are printed Guidleines for licensing and registration.
Basically,
the Federal animal care standards cover humane handling, housing,
space, feeding and watering, sanitation, ventilation, shelter
from extremes of weather, adequate veterinary care, separation
of incompatible animals, transportation, and handling in transit.
•
Breeders—of
pets, lab animals, etc.
•
Carriers—transport
regulated animals for hire (e.g., airlines, railroads, motor
carriers, shipping lines, etc.)
•
Class
A Animal Dealers—deal only
in animals they breed and raise
•
Class
B Animal Dealers—include
brokers, bunchers, and operators of auction sales
•
Federal
Research Facilities
•
Handlers—take
custody of regulated animals in connection with transporting
them on public carriers
•
Registered
Exhibitors—have animals on
display to the public or conduct performances featuring animals
(e.g., zoos, marine mammal shows, circuses, carnivals, petting
zoos, etc.).
•
Research
Facilities—include teaching
institutions, drug firms, diagnostic labs, etc.
•
VA
Hospitals
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|
Animal
Law Links
Animal
Care/Condition Scales—developed
at Tufts University.
Animal Welfare Institute—founded in 1955 when only two federal laws to protect animals
existed. Since then, AWI has worked for the successful enactment
of more than15 additional federal laws. Check out their Compassion Index of your state/federal legislators.
Anti-cruelty
Statute Information—The
Humane Society of the United State’s (HSUS) blueprint for
drafting amendments to strengthen state anti-cruelty laws and
a compilation of current anti-cruelty laws by state.
Cat
Law a discussion of State cat laws.
Society
for Animal Protective Legislation—(SAPL)
was founded in 1955 when only two federal laws to protect animals
existed. Since then, SAPL has worked for the successful enactment
of over 15 additional federal laws.
Veterinary
Government & Law Links—from
the Congressman Quarterly Votewatch to the Center for Wildlife
Law to the FDA. |
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