Measure, currently tabled, would place dogs in livestock category

A proposed bill in the General Assembly that would classify some dogs as livestock has been put aside but will come up again next year for consideration.

Local animal-welfare organizations have expressed opposition to the idea.

Senate Bill 610, proposed by Sen. Richard Black, R-Sterling, would place hunting, working and show dogs in the same category as agricultural animals including cows, pigs, sheep, goats and other livestock. It would also place oversight of the animals under the purview of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Attempts to contact Black were unsuccessful Friday.

Tonja Reynolds, vice president of the Animal Welfare League of Pittsylvania County, cited the Bible’s Book of Genesis to express concerns over the bill. There are not enough laws protecting animals now, Reynolds said.

“When the Bible said ‘humans were given dominion over the animals,’ most assumed that meant domination,” Reynolds said. “But the ancient definition of dominion actually means stewardship — protection and nurturing.”

The bill states “‘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.”

It also states “the Department [VDACS] 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.”

Paulette Dean, executive director of the Danville Area Human Society, said the bill would take away the right of animal control officers, including those with the society, to investigate allegations of abuse against agricultural animals. It would fall under the authority of the state veterinarian’s office, Dean said.

“It’s an absolutely horrible bill,” Dean said. “It is carving out a group of companion animals [dogs] and offering them no protection.”

Dean said she was appalled when she read the bill, which would also hurt Danville’s anti-tethering ordinance by allowing some to be kept tied, she said.

“It has no redeeming qualities,” Dean said, adding that she is surprised that Black will bring it before the General Assembly again in 2013.

It would also “create a mess” when investigating an abuse complaint, especially with beagles used as hunting dogs but are also companion animals, she said.