When enforcement fails, legislators always look for more money to solve problems. Oregon Humane Society (OHS) is behind Senate Bill 1076, sponsored by Senator Floyd Prozanski (D-Springfield/Eugene). SB 1076 is hoping to find new money from a new licensing program for animal rescue and breeders.

Oregon has been active in passing animal protection laws within the state. In 2023, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signed two bills into law that aim to protect the well-being of animals in the state, and those brought into the state. In addition to animal protection, it made animal cruelty a felony. But, in doing so, they have made Oregon a destination state for mistreated animals.

The Animal Rescue Entity oversight began in 2013 under city and county authority, designed to solve the spreading of diseases, but lacked funding. In 2019 enforcement was transferred to Oregon Department of Agriculture with enough funding to make the program self-funded, but licensing fees were insufficient. A raise in fees was not well received in 2024, so the proposal in SB 1076 is to duplicate breeding practices and animal cruelty statutes ORS 167.374 and ORS 609.420 with a new licensing program on top of other licensing requirements, which adds more administrative expenses than projected to bring in.

Denese Oster testified, “Rescue groups obtain a license with the state already, and breeders license their animals with the counties and cities, and if they are large enough, they obtain a kennel license with that same county or city.” This isn’t about protecting animals; it’s about collecting more money.

OHS historically has imported 60%, the highest number of dogs into Oregon annually, and under this bill would receive an even-greater share of the dogs. Once OHS confiscates animals, under an Oregon Supreme Court ruling, they own them and do whatever they choose with them, and have been known to sell them before a court determines guilt or innocence.

Gny Sgt Rodney Hames testified of the fear that this bill will result in more raid. “The OHS takes in donations, sells the animals they seize and have police powers to help them get those animals. Please remember, the OHS is so poor with their police procedures/due process, a court threw out a few years’ worth of convictions. This bill would also allow the agency staff and the OHS unfettered access to the homes and property of individuals. … The Oregon Humane Society has helped to import and dump onto Oregonians, some of the worst and problematic animals in the country, partly because “we must save all the animals”…. They don’t perform health testing on animals prior to finding homes…They are part of a larger network of groups across the country who transport animals from areas who have failed to control their own pet populations.”

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Several testified how SB 1076 will severely disrupt youth agricultural programs like 4-H and FFA, which depend on responsible breeders for animals used in educational projects. These programs teach invaluable life skills and provide important services to communities. The legislative fiscal office has identified the Oregon Youth Authority with the greatest impact. It will also disrupt Oregon’s pet-related events that generate more than $8.3 million annually for the state’s economy, harming tourism and negatively affect local businesses, potentially causing millions of dollars in losses.

Alexis Jacobson works with livestock breeders testified, “Youth members of these organizations rely on heritage breeders for their project animals, where they will learn responsibility, money management, marketing, career readiness, and much more. While some of these project animals may be sold at their local county fair at the end of the day, some return to their home or farm to become breeding projects for the youth member’s own herd/flock or their family’s herd/flock. If a youth livestock breeder must pay a fee to have a license for their project, that means that much less money is generated from their project. Often, the funds raised from their projects help pay for these members’ college tuition, their first car, their first business, and much more.”

SB 1076 will most likely create an ongoing expense to the state as there are not enough breeders or rescue shops to sustain a program without taxpayer general fund appropriations. Why should taxpayer support a program that is already well regulated and licensed, which could be solved without additional expense just by making the practice of importing unregulated dogs for fee-based adoptions illegal.

Track this bill on Oregon Citizens Lobby Alerts.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2025-04-15 23:01:21

Last Update: 2025-04-15 23:34:48