Texas Animal Cruelty Bill Spells Trouble for Sportsmen- (01/21)

[mike bell]

Texas Animal Cruelty Bill Spells Trouble for Sportsmen- (01/21)


Texas sportsmen should urge lawmakers to oppose legislation that will turn common hunting practices into criminal acts of animal cruelty.

House Bill 326, introduced by Rep. Toby Goodman, R-Arlington, amends the animal cruelty code to make it a crime for a person to "œcommit serious bodily injury to an animal"� and redefines "œanimal"� to include any nonhuman mammal, bird, or captive amphibian. The exemption for wild creatures that exists in the animal cruelty code would be removed.

"œThe vague definition will have huge ramifications for sportsmen,"� said Tony Celebrezze, U.S. Sportsmen"™s Alliance director of field services. "œAny act of injury or death to an animal, even hunting or field trialing, will be construed as animal cruelty."�

Sportsmen were previously exempted from such animal cruelty laws when hunting, fishing or trapping. The exemption has also been removed. According to HB 326, sportsmen may be prosecuted and have to fight for their innocence in court. This can cost thousands of dollars.

Existing law sufficiently defines abuse and cruelty toward animals and recognizes and exempts hunting, fishing and trapping as common wildlife management practices. House Bill 326 would blur those lines and encourage prosecution of sportsmen.

Take Action! Texas sportsmen cannot allow this poorly written bill to pass. Contact your representative today and ask him or her to oppose the bill. Existing law already prevents animal cruelty. To contact your representative, call (512) 463-0845. Sportsmen can also find their legislators using the Legislative Action Center at www.ussportsmen.org.

[North Texan]

Crap!!![:@] Somehow, when politicians descend on Austin every other year, someone always thinks of something dumber than they did two years ago.

Thanks for heads up.

[charlie brown]

WOW!! This is a new one on me!! I can't belive people would be so crazy as to propose such a bill!! I doubt, though, that the bill would stand up. Keep us posted as to what happens, cause this is basically a "back door" way to ban hunting. Interesting also, that a Republican initiated the bill[:@] Hmmm....