The RPOA sent the below message. Please voice your opposition to this
bill. It turns law-abiding dog owners into felons the first time their
dog causes a serious injury. This will make it virtually impossible to
find large dogs decent homes because of the extreme liabilities.
Please take a minute to call or fax in your opposition to this bill
or, even better, attend the hearing.

March 30, 2007
Texas Action Alert! OPPOSE HB 1355 by Gattis, relating to dog attacks
on persons; creating an offense

A committee hearing on HB 1355 will be held at 2:00 PM Wednesday, April
4, 2007 at the Capitol in Austin, Texas, in Room E2.016 by the House
County Affairs Committee. Committee Clerk: Travis Sampley (512)
463-0760.

We need you in Austin next Wednesday to OPPOSE this bill. If you can
be there, let Jeff Shaver know as he is coordinating our efforts:
call Jeff at (713) 557-0807. If you can't be there, please contact
the legislators below to register your opposition. At the hearing,
you can sign a card of opposition without speaking.

For more information, email rpoa@... .

Bill text may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/ypj5u8 .

Ask that the first incident be a misdemeanor, not a felony offense.
Contact the committee members below and your own representative also,
who can befound on the Legislature's web site home page
www.capitol.state.tx.us with a "search."

Rep. Gattis says the bill is to send a message! If you own a dog in
the state of Texas, you should be alarmed about this bill. The
message is that if your dog escapes from your yard and causes serious
bodily injury or death to a person, you could become a convicted felon
and serve time in jail with rapists and convicted murderers! Your
life could be ruined, your career down the drain. Senator Eliot
Shapleigh is amending his SB 411 in the Senate to be identical to HB 1355.

HB 1355 will not stop one single dog attack and it won't bring back
Lillian Stiles who was the victim of a fatal attack by six mixed breed
dogs in Texas. What it will do is kill the RPOA Rescue Program for
unwanted
pets in Texas and have a detrimental effect on dog adoptions from ALL
animal shelters and animal control facilities throughout the state.
Who will
want this extreme liability to own a dog? Is this the intent of the
bill?
Any dog can escape from an enclosure and the pack instinct comes into
play if joining with other loose dogs. Most dog owners say they had no
previous knowledge their dog (or dogs) would do such a thing when
involved in a serious or fatal attack on a person.

This bill is being called "Lillian's Law" and is an emotional response
to Lillian Stiles's tragic death. Lillian's family has formed the Texas
Families Against Dangerous Dogs, which will be getting together for
media interviews and a rally on the south steps of the capitol at
12:30 pm on April 4 before attending the committee hearing. If you
can be there
also, contact Jeff (info above). Jeff will be speaking to the media
representing Responsible Pet Owners Alliance. He needs your support.

Please contact the legislators below and OPPOSE this bill as written.
Phone calls and faxes are the most effective as e-mail is easily
deleted. If
calling, ask for the legislative aide in charge of the bill and simply
register your "OPPOSITION." If e-mailing, put "OPPOSE HB 1355" in the
Subject Line.

Bill author: Representative Dan Gattis,
PO Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768
Phone: 512-463-0309; Fax: 512-499-8354;
Email: dan.gattis@...

Author of Companion Bill: Senate Bill 411
Senator Eliot Shapleigh
PO Box 12068, Capitol Station, Austin, Texas 78711
Phone: 512-463-0129, Fax: 512-463-0218
Email: eliot.shapleigh@...

House County Affairs Committee
Address for all:
PO Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768

COMMITTEE CLERK: Travis Sampley
PHONE: 512-463-0760

Chair: Rep. Wayne Smith
Ph: (512) 463-0733
Fax: (512) 463-1323
Toll free: (866) 423-5987
E-mail: wayne.smith@...

Vice-Chair: Rep. Elliott Naishtat
Ph: (512) 463-0668
Fax: (512) 463-8022
E-mail: elliott.naishtat@...

Rep. Valinda Bolton
Ph: (512) 463-0652
Fax: (512) 463-0565
E-mail: valinda.bolton@...

Rep. Garnet Coleman
Ph: (512) 463-0524
Fax: (512) 463-1260
E-mail: Ryan.james@...

Rep. David Farabee
Ph: (512) 463-0534
Fax: (512) 463-8161
E-mail: david.farabee@...

Rep. Patricia Harless
Ph: (512) 463-0496
Fax: (512) 463-1507
E-mail: patricia.harless@...

Rep. Joe Heflin
Ph: (512) 463-0604
Fax: (512) 236-0704
E-mail: joe.heflin@...

Rep. David Leibowitz
Ph: (512) 463-0269
Fax: (512) 320-0555
E-mail: david.leibowitz@...

Rep. Todd Smith
Ph: (512) 4630522
Fax: (512) 463-9529
E-mail: todd.smith@...

Responsible Pet Owners Alliance
900 NE Loop 410 #311-D
San Antonio, TX 78209
Phone: (210) 822-6763
Fax: (210) 822-9038
Website: www. responsiblepetowners. org
$15 Annual dues (January - December)
To share information, subscribe or unsubscribe,
send an e-mail message to rpoa @ texas.net.