[KrisChristine]

Greetings All!  Things are unfolding much faster than I expected on annual rabies laws in the country, sorry for the frequent posts, but I do want to keep you updated.

Kris

WYOMING Rabies Laws--ACTION ALERT!!!

   Following a 3/22/08 article entitled Vaccine overkill? in the Wyoming News http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2008/03/23/local_news_updates/19local_03-23-08.txt  by Baylie Davis and inspired by encouraging developments in Kansas,  Wyoming dog breeders have contacted Wyoming's Governor, Attorney General as well as the Mayor of Cheyenne imploring the state to adopt the national  standard of a 3 year rabies vaccination protocol.  They need your assistance to help them get the annual rabies booster ordinances in the state changed.

What You Can Do To Help

   Please contact any/or all of the Wyoming public officials listed below. You can copy and paste e-mail addresses listed.  I will be sending a letter of support as well and will keep you updated on developments.  After the Wyoming contact list, there will be updated information on rabies law efforts in Kansas and Arkansas as well.

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Wyoming Contacts

Attorney General Bruce A. Salzburg Phone:  (307) 777-7841  Fax: (307) 777-6869; Consumer Protection Division 307-777-7874 or 1-800-438-5799 Fax: 307-777-7956 [email protected]

Governor Dave Freudenthal Phone:  307-777-7434 Fax:  307-632-3909 (fax) [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Cheyenne Mayor Jack Spiker [email protected] Phone:  (307) 637-6200; Fax: (307)637-6378; City Council:    [email protected]  Phone: (307) 637-6357 Fax: (307)637-6356 [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Wyoming Legislators

http://legisweb.state.wy.us/email/email.htm [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Kansas Rabies Law Update & Arkansas Dog Owners Organizing to Challenge Arkansas Rabies Laws

Kansas:  Dog owners have started a petition to get annual rabies laws in the state changed to the national 3 year standard.  They are planning to have petitions available for dog owners to sign at the upcoming Yappy Days event on March 29th from 9-4 at the Kansas Coliseum, Pavilion II http://www.kzsn.com/cc-common/mainheadl ... le=3323054 .  The petition is posted online at http://www.thepetitionsite.com:80/1/Sto ... in-Wichita .  Activities in Kansas were sparked by a March 18, 2008 article in the Wichita Eagle entitled, Are Annual Shots a Risk for Dogs? http://www.kansas.com/news/story/344780.html by Diane McCartney.

Arkansas:  Dog owners are organizing to change their annual rabies laws.  A Yahoo group, Arkansas Rabies Vaccine Info http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ARVaccineInfo  has been started to coordinate efforts, please join if you are interested.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wichita to Form Rabies Vaccination Committee

I received the notice below on March 25, 2008.  How unfortunate that Wichita is not including a member of their dog-owning public on this committee.

                  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:   Kay Johnson, Director of Environmental Services, 268-8351

City to Form Rabies Vaccination Committee


The City of Wichita is forming an ad hoc committee to review the schedule for rabies vaccinations, Interim Wichita City Manager Ed Flentje announced on Tuesday.

The committee will review the latest information on rabies prevention and control and make recommendations, said Kay Johnson, Director of Environmental Services.

Committee members will be announced at a later date.

 

[KrisChristine]

Update--Wyoming Rabies Laws

Udate -- WYOMING RABIES LAWS

To update you on Wyoming, below is a copy of a letter I sent on March 30th to state officials.  

On Thursday, I had an e-mail from Representative Sue Wallis [email protected] , who said, The Wyoming Legislature has no intention of usurping what rightfully belongs to the cities, towns, and counties.  I do not know if she is reflecting the sentiment of all members of Wyoming's Legislature, but it certainly is contrary to the declaration she makes on her website www.wallis.vcn.com that With hard work, and your help, I know that we will be able to accomplish good legislation, and hopefully argue against that which is unnecessary, expensive, unproductive or harmful to the citizens of Campbell County and the State of Wyoming.

The following quote is from the Center for Disease Control's MMWR Recommendations and Reports March 22, 1991/40(RR03);1-19 Rabies Prevention-- United States, 1991 Recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00041987.htm

"A fully vaccinated dog or cat is unlikely to become infected with rabies, although rare cases have been reported (48). In a nationwide study of rabies among dogs and cats in 1988, only one dog and two cats that were vaccinated contracted rabies (49). All three of these animals had received only single doses of vaccine; no documented vaccine failures occurred among dogs or cats that had received two vaccinations. " .

March 30, 2008

Governor Dave Freudenthal                    Attorney General Bruce A. Salzburg
State Capitol, 200 West 24th Street         State Capitol, 200 West 24th Street            
Cheyenne, WY 82002-0010                      Cheyenne, WY 82002-0010


[b:1is4q0qp]RE:  WYOMING

 

[KrisChristine]

WYOMING Rabies Laws--Update

WYOMING Rabies Laws--Update

To update you on efforts to change Wyoming's rabies laws, on Saturday April 12, 2008, an article entitled Changes to Vaccine Ordinance Unlikely http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2008/04/13/news/19local_04-13-08.txt was published in the Wyoming News.  

Below is a copy of a letter to the editor I sent to the paper this morning.    

What You Can Do To Help

1.) Contact Cheyenne Mayor Jack Spiker  [email protected] Phone:  (307) 637-6200; Fax: (307)637-6378
2.) Leave a comment on the newspaper article at http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/200 ... -13-08.txt
3.) Write a letter to the editor of the Wyoming News (Scott Smith) [email protected] Fax: 307-633-3189

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April 14, 2008

To the Editor:

There are a number of issues in the April 12, 2008 article entitled Changes to Vaccine Ordinance Unlikely that need to be addressed.

The state veterinarian, Dr. Walter Cook, seems to be unaware that the national organization of which he is supposed to be a member, the Center for Disease Control

 

[KrisChristine]

4/29/08 WYOMING Rabies Laws Update & ISDRA Sled Dogs

4/29/08 Wyoming Rabies Law Update and ISDRA--International Sled Dog Racing Association

Once again, dog lovers are helping to bring about great changes for dogs with active participation on rabies laws -- THANK YOU to all of you who have been assisting in these efforts -- it's working!

Kris

Wyoming update:     The e-mail below, shared with permission from the recipient, from the President of the Cheyenne City Council, Don Pierson, was received 4/29/08 by the lead activist in Wyoming, Karon Volk:

"Hello Mrs. Volk     Just a followup to let you know that the Mayor and I are working together and have instructed the city attorney to prepare  an ordinance or a resolution to take care of the 1 year vs 3 year problem.   All the research I have found says that to require our city residents to get the vaccination for their pets every year is unnecessary.   I will let you know when it will be ready for introduction and would hope that you would like to attend our meetings and testify about the situation.   Let me know if there is anything else I can do at this time about this situation.  Thanks for all your info you provided and your concern."

ISDRA-International Sled Dog Racing Association:   After Steve Goldman, a concerned ISDRA member, contacted the International Sled Dog Racing Association about ISDRA sanctioned races requiring annual rabies vaccinations for sled dogs and asked for assistance, I wrote the letter to the Executive Director Below.  Mr. Steele responded immediately and will be publishing announcements in 2 issues of Dog and Driver before the proposal comes before the full ISDRA Board.

What You Can Do

If you are concerned about racing events that require sled dogs to receive redundant annual rabies boosters, please e-mail Dave Steele at [email protected]

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March 18, 2008

Mr. Dave Steele, Executive Director
International Sled Dog Racing Association
22702 Rebel Road
Merrifield, MN 56465, USA
E-mail: [email protected]

Greetings Mr. Steele:


One of the objectives listed in the International Sled Dog Racing Association

 

[KrisChristine]

WYOMING Rabies Laws--9/30/08 Update

To update you on the change in Cheyenne, Wyomning's rabies ordinances to adopt the national 3 year protocol, there is an article in the September 27, 2008 issue of the Wyoming Eagle Tribune entitled  Council Mulls Less Frequent Rabies Shots http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2008/09/27/local_news_updates/20local_092708.txt by Jodi Rogstad.

"Good news for dog and cat owners: Instead of the annual rabies shot for your furry friends, that requirement may change to as little as once every three years."

 

[KrisChristine]

WY Rabies Law-Meeting 10/13/08 at 6:00

CHEYENNE, WY RABIES ORDINANCE -- MEETING 10/13/08 CITY COUNCIL 6:00

Posted with Permission, Permission given to Cross-post

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!
The proposed rabies ordinance will be given second reading before the City Council at the meeting tomorrow night.  Members of the audience will be given a chance to speak on the new ordinance, then the council members will discuss and vote on whether to adopt the new ordinance.  If the council votes in favor of the ordinance, it will be scheduled for a third, and final, reading at the next council meeting.  If passed at the third and final reading, it will be adopted and pets will be permitted to be vaccinated for rabies once every three years instead of every year and, if we are successful, there will be a provision for a vet to provide a written waiver of vaccination for an unhealthy animal.  Your attendance at the council meeting tomorrow night is so very important.  I cannot stress enough how much we need you to be there and let the council know you are in favor of the new ordinance, as proposed and amended.  I know many of us are not great public speakers, but all that is needed is for you to go to the podium, state your name and address and say you are in favor of the new ordinance and ask that the members of council vote in favor of it.  That's it!  PLEASE, if you able to do that, your help will be truly appreciated, not just by me, but the many pet owners out there, as well as the pets themselves who cannot speak, and trust us to do our best for them.  Please show up and show that care, and be part of creating better health and longevity for pets.  We could not have gotten this far without those of you who wrote letters and made phone calls.  NOW IS THE TIME WE NEED YOU THE MOST!  I, and others, have worked very hard the past couple of months to provide information and research to city officials in order to get this issue before the City Council with a new ordinance.  Now, we need your help to get it finished.

The council meeting takes place in the Council Chambers at the Municipal Building located at 2101 O'Neil Avenue. http://www.cheyennecity.org/CurrentEvents.asp?EID=445 There is on-street parking as well as a parking lot directly across from the Municipal Building on O'Neil.  We are currently number 12 on the agenda, however there are really only 3 issues ahead of us, with one being a 3rd reading which should be done fairly quickly, the other 2 are second readings, one of which may well be tabled.  In light of this, we would ask everyone to be there between 6:15 and 6:30 pm, to be on the safe side.

When the audience is asked for comments, I am planning to speak, giving the council the same information I provided to the Public Services Committee.  Judy Johnstone will also speak, giving further facts and research.  We also have a vet scheduled to speak to the issue and answer any medical questions the council may have with respect to the 3 year vaccine.  I will then provide the council with a packet of research and information which will provide the back up for what we have discussed.  (If anyone else is interested in giving a detailed discusion, citing facts, please let me know as soon as possible so I can include your research/back-up in the packet I am providing).  Following this, we need as many residents as possible to step forward and let the council know they are in favor of the new ordinance.  The more people who voice their opinion in favor, the more likely the council is to vote in favor of the changes.

Please pass this on to anyone you know in Cheyenne who has a pet or may be interested in this issue.  We can only get this done with your help!

Thank you, I look forward to seeing many of you tomorrow evening.

Karon L. Volk
KARONTARA IRISH WOLFHOUNDS
3560 Horse Creek Rd
Cheyenne, WY  82009
307-637-8999

 

[KrisChristine]

Cheyenne Passes 3 Year Rabies Ordinance 12/8/08

[b:1nzmvm65]CHEYENNE