Urge Oregon Senate Committee to OPPOSE Harmful Animal Breeder BillOregon SB1076 will be heard in the Senate Natural Resources & Wildfire Committee work session on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at 1:00 PM. Oregon SB1076 lacks clear definitions throughout the bill including it's vague definition of "Breeder" which is defined as a person who breeds, raises and sells birds, cats, dogs, small mammals, other than livestock or exotic animals," *To be clear, SB1076 includes small exotics, as small mammals are NOT defined in the bill.
Oregon SB1076 is an amendment to a previously passed law that attempted to regulate and license animal rescues. However, the original law was passed without proper funding, personnel, or enforcement mechanisms, making it an unfunded mandate that lacked structure or oversight. Now, instead of addressing those existing failures, SB1076 expands the law to include breeders—who were not previously required to be licensed at the state level—without clear regulations or guidelines in place. The bill directs the State Department of Agriculture to impose new licensing fees and penalties on breeders while giving the department broad investigative and inspection powers. SB1076 would create a statewide licensing requirement for breeders without providing the necessary framework, funding, or oversight to ensure fair enforcement. SB1076 would impose steep fees and penalties, including fines of up to $2,500 and potential jail time, with no clear regulatory guidelines. The Department of Agriculture would be granted broad investigative and inspection authority, opening the door for weaponized complaints and harassment by animal rights groups who know nothing about animal husbandry and who oppose all breeding. SB1076 includes an emergency clause, making it effective immediately, despite the lack of infrastructure and clear definitions to enforce it properly. Instead of addressing the shortcomings of the original law, SB1076 doubles down on an unworkable and unfair system that will disproportionately harm responsible and lawful breeders. Please email your opposition to Oregon SB1076 to the Senate Natural Resources & Wildfire Committee before their work session scheduled for April 4, 2025 at 1:00 PM Pacific Time. Use our Sample Letter below: Sen​.JeffGolden@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.toddnash@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.FredGirod@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.FloydProzanski@OregonLegislature.gov Sen.kathleentaylor@oregonlegislature.gov |
Subject: Opposition to SB1076 Dear Chairman Golden and Members of the Committee, I am writing to express my strong opposition to SB1076, which expands an already flawed licensing system for rescues by adding breeder regulations—despite the fact that no clear framework, funding, or enforcement mechanisms are currently in place. The original rescue licensing law was never properly funded, leaving a system with no personnel or oversight. Instead of addressing this issue, SB1076 forces breeders into the same broken system, imposing licensing fees and penalties without establishing fair and enforceable regulations. This bill creates a dangerous precedent that can and will be used to harass responsible breeders by weaponizing through enforcement. By granting the Department of Agriculture broad investigative and inspection authority, it opens the door for activist-driven complaints that will unfairly target breeders simply for advertising animals. Similar harassment tactics have already been used in the exotic animal and zoo industries, where activists file complaints against lawful businesses they have never even visited, triggering unnecessary investigations that waste government resources and punish ethical professionals. If SB1076 passes, Oregon’s breeders will face the same unjust treatment. Additionally, SB1076 fails to address the lack of regulation and oversight for rescues, which continue to operate as tax-exempt pet dealers without the same standards required of licensed breeders. Many rescues import animals from out of state or even foreign countries with little oversight, yet this bill prioritizes cracking down on small, ethical breeders instead of addressing the real problem. If the true intent of this bill is to fund the rescue licensing program, then a more equitable solution should be considered——rather than forcing lawful breeders. Oregon should not be implementing a broad, unclear, and unfair licensing system that will be weaponized against breeders while leaving rescues unaccountable. I urge you to vote NO on SB1076 Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, |
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