Date April 20, 2007 The Honorable Jose Solorio, Chairperson CA Assembly - Public Safety Committee State Capitol P.O. Box 924849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0069 Assemblymember.solorio@assembly.ca.gov RE: Opposition to AB 777, the elephant bill Dear Honorable Solorio: I would appreciate your accepting this letter of opposition to AB 777 and let it be made a matter of record to be included in any hearing, studies and/or reports pertaining to this issue. I respectfully ask that you join me in opposing this bill relating to the care of elephants in California. AB 777 is just a ploy by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine and animal rights activists to take elephants out of zoos and private facilities that care for them. I love elephants and sincerely do not believe that this bill will help them. This bill does not promote animal welfare, but seeks instead to remove elephants from zoos and circuses to fulfill a radical animal rights agenda. We support the proper care and humane treatment of elephants in zoos and circuses but this legislation is both unjustified and unnecessary. This bill interferes with proper elephant husbandry and management by imposing arbitrary and unnecessary exhibit requirements and prohibiting the use of approved husbandry tools. The issue of elephant welfare is already addressed in various federal, state and local laws. Good animal welfare cannot be achieved by legislating arbitrary requirements and restrictions. There is no one size fits all answer. Rather, good animal welfare for any animal is attained by attending to all of the needs of the animal: physical, social, nutritional, biological and mental. The vast majority of circuses and zoos have commited themselves to meeting all these needs for the elephants in their care. The US Department of Agriculture regulates the care and treatment of circus and zoo animals. They employ veterinarians who are specially qualified to oversee the welfare of animals, including elephants. Because of their unique expertise and the authority delegated to them for this job, we believe that this agency is uniquely suited to deal with the welfare of elephants and that for the same reasons, state legislatures are poorly suited to judge the unique welfare matters associated with the species involved. Additionally, California already has some of the strictest exotic animal welfare regulations in the U.S. As you consider this bill, please remember that elephants are endangered in most of their natural habitats; that circuses and zoos and the facilities they maintain for these magnificent creatures are among the world’s few safe havens for elephant preservation; and that seeing elephants at circuses and zoos often provides young people the spark needed for becoming a veterinarian or wildlife biologist. Please vote NO on AB 777. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter. Very truly yours, John C. Goodall, Jr Vice Chairman Circus World Museum Foundation, Inc. 550 Water Street Baraboo, WI. 53913-2597 CA Assembly - Public Safety Committee CA Assembly - Public Safety Committee CA Assembly - Public Safety Committee CA Assembly - Public Safety Committee CA Assembly - Public Safety Committee State Capitol CA Assembly - Public Safety Committee The Honorable Betty Karnette, Chairperson CA Assembly - Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism & Internet Media State Capitol P.O. Box 942849 Room 2136 Sacramento, CA 94249-0052 email - Assemblymember.Karnette@assembly.ca.gov The Honorable Sharon Runner Vice Chair CA Assembly - Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism & Internet Media P.O. Box 942849 Room 5158 Sacramento, CA 94249-0023 email Assemblywoman.Runner@assembly.ca.gov The Honorable Joe Coto CA Assembly - Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism & Internet Media P O Box 94249 Room 2160 Sacramento, CA 94249-0023 email - Assemblymember.coto@assembly.ca.gov The Honorable Mike Davis CA Assembly - Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism & Internet Media P. O. Box 942849 Room 2013 Sacramento, CA 94249-0048 email - Assemblymember.Davis@assembly.ca.gov The Honorable Kevin de Leon CA Assembly - Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism & Internet Media P. O. Box 942849 Room 4140 Sacramento, CA 94249-0045 email - Assemblymember.deLeonj@assembly.ca.gov The Honorable George A. Plescis CA Assembly - Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism & Internet Media P. O. Box 94284 Room 3141 Sacramento, CA 94249-0075 email - Assemblymember.plescia@assembly.ca.gov The Honorable Audra Strickland CA Assembly - Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism & Internet Media P. O. Box 942849 Room 4028 Sacramento, CA 94249-0037 email - Assemblymember.strickland@assembly.ca.gov The Honorable Sandre R. Swanson CA Assembly - Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism & Internet Media P. O. Box 942849 Room 6012 Sacramento, CA 94249-0037 email - Assemblymember.Swanson@assembly.ca.gov | 
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