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By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson
Photo: Creative Commons by SA
October 20, 2019 (Sacramento) -- California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 202 on Oct. 13, which in part would have allowed dog owners to permit their pets to become dog blood donors.
SB 202 passed the Senate on Sept. 11, 2019 before Newsom’s veto this month.
Additionally, the bill aimed to address concerns over dog blood farms where dogs are kept caged for months or years at a time with reportedly no oversight, solely to donate blood on a frequent basis. This is a practice animal rights groups contend is inhumane.
“I am returning Senate Bill 202 without my signature,” wrote Newsom in his veto message. “The bill permits commercial blood banks for animals to collect blood from community-sourced blood and imposes rules around the collection of community sourced animal blood.”
He added, “I am supportive of changing California’s law governing animal blood donation. However, this bill does not go far enough. I ask that the Legislature send me legislation that effectively leads to the phasing out of “closed colonies.
Newsom wants the dog blood farms phased out in broader legislation.
Community-sourced blood includes donations from pets made with the owners’ permission, similar to human blood banks that rely on voluntary donations from community members, whose blood is screened for safety.
Captive closed colonies are facilities set up strictly for collecting dog blood donations. Some consider the current “captive closed-colonies” used for collecting blood inhumane; while others cite that the colonies are saving dogs’ lives.
Greyhounds are widely kept as canine donors because most have universal blood types according to a story in the San Jose Mercury News.
SB 202 was introduced by Sen. Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita).
Newsom’s veto message concluded, “The legislation should provide for the safe and humane treatment of donor animals, the welfare of the recipients and adequate oversight and enforcement of this program,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
Visit to read more about SB202.
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB542
Sources:
https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/01/25/dog-blood-donation-in-california-inhumane-or-saving-lives/
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