Chairman Peck opened the hearing for SB344.

Tamera Lawrence, Senior Assistant Revisor of Statute, gave an explanation of the bill.(Attachment 1 )

Ms. Lawrence stood for questions.

Proponent In Person testimony:

Senator Doug Shane provided proponent testimony. (Attachment 2) SB344 will modify current law to allow neonates to be fostered immediately, giving shelters the flexibility they need to ensure the neonates can be cared for.

Senator Shane stood for questions.

Crystal Swann Blackdeer, Executive Director, LCHS, Inc. provided proponent testimony. (Attachment 3) This measure simply allows licensed shelters to place neonates in foster care immediately.

Ms. Blackdeer stood for questions.

Jasmine Kyle, Director, Southeast Kansas Humane Society, provided proponent testimony. (Attachment 4)  Ms. Kyle is supporting the bill because it amends the current definition of the Kansas Pet Animal Act that requires shelters to keep stray neonate puppies and kittens on-site during the three-business-day stray-hold period.

Ms. Kyle stood for questions.

Sydney Mollentine, CEO, The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City, provided proponent testimony. (Attachment 5) This proposal change is not radical. It is practical, humaine, and rooted in the realities of modern animal sheltering.

Ms. Mollentine stood for questions.

Terry Humphrey, Executive Director, Kansas Pet Advocates provided proponent testimony. (Attachment 6)  Neonates are unweaned animals that need round-the-clock care. Care that is extremely difficult, and often impossible, to provide in a shelter environment. This bill is narrowly tailored to solve this problem.  It applies only to neonates and only to shelters.

Ms. Humphrey stood for questions.

The following all offered written only proponent testimony:

Andrea Buler-Lartz, RVT, Shelter Manager, Pawnee County Humane Society (Attachment 7)

Amber Bowlby, President, Kansas Animal Control Association (Attachment 8)

Ellen Querner, President, Pals Animal Rescue, Inc, Spay Neuter Kansas, Inc (Attachment 9)

Christy Fischer, Executive Director, Wichita Animal Actin League (Attachment 10)

Shanti Mikolajczky, Board Member, Sedgwick county Animal Control Advisory Board (Attachment 11)

Susan Weaver, Board member and Foster Coordinator for AWOL Humane Society (Attachment 12)

Michi Powell, previous humane society employee and current Spay Neuter Clinic (Attachment 13)

Anne Marie Yatsula, Staff Attorney, The League of Kansas Municipalities (Attachment 14)

Linda Constable, Volunteer with several animal rescues (Attachment 15)

Jane Dockery, Animal Care & Control Manager, City of Olathe (Attachment 16)

Opponent In Person Testimony:

Michelle Russell, President, Kansas Pet Professionals, provided opponent testimony. (Attachment 17) Kansas Pet Professionals opposes SB344 as currently written, due to serious concerns regarding language that could require or encourage the placement of sick animals into foster homes.

Ms. Russell stood for questions.

The following all offered written only opponent testimony:

Shirley & Darole Walton, Skyview Kennel (Attachment 18)

Staci Williams, Owner, Pet Professionals Inc./Petland Topeka (Attachment 19)

Sharon Munk, BJ'S & Guys LLC (Attachment 20)

Lorilee Thomas. professional dog breeder (Attachment 21)

Neutral In Person Testimony:

Kelsey Olson, Deputy Secretary, Kansas Department of Agriculture, provided neutral testimony. (Attachment 22) SB344 seeks to allow stray animals to serve out the required thre-business-day stray hold period in a foster home.  There are two scenarios that are addressed in line 20 of page 1: and animal that is 1) sick or injured or 2) a neonate. KDA opposes the inclusion of sick or injured animals in this bill.

Ms. Olson stood for questions.

Chairman Peck closed the hearing on SB344 at 9:00 a.m.