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Invasives should be pulled or killed by herbicide and not be permitted to be sold in nurseries

Please support HB402. It will allow small cottage foods producers to grow reach a larger consumer base, without the need to upgrade to a commercial kitchen, which is exceedingly expensive and lots of red tape for permitting. This is also a way to make it less restrictive for anyone wanting to get started with home produced uninspected foods which will support independence and community food resilience and keep revenue cycling within the local economy.

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Invasives should be pulled or killed by herbicide and not be permitted to be sold in nurseries

Dear Members of the House of Delegates, My name is Taryn Singleton, and I am the current President of the Virginia Association of Licensed Veterinary Technicians (“LVT’s”). For those of you who may not know, LVT’s have a degree in veterinary technology, pass a national board exam, and must obtain a minimum of eight hours of continuing education yearly to maintain a license in the Commonwealth. We work side-by-side by veterinarians, obtaining diagnostic samples, performing diagnostic tests, administering and monitoring anesthesia, and provide life-saving medical care to our patients. We understand power of the maternal bond in our mammalian wildlife and the risks associated with the premature separation and hybridization of exotic animals. Exotic animals are not pets. We understand the work and the stakeholders that have carefully drafted this proposed bill and support of HB 112. Taryn Singleton, LVT VALVT President

Please see attached

I am a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in Virginia and the founder of a nonprofit wildlife rescue organization that responds to thousands of wildlife cases each year. I support HB 112 because it reflects basic animal welfare principles that wildlife professionals already follow: unweaned animals should not be separated from their mothers unless there is a legitimate, medically justified reason supported by appropriate veterinary oversight. From a biological and welfare standpoint, early maternal separation is inherently risky. Infant mammals rely on their mothers not only for nutrition, but also for immune protection, thermoregulation, neurological development, and species-specific behavioral learning. Bottle-feeding alone cannot replicate these processes. In wildlife rehabilitation, removing a baby unnecessarily is considered harmful and often results in higher mortality, developmental issues, or long-term welfare compromise. HB 112 does not criminalize emergency care, responsible rehabilitation, or legitimate zoological or agricultural practices. Instead, it establishes a clear expectation that early separation should be rare, justified, and documented. This clarity closes a gap in current law that allows intentional breeding and early removal of animals without meaningful veterinary involvement. Concerns raised about the requirement for a veterinarian with “appropriate species-specific experience” misunderstand how veterinary competence is assessed in practice. There is no formal certification for every species. Competence is demonstrated through training, experience, continuing education, and professional accountability. This is already how wildlife rehabilitators and veterinarians operate. If an individual cannot identify a veterinarian with relevant experience before breeding or acquiring an animal, that individual should not be responsible for managing that animal’s reproduction or neonatal care. Emergency situations are not restricted under this bill. What HB 112 discourages is convenience-based or pre-planned separation justified after the fact. Veterinary oversight is not red tape—it is a safeguard for animals and for caretakers alike. As a rehabilitator, I routinely see the consequences of unnecessary early separation. HB 112 prioritizes prevention over reaction and aligns private animal care standards more closely with evidence-based animal welfare practices. For these reasons, I support HB 112 and respectfully urge its passage.

1/28/26 Laura Steere Educational Facilitator & RN I’m respectfully request a VETO to Bills SB344/HB112 & hope that this bill (that was defeated last fall) will be permanently tabled. As an animal-assisted therapeutic program facilitator and a registered nurse, I would like to share an important perspective on why bottle-raising exotic animals is both an ethical and educational practice it is often medically and ethically necessary. Bottle-raising, when done responsibly, produces animals that are secure, not confused—capable of both species-appropriate behavior and human-guided educational engagement. Bottle-raising exotic animals and responsibly incorporating hybrid species into educational programs is not about control—it is about care. These practices allow animals to thrive in human-guided environments while enabling meaningful, trauma-informed education that reaches populations who may never otherwise connect with the natural world. When done ethically, bottle-raising saves lives, improves welfare, and creates ambassadors that foster empathy, understanding, and long-term stewardship. Early Human Care Enables Lifelong Welfare and Safety · Animals raised for educational programs must be: · Comfortable with routine health checks · Calm during transport and environmental change · Safe around children, individuals with disabilities, and elderly populations · Bottle-raised animals are · Less stressed by human presence · More receptive to veterinary care · Less likely to injure themselves or others during routine handling This directly improves animal welfare outcomes and human safety, especially in inclusive educational settings. Bottle-Raising Creates Unmatched Educational Impact · Animals that are calm, trusting, and responsive allow educators to: · Demonstrate anatomy, behavior, nutrition, and development in real time · Teach empathy, responsibility, and respect for life · Support trauma-informed learning for veterans, children, and individuals with disabilities • For many participants, a bottle-raised animal is the first safe connection to the natural world, transforming abstract concepts into lasting understanding. · Education is not passive observation—it is relationship-based learning. Bottle-Raised Does Not Mean Imprinted or Exploited · Ethical programs maintain: · Species-appropriate socialization · Access to conspecifics when developmentally appropriate · Clear boundaries that prevent inappropriate dependency Hybrid animals are a naturally occurring outcome of biology that, can enhance animal welfare, support human education, and deepen public understanding of genetics and evolution. Ethical hybrid breeding is defined by intention, restraint, and the commitment to provide animals with lives that are healthy, enriched, and respected. Virginia’s agricultural and educational traditions remind us that ethical care, informed human involvement, and respect for animal life are not opposing values—they are deeply intertwined. I would welcome the opportunity to share a personal experience that illustrates this reality—one that speaks not only to the mind, but to the heart—and helps broaden perspectives on these practices play in education, therapy, and animal welfare. Thank you for being open minded . Please permanently defeat HB112.

Mr. Chair and Members of the Committee, My name is Heidi Crosky and I represent the Virginia Animal Owners Alliance. We urge you to strongly oppose HB 112--it is picking winners and losers and will harm animal welfare. This legislation is unnecessary and will conflict with current law. In Virginia, exotic animals are classified as companion animals. Code section 3.2-6510 already includes protections for unweaned mammals, “No person shall sell, raffle, give away, or offer for sale as pets or novelties, or offer or give as a prize, premium, or advertising device any living chicks, ducklings, or other fowl under two months old in quantities of less than six or any unweaned mammalian companion animal or any dog or cat under the age of seven weeks without its dam or queen.” The current code also states, “Nothing in this section shall prohibit the sale, gift, or transfer of an unweaned animal... due to a concern for the health or safety of the unweaned animal”. HB 112 is arbitrary and goes against common sense. This bill will also set a dangerous precedent if passed, because it will codify the concept that the hand-rearing and bottle-raising of baby animals is cruel. Nothing could be further from the truth! Exotic animals in human care greatly benefit from hand-rearing and desensitization. Bottle-feeding improves daily handling and veterinary procedures and these benefits last a lifetime. It is worth noting that even the supporters of HB 112 recognize this practice is NOT cruel, because there are exemptions. In cases of actual cruelty (such as dog fighting) an exemption would never be proposed or considered. This bill is very prejudiced, because it segregates citizens into two groups. It has selected independent owners and keepers for enforcement and prosecution, while allowing EVERY OTHER CITIZEN to continue the privilege of bottle-feeding. This violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. It also goes against the Constitution of Virginia which clearly states that no man, or set of men, is entitled to exclusive privileges from the community. PETA is championing this bill, but it is important to remember that this extreme group is opposed to animals in human care. This organization has a very unrealistic view of animals and "the wild". Over 50% of wild baby giraffes are lost to predators, but they don't seem to want to talk about the cruelty of Mother Nature. Animals in human care are the lucky ones. Darren Minier is promoted by PETA and has been included in some of their talking points. He testified against the Mogensen family in February 2024, but part of his testimony did not make it into the PETA handout. He testified, "..we elect to euthanize animals that are rejected..." The entire courtroom was in shock at this statement, but he and PETA share the same dark ideology. We know from experience that Darren Minier is wrong and that hand-raised animals often lead very long and full lives. The hybrid language of HB 112 is also deeply concerning. The word "intentionally" can easily be struck later on and zoos with multi-species exhibits should NOT be targeted. Hybrids are part of many zoos and found in nature. They often enjoy what is known as "hybrid vigor". There is no reason to ban or destroy them. The enforcement aspect of this legislation is very, very dark and must be rejected. Please vote against this bill and protect the citizens and animals of Virginia. Sincerely, Heidi Crosky, VAOA

Opposition Testimony on Virginia House Bill 112 Good Afternoon Chairman and members of the committee, My name is Abbitt Hoffman. I am the Mid-Atlantic Regional Director and Legislative Representative for the American Federation of Aviculture, and a retired United States Army Sergeant. Thank you for the opportunity to speak in opposition to House Bill 112. The American Federation of Aviculture is a national nonprofit organization representing responsible animal caretakers, breeders, educators, and conservationists nationwide. While HB 112 may be well-intended, it is overly broad, inflexible, and risks unintended harm. First, the bill imposes a blanket four-month restriction on separating mammalian offspring from the mother, regardless of species or circumstances. Animal development varies widely, and responsible care decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis. Embedding a rigid timeline into law removes professional judgment from veterinarians and experienced caretakers. Second, I want to address the impact on military veterans, particularly those living with PTSD and traumatic brain injury. For many veterans, animal companionship is not optional—it is a critical support that improves mental health, stability, and quality of life. By restricting lawful and responsible access to companion animals, HB 112 risks creating barriers for veterans who rely on animals as part of their recovery and daily functioning. Third, the bill’s hybridization language is vague and difficult to enforce, creating unnecessary legal risk for responsible owners and conservation-based programs without demonstrating clear benefit to animal welfare. Virginia already has strong animal cruelty laws on the books. The focus should be on enforcing existing statutes, not expanding rigid mandates that replace science and professional discretion with one-size-fits-all policy. As a veteran, I believe good law should be clear, practical, and effective. HB 112 does not meet that standard. I would also like to bring to the table for the committee to see the issues identified during the hearing for the companion bill in senate SB 344. The language allows the officer to decide if the person is guilty of any violation with no burden of proofand doesn't identify what the penalty/fines would be. For these reasons, on behalf of the American Federation of Aviculture, I respectfully urge you to oppose HOUSE BILL 112. Thank you for your time. I am happy to answer any questions.

1-21-26 The VFDCB OPPOSES bill HB112. It requires justification for premature wildlife offspring/mother separation only "if medical necessity exists pursuant to a WRITTEN ORDER from a veterinarian with appropriate SPECIES-SPECIFIC experience and expertise who is licensed to practice in the Commonwealth". This requirement ignores the shortage of veterinarians with specialized skills all over VA but especially in remote or rural areas. Being able to locate such a vet within narrow time limits of an at-risk offspring is not a appropriate requirement. Similarly directing only very specific accreditation organizations can be considered is another over-the -top requirement. Hybridization occurs in nature so to rule this circumstance out again ignores reality. Please OPPOSE HB112 Alice Harrington - VFDCB

Comments Document

On behalf of the responsible pet care community, we ask that you vote NO on House Bill 112, which makes it unlawful to prematurely separate any mammalian wildlife offspring born in captivity.

This legislation is unnecessary. The animal caretakers are more qualified than most veterinarians in care of exotic or domestic neonates. Enforcing this type of law will actually endanger the animals more by inexperience law enforcement officials trying to remove the animal from care.

It's a wonderful thing when a new baby animal arrives and bottle feeding them wether it's because the mother wasn't willing to feed her offspring or for any other reasons it helps reduce the stress of being handled by huma s for vet purposes as well as any care they need . It adds to their quality of life doesn't subtract or cause them trama. They can lead a happy well adjusted life with vet care and extended life expectancys from the care and vaccines

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Invasives should be pulled or killed by herbicide and not be permitted to be sold in nurseries

These committees need to consist of subject matter experts in their field. The individuals chosen need to have solid working knowledge and experience in the forestry field. Selct and approve the right people for the job. Sometimes the is the boots on ground individual that has more sweat equity than paper cuts. Put the right people in the place. The return on investment will outweigh hiring desk jockeys and friends.

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Invasives should be pulled or killed by herbicide and not be permitted to be sold in nurseries

Please support HB402. It will allow small cottage foods producers to grow reach a larger consumer base, without the need to upgrade to a commercial kitchen, which is exceedingly expensive and lots of red tape for permitting. This is also a way to make it less restrictive for anyone wanting to get started with home produced uninspected foods which will support independence and community food resilience and keep revenue cycling within the local economy.

we at VICFA VA Independent Farmer Consumer Assoc support Delegate Glass bill HB322. We would also favor amending the bill to require any included lab grown ingredient(s) be labeled no matter how minimal the quanity. If not on the main labeling then at leastinclude it the ingredient list. This legislation would support small meat producers and encourage local sustainable food production. The reason for the lab grown meats effort is often sited as a way to lessen climate changing emissions from livestock, especially beef. It has been reasonably well proven that rotationally grazed grass feed beef actually sequesters more carbon in the soil; when compared to feed lot beef. And a in study by UCLA, it calculated the environmental damage of producing lab grown meat far out strips the climate changing emissions of grass fed, land based production. As for nutritional quality the most nutritious of any beef production method is by very diverse pastures and lab grown meat won't even come close to feedlot grown beef which is currently the least nutrient rich beef. Please support this bill to help the consumer be informed easily to what they are purchasing and ingesting. thank you for your time to bring this to public attention.

we at VICFA VA Independent Farmer Consumer Assoc support Delegate Glass bill HB322. We would also favor amending the bill to require any included lab grown ingredient(s) be labeled no matter how minimal the quanity. If not on the main labeling then at leastinclude it the ingredient list. This legislation would support small meat producers and encourage local sustainable food production. The reason for the lab grown meats effort is often sited as a way to lessen climate changing emissions from livestock, especially beef. It has been reasonably well proven that rotationally grazed grass feed beef actually sequesters more carbon in the soil; when compared to feed lot beef. And a in study by UCLA, it calculated the environmental damage of producing lab grown meat far out strips the climate changing emissions of grass fed, land based production. As for nutritional quality the most nutritious of any beef production method is by very diverse pastures and lab grown meat won't even come close to feedlot grown beef which is currently the least nutrient rich beef. Please support this bill to help the consumer be informed easily to what they are purchasing and ingesting. thank you for your time to bring this to public attention.

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Invasives should be pulled or killed by herbicide and not be permitted to be sold in nurseries

The Virginia Loggers Association supports HB512. We support a robust and healthy forest products industry, and agriculture believing they are strongly connected, to ensure that pollicy makers understand the fiscal health of the businesses who make up Virginia's third largest industry. Fixing problems in the economy means that we must begin with a knowledge of the existing condition. Once known, the best solutions are clearer. Forest products prosperity goes to the heart of this economic sector. If our businesses are healthy with good markets and high production, the sector will remain strong and grow. HB 512 comes at a most opportune time as we see lagging markets, lower pricing to landowners, loggers, and mills. Loggers are on production quotas and many have already left the business. The industry is made up of small family owned businesses, and this is particularly true for loggers, landowners, and many sawmills. To ensure they continue to invest in their businesses, we must have help from the Commonwealth of Virginia to attract new businesses and do more to keep existing businesses. VLA believes HB 512 is a great start and will build a solid foundation for economic development of the forest industry in the future.

The Virginia Loggers Association supports HB512. We support a robust and healthy forest products industry, and agriculture believing they are strongly connected, to ensure that pollicy makers understand the fiscal health of the businesses who make up Virginia's third largest industry. Fixing problems in the economy means that we must begin with a knowledge of the existing condition. Once known, the best solutions are clearer. Forest products prosperity goes to the heart of this economic sector. If our businesses are healthy with good markets and high production, the sector will remain strong and grow. HB 512 comes at a most opportune time as we see lagging markets, lower pricing to landowners, loggers, and mills. Loggers are on production quotas and many have already left the business. The industry is made up of small family owned businesses, and this is particularly true for loggers, landowners, and many sawmills. To ensure they continue to invest in their businesses, we must have help from the Commonwealth of Virginia to attract new businesses and do more to keep existing businesses. VLA believes HB 512 is a great start and will build a solid foundation for economic development of the forest industry in the future.