To view this mail in a browser, copy http://sdm3.rm04.net/servlet/MailView?ms=MjUzMjM3NQS2&r=MTUyMzYxMzgxOTQS1&j=NzIyNTI0MDAS1&mt=1&rt=0 into your browser. AKC’s Taking Command
To make sure you continue receiving AKC emails, please add enews@akc.org mailto:enews@akc.org to your email address book. May 2009
Director’s Letter
The past several months have held an unprecedented level of legislative challenges for responsible dog owners and breeders. Likewise, the AKC Government Relations Department has been active throughout the country, assisting state federations and local clubs in fighting a variety of anti-dog initiatives. As a department, we are also tracking nearly 850 state and local measures.
Many of the bills we are seeing are strongly supported by Animal Rights groups and clearly appear to be a part of their national agenda to limit the rights of responsible dog owners and breeders. These bills are strikingly similar in language and content – most contain numerical limits on ownership, excessive regulation including strict one-size-fits-all engineering standards, mandates on breeding ages without regard to reproductive differences within breeds or the use of reproductive technology, and in many cases, provisions that would allow for warrantless searches of private property including breeders’ homes.
To help in the fight against negative canine legislation, we’re pleased to announce the addition of two new tools in the AKC Government Relations toolbox:
We are now providing you with legislative tracking information for all the state and federal canine legislation that we are currently tracking. To use this service, go to the AKC Government Relations web page http://sdm3.rm04.net/ctt?kn=5&m=2532375&r=MTUyMzYxMzgxOTQS1&b=2&j=NzIyNTI0MDAS1&mt=1&rt=0 and click on the large “AKC Government Relations 2009 Legislation Tracking” icon (also at left). This brings you to a clickable map of the United States where you can access, by state, pending canine legislation, bill text, official legislative summaries, the latest legislative developments, the progress of specific bills, and AKC legislative alerts and messages.
Another exciting new feature is the Two Ways to Protect Your Rights web pages http://sdm3.rm04.net/ctt?kn=13&m=2532375&r=MTUyMzYxMzgxOTQS1&b=2&j=NzIyNTI0MDAS1&mt=1&rt=0, which explain why donations to the AKC Political Action Committee or the Canine Legislative Support Fund?even small ones?can make a huge difference in helping the AKC to fight the onslaught of anti-dog legislation we’re encountering throughout the country. One hundred percent of all donations to these funds go directly to education or advocacy efforts, or in the case of the PAC, to helping support political candidates that respect dog owners’ rights.
Thank you for joining our efforts to support the rights of responsible dog owners and breeders throughout the country. Please don’t hesitate to contact us personally at 919-816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org mailto:doglaw@akc.org.
All the best,
Sheila Goffe Director of Government Relations