W
henIwasclubpresident,Iwasdelightedthat
CharAllmannenthusiasticallytookonthepost
ofchairmanoftheclub’sLegislativeCommittee.
Theever-growingimpactoflaws,rulesandregulationson
breeding,andthenumberandkindofdogswecanhave
whetherasbreedersorsimplyownersofdogs,issomething
thateverydogownerneedstobeawareof,andmyfeelingis
thatanydogclubthatisnotkeepingtabsonthishasgotits
headinthesand.TwoyearsagoCharattendedAKC’sfirst
LegislativeConferenceandfounditwasverybeneficial.
NowIhavebecomeamemberofChar’scommittee.I’ve
foundthatIhavealottolearn.So,inJanuaryI,alongwith
Char,attendedAKC’ssecondLegislativeConference,heldin
Raleigh,N.C.
Asissaidaboutparanoids,sometimestheyreallyareafter
you.Withdogsandpeoplewhohavedogs,therearesome
verysuccessful,verypowerfulorganizationsthatareindeed
afterus.Theywanttocontrolwhetherandhowyouhavea
dog.Theyhaveverysuccessfulpublic-relationscampaigns
andlobbying.Theytrytosettheagendasothatlocalities
passlawsrestrictingthenumberandkindofdogsonecan
own,andonanationallevelwhetheryoucanbeconsidered
acommercialbreederandbesubjecttofederallicensingif
youhaveonlyahandfulofintactdogsandmaybreedonly
occasionallyandveryselectively.Yetyou’relumpedinwith
“puppymills”andareobligedtocomplywithregulations
thatcaneffectivelypreventyoufromengaginginyour
hobbyofbreedingdogs.
So-calledanimal-rights(AR)organizationslikePETA,
HSUSandevenASPCAareconvincingthepublicand
legislatorsthatiswrongtoowndogs,thatalmostalldogs
shouldbespayedorneutered,andthatitisimmoraltohave
apurebreddog(orcat)insteadofamixedbreedthatcomes
fromashelter.Theyareencouraginglegislationthatrestricts
thenumberofdogsonecanhave,thenumberofintactdogs
onecanhaveandhowonemaysellanydogsthatarenot
neededforone’sownpurposesinshowingorbreeding.
Theseorganizationsraisevastsumsthatprimarilyenrich
theirstaffsandtheirlobbyistsanddolittletobenefitlocal
sheltersortakecareofdogsthatareseizedduetodisaster,
maltreatmentorneglect.ThusHSUS,whichhasabudgetof
morethan$100million,devotesonly1percentofitsspend-
ingtolocalshelters.YetpeoplewatchingitsTVcommercials
showingsad-lookingpetsincagesthinktheirdonationswill
directlybenefitsuchdogsandcats.Thinkagain.
Itisnowonderthatthenumberofdogsregisteredwith
AKChasbeendeclining.Thenumberofpurebreddogs,
registeredornot,hasbeendecliningandthelackofsupply
ofpurebreddogsneatlycomplementstherisingcurveofthe
numberofdogsimportedfromoneareaofthecountryto
another,andfromoutsidethecountry—oftenillegally.
Peoplewanttohavedogs,andiftheycan’tgetpurebreds
they’llgetsomethingelse.WhileorganizationslikePETA
andHSUShaveasanultimategoaltheabolitionofpet
animals,theydownplaythatagendaandintheshortterm
simplymakeitmoredifficultforpeopletohavepurebred
dogsaspets.Sincepeoplewantdogs,theresulthasbeenfor
“shelters”toeffectivelybecomepetstores,importingtheir
stockfromotherpartsofthecountryorfromelsewhere.In
manypartsofthecountrytheavailabilityofpurebreddogs
isbelowreplacementlevel.Tomeetthedemand,shelters
shipindogs.Andsincethesedogsareostensibly“rescued,”
40
www.pbgv.org
March2014
ISaberTails
ILegislationUpdate
byBobCohen
photosbyBobCohen
AKC’sSecondLegislativeConference
PBGVCALegislativeChairCharlotteAllmann,right,andViceChairBobCohen,
left,duringtheAKCLegislativeConferenceinRaleigh,N.C.
MargaretPoindexter,generalcounselforAKC.