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.