thecustomersofthesheltersfeelwarmandfuzzyabouttakinginadogthatwas
supposedlyfacingeuthanasia.

Asownersofpurebreddogs,wehavearealfriendintheAmericanKennelClub.

TheyhaveapermanentGovernmentRelationsstaff,andtheyutilizealobbyingfirm
andmediaconsultantsthatenablethemtocountertheARpropagandaandseekto
informlegislatorsateverylevelwhattherealissuesareandhowtherealinterestsof
dogscanbeprotectedandpromoted.

Atthisconferenceweheardfromanumberofdifferentperspectives.AKCstaff

andconsultantstoldusaboutthestructureoffederal,stateandlocalgovernment,
howlawsarewrittenandpassed,andhowweasdogownerscantakearole.AKC’s
GovernmentRelationsDepartmentsendstargetede-mailstodogownersnotifying
usaboutpendinglegislationandhowwecanasdogowners—andvoters!—effec-
tivelycontactlegislatorsandmakeourvoicesheard.SometimesCharwillcontact
PBGVCAclubmembersinaparticularareatoletthemknowaboutsomething
theycouldtakeapositiononwithalocalorstatelegislator.Wealsoheardabout
collectiveefforts;therearedogfederationsinmanystatesthatcanhelppresenta
unifiedvoice.Weheardfrompeoplewhohadorganizedandbeenactiveinthe
IllinoisandNewJerseydogfederations,andfromPattiStrand,NationalDirectorof
theNationalAnimalInterestAlliance(NAIA),whichstrivestopromoteresponsible
animalownershipandcounterthemisinformationofradicalARfundraisinggroups.

Weheardsuggestionstomeetlegislatorswhenthereisnotacriticalissuetodeal

with.Byestablishingcontactwiththemwhenthereisnotahotissue,wecanallow
themtoknowusandourconcerns.Thiscouldhelpwithourcredibilitywhenan
issuecomesup.

Iknowthatithashelpedmetohavehadpersonalcontactwithastateassembly-

manwhorepresentsmyarea,andwiththetownsupervisorandmembersofthe
townboard.Theyrecognizemynameand,hopefully,recognizeme
assomeonewhoisresponsible,thoughtfulandworthlisteningto.

OneofthespeakerswasAKCVicePresidentandGeneralCounsel

MargaretPoindexter,whohappenstobeamemberofPBGVCA!

Oneofthethingsbroughtupbyseveralspeakers,andinmore

thanonecontext,isthatweshouldworkwithotherswhohave
alliedinterests.Maybeyoudon’twanttogooutwithyourdog
shootingbirds.Thatdoesn’tmeanthatyoudon’thavecommon
interestswithsportsmenhunterswithregardtoyourdogs.Likewise,
ownersofmixed-breeddogsandpurebredswhoaren’tPBGVs.
Whenitcomestoanti-dog-ownershiplegislationorregulation,
you’vegotalotincommonwiththemandyoushouldemphasize
thecommonalities,notthedifferences,andworktogether.One
phraseIheardthatiscertainlyappropriate:“We’reforthedogs.”

Asfrustratedasmanyofuswere
whentheAPHISRetailPetStores
regulationswereannouncedlast
year,wehaverecentlyseenhow
patienceandperseverancein
dealingwithlegislaturescanbear
fruit.ApressreleasefromAKC
notesthatinearlyFebruarythe
newFarmBillwasapprovedbythe
U.S.Senate.AKChadinformed
HouseandSenatenegotiatorsthat
althoughtheintentofchangesto
theRetailPetStoresruleswasto
regulatelarge-scalebreedersand
Internetpetsellers,thenewrules
announcedinthefallwouldrequire
somesmallhobbybreederswho
maintainmorethanfour“breeding
females”andtransferanoccasional
dogsightunseen(perhapstoa
pleasedpreviouspurchaser)to
belicensedandregulatedas
commercialpetdealers.

LanguageintheFarmBillwill

reducethenumberofbreeders
anddealersotherwiserequiredto
obtainalicenseifthesizeoftheir
businessisdeterminedtobe
minimal,asitwouldbefor
almostanyPBGVbreeder,and
theconferencereportinstructs
APHIStoclarifytheterm“breeding
female”sothatonlythosefemale
animalscapableofreproduction
andactivelybeingusedina
breedingprogramshouldqualify
as“breedingfemales.”

Thechangesmayseemsmall,

buttheysignificantlyreducethe
adverseimpactseenbymany
dogbreedersduetotherules
announcedlastyear.Thisresulted
(atleastinpart)fromthepatient
effortsofAKC'sprofessionals.

I

Openingoureyesregardingimportationofshelterdogs.

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