SaberTails

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onlegislation,andwewereamazedtolearntheyarealways
availableandseemtoworkaroundtheclock!Don’thesitate
tocallthemwhenyouneedhelpunderstandinglegislation.
ARgroupsarewayaheadofmostofus,andknowhowto
writebillsandlawsformaximumcontroloverus.Having
theAKC’slegislativeanalystsexaminelocallegislationcan
preventyoufromsufferingnegativeconsequences.

Herearesomesuggestionsforthingsyoucando

rightnowtoprotectyourselfandyourdogsfromthe
consequencesofARlaws:

Isthereadogfederation,orasportsman’sgroupinyourstate?

Joinasanindividualandhaveyourdogclubjoin.Often
largegroupshavepaidlobbyists,agreatbenefit.Ifyoudon’t
haveastatedogfederation,theAKCGovernmentRelations
websitewilltellyouallyouneedtoknowtostartone!

Keepupwithanimalagricultureissues.Consideraddressing

dogissuesfromtheconsumerprotectionperspective.Rise
abovetheextremeemotionalismoftypicalARarguments.

Areyouinterestedinhorses,thecircusorendangeredspecies?

ConsidersupportingcarriagehorsesinNewYorkCity.They
arecurrentlyunderviciousattackbythesameforcesthat
attempttooutlawdogbreeding.Circusesandmarineparks
hugelybenefitanimalsconservationefforts,yettheyarealso
victimsofharassmentandprotests.Standupforthem!

Yourdogs’goodbehaviormakesthemnaturalambassadors

andyouagreatexampleofaresponsibledogowner.Don’tpass
upanyopportunitiestotalkaboutthepotentialforgood
healthandgoodbehaviorthatcomeswithpurebreddogs
fromcarefullychosenbreeders.Don’tbeshy!

TheBusinessof“Rescue.”Therearemanycomplex

issuessurroundingthemovementofdogsfromstatetostate
orforeigncountriestotheUnitedStates,feedingthepublic’s
desirefor“rescue”dogs.Oneoftheseissuesisthedraining
ofresourcesofsomepurebredrescuegroupsastheybecome
thedumpinggroundsforsheltersthatcan’tfindhomesfor
importeddogsidentified,oftenwrongly,asapurebred.

Don’tapologizeforhavingapurebreddog;don’tallowanyone

tomakeyoufeelguiltyforbuyingagreatdogfromabreeder.If
peopledidtheirhomeworkandpurposefullychoseadog
fromarespectedbreederbasedonpredictablecharacteristics,
therewouldbefarfewerhomelessdogsinshelters.

Volunteertohelpyourlocalshelterwithtrainingorgrooming.

Offertoteachakids’dogsafetyclass.Ifyouareabreeder,a
sheltermaywelcomeyourassistancewithveryyoungpups
orpregnantbitches.Mostsheltershaveverylittleexperience
withwhelpingorneonates.Iftheyhaveaprejudiceagainst
breeders,yourgenerositymaychangetheirminds.

Successfullyfightinganenemythathasanenormousfinancial

edgewilltakecreativityandflexibility.Searchforcommon
groundandignoreunimportantdifferencesofopinion.Asa
friendofmineratherpithilysays,“Youdon’thavetogoto
bedwithanyofthesepeople,youonlyneedtobeinthe
sameroomwiththem”longenoughtofindyourmutual
agreements.Severalconferencespeakerspointedoutthat
divisivenesswithinourownfamilyofdogenthusiastsisa
weaponARusesagainstus.Wemustfocusonthepositive
influenceofmoderndogbreedersofalltypes,hobbyand
commercial,whouseadvancedcareandconditions.Only
thissolidaritywillcountertheARcampaigofnegativity.

BePrepared.Mostimportantly,VOTE!Didyouknow

thatwhenyoucallalawmaker’sofficeandgiveyourname
andaddressasaconstituent,thenumberoftimesyouvoted
appearsonthecomputerscreen?No,Ididn’tknowthat
either.Youropinionmatters,buttheopinionsofregular
votersmattermore—much,muchmore.

Beforeyoudoanythingelse,knowyourlocallaws!I

foundoutbyaccidentthatmycityhasa“threepetlimit”
thatcountsdogsANDcatscombined.Whenrenewingour
doglicensesandaddingoneforapuppy,Iwasaskedbythe
clerkifwestillhadacat.Ifso,wewouldbeoverthelimit
andwouldhavetosomehowreduceourtotal.Wehadn’t
hadacatforquitesometime,butcityhallstillhadarecord
ofacatlicenseatouraddress.

Wemetseveralelectedofficialsattheconference,real-life

dogpeopleincluded.Reachouttoyours!Asaconstituent,
youropinionmatters,andyourgovernmentrepresentatives
dowanttohearfromyou.Ifyouhaveanopportunity,
attendapoliticalmeet-and-greetor“townhall”eventin
yourneighborhood.Bringbusinesscards.Ifthereisa
currenthottopiconanimals,bringappropriatehandouts.
TheAKChasmanypagesavailableforprintingoncanine
issuestobackupyourwords.Findthematwww.akc.org/
dogowner/government_relations/index.cfm.

MakeadonationtotheAKCCanineLegislative

SupportFundand/ortheAKCPoliticalAction
Committee(PAC).TheCanineLegislativeSupportFund
isusedtoeducateandadvocateonyourbehalfatthe
federal,stateandlocallevelsandtoensureyourrightsasa

responsibledogownerareprotected.Thesefundsmaynot
beusedtocontributetopoliticalcampaigns.AKCPAC
fundsareusedtocontributetocampaignstohelpelect
dog-friendlyleadershipincongressandstatehousesacross
thenation.PACfundsmaynotbeusedtolobbyofficials
oncetheyareinofficeortoinfluencelegislation,theymay
onlybeusedincampaigns.

Alerts!PBGVCAwillbeforwardinglegislativealertsto

members,sometoeveryone,andbystatewhenappropriate.
Alertsworkbothways.Payattentiontoanimaltopicsinthe
media,includingsocialmedia.Awarenessoftrendscanhelp
headoffdisaster,andcangiveyoutheperfectopeningfora
conversationwithyourlawmakers.Ifyoubecomeawareof
dogregulationsorlegislationinyourarea,pleaseletBobor
meknowwhatisgoingon.Wewillalertothermembersin
thesamestateaswellastheAKCGovernmentRelations
Department,andwillhelpyoulocateinformationon
AKC.orgifyourequestit.

JointheNationalAnimalInterestAlliance.The

AKCmustfocusondogissuesonly,butsincethereismuch
legislationthatoverlapsspecies,itishelpfultofollowthe
NAIA’stopics.TheNAIAhasawonderfulblogwrittenby
knowledgeablepeoplefromallanimalenterprises.Visit
www.naiaonline.org.

BobandIlookforwardtohearingfromyou.Wehave

moretoshareinfutureissuesofSaberTails.

I

Formoreinformationontheconferenceorcaninelegislative
issues,contactCharlotteAllmannatchar.allmann@gmail.com
orBobCohenatbobcohen03@gmail.com.

“Ifpeople...choseadogfromarespectedbreederbasedonpredictable

characteristics,therewouldbefarfewerhomelessdogsinshelters.”