AKC Breed Dogs Under Attack January 20, 2010
Dear AKC Club Officer, Delegate, or Judge:Our right to own and breed dogs is under attack. Throughout the country last year we experienced an unprecedented increase in legislation that infringes on the rights of responsible owners and breeders. Already, many similar bills have already been introduced for 2010.
Some of the 2009 bills included:
New York A.7218, which would have criminalized tail docking and make it a misdemeanor for anyone to exhibit a dog with a docked tail. The bill also allowed for any New York animal rights organization to directly sue violators of this law.
Texas HB 4277 & Florida HB 451, as written, would have required that all dogs in the state be spayed or neutered, with very few exceptions.
Montana HB 191 & Hawaii SB 79 would have banned the ownership of “pit bulls”, including American Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers.
26 different states introduced legislation that sought to regulate dog breeding. Many of these bills followed a formula that included caps on animal ownership, allowed for unreasonable inspections and seizures, and arbitrary care and kennel engineering standards.Fortunately, few of these provisions became law, but the consistency and similarity of these measures seen in state after state, demonstrates the effect of a national agenda determined to take away our rights to own and breed dogs in a manner consistent with our expertise.
The need for a united, resolute dog fancy committed to protecting our dogs and our rights has never been greater. This election year, through contributions to the AKC Political Action Committee (AKC PAC), we have the opportunity to support lawmakers and candidates who will fight for our right to own, breed, and exhibit our beloved dogs. Please ask all club members to consider a donation to the AKC PAC. One hundred percent of these donations will go directly to support the campaigns of candidates who will help protect our rights.
I’ve enclosed materials that provide more information about this program. Although the AKC PAC can only accept donations from individuals, clubs can help by conducting fundraisers and encourage their members to donate to the PAC.
Please join me in taking a stand and making the voice of the dog fancy heard in Congress and in our state legislatures. Please contribute to this important program and distribute the enclosed materials to your members, colleagues and club newsletters.
Together we can ensure that the right to own, breed and exhibit dogs is protected for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Nina Schaefer
Chairman, AKC PAC Board
