[ICKC] AKC 's fight against AB 1634

RITABIDDLE at aol.com RITABIDDLE at aol.com
Sun May 13 01:28:06 EAT 2007


Hi, all,
 
Please see below.   AKC is strongly fighting this bill in  California and 
actively working against animal rights driven legislation.   I really like lthe 
idea that they are actively pursuing establishing a  PAC.  See below.
 
Rita
 

MAY CHAIRMAN'S REPORT

New York, NY - Since February we have been  waging a legislative battle
against California Assembly Bill 1634 which would  require mandatory
spaying/neutering for all dogs over 4 months of age unless  the owner
qualifies for and purchases an intact dog permit through the  local
authorities. 

This would mean that those wishing to keep their  dogs intact would be at
the whim of municipalities, who, under the bill's  provisions, can set
the fees for such permits. 

So, what appears as an  "exception" for purebred dog owners and breeders,
will result in higher fees  for responsible dog owners and breeders.
California state law already  requires that dog licenses for intact
animals cost twice as much as those for  spayed or neutered animals. 

Immediately after this bill was introduced  AKC began an aggressive,
pro-active grassroots effort to get the word out  about our opposition to
this bill. We have continually posted updated  legislative alerts on our
web site and provided resources such as fliers,  sample letters and
talking points via our "CA Spay/Neuter Action Center" on  the home page.
We have also rung the alarm far and wide by individually  contacting
2,000 California club officers, legislative liaisons, judges,  and
Delegates as well as alerting 90,000 AKC-registrants in addition to  more
than 14,750 who recently registered a litter urging them to oppose  this
bill. 

AKC President and CEO Dennis Sprung and I each sent a  letter to
Assemblyman Mike Eng, Chairman of the Business and Professions  Committee
where the bill was scheduled for a hearing detailing our  opposition. I
also sent a letter to California Governor Arnold  Schwarzenegger,
reiterating the damage this bill could inflict on responsible  dog owners
and breeders and the revenue that would be lost to the state  should he
sign this bill into law. 

Our early efforts helped to secure  a postponement on a vote to move the
bill out of committee on April 10. I  believe our unified voice of
opposition from the fancy directly affected this  action. 

Because we understood the importance of the bill and the  far-reaching
effect it might have on other states, AKC sent staff member  Sarah
Sprouse from AKC's Canine Legislation department and AKC  legislative
consultant Stephanie Lane to the April 24 hearing in Sacramento.  In
addition, we hired a California lobbyist to help us navigate  the
political waters. 

Despite our efforts, the bill was kept alive  and voted out of committee.
We did, however, retain support from lawmakers  who understood our
position as was evidenced in the committee vote down party  lines.
Immediately after the hearing, our staff members met with more than  200
dedicated fanciers, supplied them with materials and instructed them  how
to approach their assembly members to voice continued opposition. I  want
to thank the several hundred fanciers who turned out for the April  10th
and 24th hearings, and the thousands of dog owners who sent letters  and
e-mails to legislators. Their collective voice and strong  numbers
strengthened our opposition. 

According to the sponsor of AB  1634, the bill is intended to reduce
shelter populations and costs. AKC  opposition to the bill is predicated
on the reality that the bill wrongly  targets responsible dog owners and
breeders while failing to address the real  reasons animals are
surrendered. National research organizations have  reported that the
majority of unwanted dogs in the United States come from  owners who are
unable or unwilling to train, socialize and care for their  dog. 

While AKC opposes mandatory spaying and neutering of purebred dogs,  we
have always encouraged pet owners to spay or neuter their dogs if  they
do not want to participate in AKC conformation events or engage  in
responsible breeding programs. In fact, the American Pet  Products
Manufacturers Association 2005-2006 National Pet Owners Survey  reports
that more than 70 percent of owned dogs are spayed or neutered.  Seven
out of 10 dog owners chose spaying or neutering as the right  decision
for their pet. This is an individual choice best made by pet owners  in
consultation with their veterinarian. 

Since the majority of owned  dogs in this country are already spayed and
neutered, we need to address the  reasons dogs are relinquished. I
believe educating the public about  responsible dog ownership, coupled
with enforcement of existing leash laws,  best addresses shelter
population issues. 

AKC proactively developed  several education programs, including AKC
Responsible Dog Ownership Day,  dedicated to teaching the pet-buying
public how to make well-informed  decisions when acquiring a pet. Such
programs help to ensure that pet  purchasers find a puppy or dog that is
a good match for their lifestyle,  thereby decreasing the chance that the
animal will be relinquished to a  shelter. In addition, our AKC Canine
Good Citizen(r) program, AKC Obedience  trials, and our nearly 5,000 AKC
affiliated clubs offer ongoing training  opportunities for owners to curb
potential behavior problems through  training. Our education programs are
in schools and libraries and at shows,  club meetings and community
events nationwide. 

AKC Clubs also  routinely donate money raised at their events back into
the community in the  form of scholarships, bullet proof vests for law
enforcement K-9s, and other  civic minded endeavors. Club members and
breeders who engage in this high  level of volunteerism are in no way
irresponsibly breeding dogs, in fact, if  a dog they breed does need to
be re-homed they are the first to step up and  take responsibility for
it, giving it a foster home until a new owner can be  found. 

We know education is the best way to influence responsible dog  ownership
and since our programs have been implemented there has actually  been a
decrease in shelter populations. What some lawmakers fail to realize  is
that with our mission to promote responsible dog ownership  through
public education, we are a significant part of the solution. We  strive
to help dog owners have a successful and rewarding experience with  their
pet, making it more likely the dog will remain a valued member of  the
family for its entire lifetime. Lawmakers must end the debate  of
mandatory spay and neuter and embrace the concept of public  education.

Additionally, AKC breed parent clubs and local affiliates  participate in
breed rescue which further reduces the number of dogs in  municipal and
private shelters across the United States. More than 280 AKC  affiliated
rescue organizations are committed to assisting shelters with  adoption
and placement of purebred dogs identified within the  shelter
populations. These organizations rehabilitate dogs in foster homes  and
permanently place them with loving and responsible families. 

We  will continue to be vigilant in our opposition and keep you informed
of  developments. It is imperative that all of you join us in  defeating
California AB 1634. Please visit our website for sample letters,  talking
points and contact information for California Assemblymembers.  (Visit
the AKC website at:
_http://www.akc.http://www.http://www.ahttp://wwwhttp://www_ 
(http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/CA_action_center.cfm)   to learn
more.)

By staying involved we can make sure our right to  decide what is best
for our animals is preserved. 

We are actively  investigating the possibility of establishing an AKC
Political Action  Committee (PAC). 

Sincerely,

Ron Menaker

Chairman  





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