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<DIV>Hi, all,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Rita</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>MAY CHAIRMAN'S REPORT<BR><BR>New York, NY - Since February we have been
waging a legislative battle<BR>against California Assembly Bill 1634 which would
require mandatory<BR>spaying/neutering for all dogs over 4 months of age unless
the owner<BR>qualifies for and purchases an intact dog permit through the
local<BR>authorities. <BR><BR>This would mean that those wishing to keep their
dogs intact would be at<BR>the whim of municipalities, who, under the bill's
provisions, can set<BR>the fees for such permits. <BR><BR>So, what appears as an
"exception" for purebred dog owners and breeders,<BR>will result in higher fees
for responsible dog owners and breeders.<BR>California state law already
requires that dog licenses for intact<BR>animals cost twice as much as those for
spayed or neutered animals. <BR><BR>Immediately after this bill was introduced
AKC began an aggressive,<BR>pro-active grassroots effort to get the word out
about our opposition to<BR>this bill. We have continually posted updated
legislative alerts on our<BR>web site and provided resources such as fliers,
sample letters and<BR>talking points via our "CA Spay/Neuter Action Center" on
the home page.<BR>We have also rung the alarm far and wide by individually
contacting<BR>2,000 California club officers, legislative liaisons, judges,
and<BR>Delegates as well as alerting 90,000 AKC-registrants in addition to
more<BR>than 14,750 who recently registered a litter urging them to oppose
this<BR>bill. <BR><BR>AKC President and CEO Dennis Sprung and I each sent a
letter to<BR>Assemblyman Mike Eng, Chairman of the Business and Professions
Committee<BR>where the bill was scheduled for a hearing detailing our
opposition. I<BR>also sent a letter to California Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger,<BR>reiterating the damage this bill could inflict on responsible
dog owners<BR>and breeders and the revenue that would be lost to the state
should he<BR>sign this bill into law. <BR><BR>Our early efforts helped to secure
a postponement on a vote to move the<BR>bill out of committee on April 10. I
believe our unified voice of<BR>opposition from the fancy directly affected this
action. <BR><BR>Because we understood the importance of the bill and the
far-reaching<BR>effect it might have on other states, AKC sent staff member
Sarah<BR>Sprouse from AKC's Canine Legislation department and AKC
legislative<BR>consultant Stephanie Lane to the April 24 hearing in Sacramento.
In<BR>addition, we hired a California lobbyist to help us navigate
the<BR>political waters. <BR><BR>Despite our efforts, the bill was kept alive
and voted out of committee.<BR>We did, however, retain support from lawmakers
who understood our<BR>position as was evidenced in the committee vote down party
lines.<BR>Immediately after the hearing, our staff members met with more than
200<BR>dedicated fanciers, supplied them with materials and instructed them
how<BR>to approach their assembly members to voice continued opposition. I
want<BR>to thank the several hundred fanciers who turned out for the April
10th<BR>and 24th hearings, and the thousands of dog owners who sent letters
and<BR>e-mails to legislators. Their collective voice and strong
numbers<BR>strengthened our opposition. <BR><BR>According to the sponsor of AB
1634, the bill is intended to reduce<BR>shelter populations and costs. AKC
opposition to the bill is predicated<BR>on the reality that the bill wrongly
targets responsible dog owners and<BR>breeders while failing to address the real
reasons animals are<BR>surrendered. National research organizations have
reported that the<BR>majority of unwanted dogs in the United States come from
owners who are<BR>unable or unwilling to train, socialize and care for their
dog. <BR><BR>While AKC opposes mandatory spaying and neutering of purebred dogs,
we<BR>have always encouraged pet owners to spay or neuter their dogs if
they<BR>do not want to participate in AKC conformation events or engage
in<BR>responsible breeding programs. In fact, the American Pet
Products<BR>Manufacturers Association 2005-2006 National Pet Owners Survey
reports<BR>that more than 70 percent of owned dogs are spayed or neutered.
Seven<BR>out of 10 dog owners chose spaying or neutering as the right
decision<BR>for their pet. This is an individual choice best made by pet owners
in<BR>consultation with their veterinarian. <BR><BR>Since the majority of owned
dogs in this country are already spayed and<BR>neutered, we need to address the
reasons dogs are relinquished. I<BR>believe educating the public about
responsible dog ownership, coupled<BR>with enforcement of existing leash laws,
best addresses shelter<BR>population issues. <BR><BR>AKC proactively developed
several education programs, including AKC<BR>Responsible Dog Ownership Day,
dedicated to teaching the pet-buying<BR>public how to make well-informed
decisions when acquiring a pet. Such<BR>programs help to ensure that pet
purchasers find a puppy or dog that is<BR>a good match for their lifestyle,
thereby decreasing the chance that the<BR>animal will be relinquished to a
shelter. In addition, our AKC Canine<BR>Good Citizen(r) program, AKC Obedience
trials, and our nearly 5,000 AKC<BR>affiliated clubs offer ongoing training
opportunities for owners to curb<BR>potential behavior problems through
training. Our education programs are<BR>in schools and libraries and at shows,
club meetings and community<BR>events nationwide. <BR><BR>AKC Clubs also
routinely donate money raised at their events back into<BR>the community in the
form of scholarships, bullet proof vests for law<BR>enforcement K-9s, and other
civic minded endeavors. Club members and<BR>breeders who engage in this high
level of volunteerism are in no way<BR>irresponsibly breeding dogs, in fact, if
a dog they breed does need to<BR>be re-homed they are the first to step up and
take responsibility for<BR>it, giving it a foster home until a new owner can be
found. <BR><BR>We know education is the best way to influence responsible dog
ownership<BR>and since our programs have been implemented there has actually
been a<BR>decrease in shelter populations. What some lawmakers fail to realize
is<BR>that with our mission to promote responsible dog ownership
through<BR>public education, we are a significant part of the solution. We
strive<BR>to help dog owners have a successful and rewarding experience with
their<BR>pet, making it more likely the dog will remain a valued member of
the<BR>family for its entire lifetime. Lawmakers must end the debate
of<BR>mandatory spay and neuter and embrace the concept of public
education.<BR><BR>Additionally, AKC breed parent clubs and local affiliates
participate in<BR>breed rescue which further reduces the number of dogs in
municipal and<BR>private shelters across the United States. More than 280 AKC
affiliated<BR>rescue organizations are committed to assisting shelters with
adoption<BR>and placement of purebred dogs identified within the
shelter<BR>populations. These organizations rehabilitate dogs in foster homes
and<BR>permanently place them with loving and responsible families. <BR><BR>We
will continue to be vigilant in our opposition and keep you informed<BR>of
developments. It is imperative that all of you join us in
defeating<BR>California AB 1634. Please visit our website for sample letters,
talking<BR>points and contact information for California Assemblymembers.
(Visit<BR>the AKC website at:<BR><A
title=http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/CA_action_center.cfm
href="http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/CA_action_center.cfm">http://www.akc.<WBR>org/canine_<WBR>legislation/<WBR>CA_action_<WBR>center.cfm</A>
to learn<BR>more.)<BR><BR>By staying involved we can make sure our right to
decide what is best<BR>for our animals is preserved. <BR><BR>We are actively
investigating the possibility of establishing an AKC<BR>Political Action
Committee (PAC). <BR><BR>Sincerely,<BR><BR>Ron Menaker<BR><BR>Chairman
<BR><BR></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">See what's free at <A title="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503" href="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503" target="_blank">AOL.com</A>. </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>