[ SHOWGSD-L ] AKC Breeder Newsletter (Canine Legislation)

  • From: Stormy Hope <Stormy435@xxxxxxx>
  • To: "showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx List" <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:13:11 -0700

Summer 2011
What's in a Name Can Hurt You
Canine Legislation, and What You and AKC Can Do About It
It’s hard to be a breeder or an AKC club member without hearing  
warnings – at least occasionally – about the vast amount of canine  
legislation introduced throughout the country each year. So far in  
2011, the AKC Government Relations team (AKC GR) is tracking over  
1,000 legislative proposals, and over one-third of them directly  
impact those who breed dogs.

For hobby breeders, one of the most significant new trends – and  
threats – are bills that define all breeders as commercial  
enterprises. For many, the concept of being a “commercial” or “high- 
volume” breeder sounds so foreign that it’s hard to imagine such  
legislation could impact them. But the truth is,commercial breeder  
legislation can impact anyone who keeps intact dogs, and especially  
anyone who has ever bred – or may breed a dog.

Even when the stated purpose of legislation is to regulate commercial  
breeding operations, it’s important to look at how the term  
“commercial breeder” is defined, as many bills seek to heavily  
regulate so-called “commercial breeders” based on the number of dogs  
owned, not on the “commerce” actually conducted.

The AKC respects the important role high-quality professional breeders  
play in meeting the demand for quality pets. These breeders provide  
beloved pets and they deserve recognition for the good job they do.  
Far too often, the creation of restrictive new laws – rather than the  
enforcement of existing negligence/cruelty laws – to crack down on a  
few bad actors ends up missing the intended mark. Instead, it targets  
small hobby breeders who hand-raise puppies and requires them to  
obtain new commercial licenses, be subject to inappropriate  
inspections, or comply with facilities requirements designed for large  
commercial kennels.

One of the most significant and easily overlooked issues is the impact  
that changing the official categorization of a home-based/hobby  
enterprise to a commercial operation can have. In many cases, this may  
actually jeopardize a person’s home! Someone who has lived their  
entire lives in a residential community may suddenly find they are in  
violation of local zoning laws, even though nothing they do has changed.

Legislation requiring small breeders to comply with regulations  
designed for large commercial operations can result in unintended  
consequences, including:
• Placing so many demands on breeders that they can no longer breed at  
all
• Forcing breeders to change from a small home-based model to a larger  
commercial-style model that they don’t have the resources or the  
desire to operate, or worst of all
• Forcing breeders into a situation where they may be violating the  
letter of the law merely by providing the best possible care for their  
dogs.

For any hobby breeder who has ever thought that commercial-breeder  
legislation does not impact you, consider this:

The current definition of “commercial breeder” in Nebraska includes  
anyone who owns four or more intact females intended for breeding.  
This definition illustrates several common issues. Even if there is no  
intention to breed the dog, the burden of proof is on the owner to  
prove a negative. Under this law–regardless of whether you have  
actually bred a dog – you are technically considered to be a  
commercial breeder. And once you are designated by the state to be  
“commercial,” you can then easily run afoul of local zoning or other  
ordinances.

Legislation currently before Congress (S. 707/H.R. 835, known as  
“PUPS”) would require anyone who owns or co-owns dogs that produce  
more than 50 puppies that are sold in a single year to be regulated in  
the same manner as a USDA puppy dealer (wholesaler). Legislation  
sounds benevolent enough, but consider this: If you co-own several  
dogs bred just a few times in a single year, this could include you.  
Even if you never whelp a single litter, or see a single puppy, you  
could be subject to licensing and inspection as a commercial breeder.

What is AKC doing about it?
With so many purebred dog owners and breeders under legislative  
attack, it’s not surprising, that one of the most common questions we  
hear is, “What’s the AKC doing about canine legislation?”

AKC GR is charged with addressing issues on a daily basis that impact  
the rights of responsible dog breeders and all dog owners. Advocacy  
works best when those directly affected by it take the lead in working  
with legislators. For this reason, AKC GR does not regularly send  
staffers out to legislative trouble spots, but instead provides  
educational, informational, and training resources that enable the  
residents of a community – those most affected by the laws – to take  
the lead in working for policies that best address their needs.

Some of the department’s work is conducted outside the public eye.  
While it may sometimes appear that the AKC is not actively involved in  
the legislative process, this is not the case. Some of AKC GR’s  
greatest successes are the bills you never hear about – those that  
have never been formally introduced or have never made it past  
committee hearings.

Other times, legislation and legislative issues are best addressed by  
public input. This is when AKC GR issues Legislative Alerts or news  
items and provides constituents with sample letters and talking  
points. In some cases, staff may conduct legislative training sessions  
or lobby days.

AKC GR provides a wide variety of resources to support clubs,  
federations, breeders and individuals in protecting their rights,  
including:
• AKC GR staff ready to work with you one-on-one and address your  
concerns
• A growing list of AKC state federations – coalitions of breeders and  
fanciers on the ground at state capitols and local communities working  
together on legislative issues
• A contracted federal lobbying team in Washington, D.C.
• The ability to send targeted e-mails to specific states or  
communities facing legislative battles
• AKC GR’s online toolbox – a one-stop shop for data, talking points  
and other resources to help fight bad legislation
• An online legislation tracking system, providing up-to-date  
information on state-level bills in all 50 states

In 2011, AKC GR has already made thousands of contacts with  
legislators and posted scores of Legislative Alerts both online and to  
targeted areas. With our federations, AKC has been on the front lines  
of successful legislative battles in 2011 from Hawaii to Mississippi,  
Virginia, Colorado, and Wyoming, just to name a few.

What You Can Do
As an AKC breeder, you are an acknowledged expert in your breed, and  
dogs in general. You have a unique opportunity and responsibility to  
make your voice heard–especially when faced with issues that may  
adversely impact responsible dog owners in your community.

Most politicians know very little about dogs and even less about  
breeding and showing.

Educating your legislators–especially before an issue ever comes up –  
is one of the most important things you can do to ensure dog owners  
and breeders interests are served when canine legislation is  
introduced. Consider scheduling a 10-minute appointment with your  
local representatives. Introduce yourself and offer to provide insight  
on dog issues. This will give you access if canine legislation is  
introduced in the future.

Here are a few suggestions on other ways to get involved:

• Make sure your clubs have Legislative Liaisons and work within a  
state federation. AKC GR depends on liaisons and federations as two- 
way information channels to learn about possible local ordinances and  
to get the word out about new legislation. If we don’t hear about an  
issue, we can’t help. Likewise, if clubs and individuals do not get  
our information, they can’t respond to it.
• Support – and encourage your club to support – the AKC Canine  
Legislative Support Fund (CLSF). These donations support advocacy  
efforts around the country, including legislative empowerment seminars  
at national specialties and all-breed shows, statewide lobby days, and  
the development of advocacy training programs.

• Support the AKC Political Action Committee (PAC). The AKC PAC  
accepts contributions from individual AKC club members and uses 100  
percent of those funds to support the campaigns of breeder-friendly  
candidates for political office. For more information, visit akc.org/pac
Ronald N. Rella, Director, Breeder Services
Email: AKCbreeder@xxxxxxx
Customer Service | Phone: 919-233-9767 | Email: info@xxxxxxx

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