Legislation That Affects Dog Owners and Breeders

 By Charlotte McGowan, PCA Legislative Liaison
Email: cmcgowan2@comcast.net

 In recent years, the sport of Purebred dogs has come under siege. A movement called “Animal Rights,” spearheaded by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), and other organizations such as the Humane Society of the US, The Doris Day Animal League, and In Defense of Animals among others, has espoused radical ideas that include all out war on the ownership of companion pets and those who breed them.

The Animal Rights people are using the media, legislation, and people’s natural love of animals to conquer and divide sectors of the animal loving public and create difficulties for anyone dealing with any domesticated animals. 

All of us who love our Purebred dogs need to recognize what is going on and we need to be vigilant in our home cities and towns, on the State level and on the Federal level so that we are not legislated out of existence.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR:      

1. Any regulations or laws that attempt to limit pet ownership
2. Legislation that attempts to redefine pet ownership to “guardianship”
3. Breed specific laws 
4. Laws that define all breeders as commercial entities, including hobby breeders
5. Unreasonable license fee increases
6. Any other items that relate to ownership of pets or breeding of dogs

In local municipalities, regulations may be promulgated because of a specific occurrence. If someone has created a nuisance because his or her dogs have been noisy, for instance, this may be the impetus for offering a limit law. The problem may be noise but the outcome may be limiting your right to own your animals. It is important to be aware of anything that pertains to animals in your community.

Animal Rights interests have also found that publicizing puppy mills is a great way to initiate breeder regulations that hurt responsible hobby breeders. AR’s lump all breeders together and continue to suggest that anyone who breeds dogs is out for the buck and nothing else. This logic is fallacious at best, but it works away on the public mind and of course hobby breeders find puppy mills repulsive too. The danger though, is that the AR’s do not acknowledge that there are responsible hobby breeders and so animal lovers may be unwittingly drawn into supporting what they feel is an anti puppy mill agenda which may be aimed squarely at their right to breed dogs!

It is important that every lover of purebred dogs become involved in their community to prevent regulations and legislation aimed at making pet ownership difficult.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Familiarize yourself with the animal rights agenda so that you will recognize anti ownership or breeding legislation in your Town, City or State. 
2. Join your local Federation of Dog Clubs that deals with legislative issues
3. Volunteer to serve as a legislative Liaison for your local club if your club does not have a Liaison.
4. Check the AKC website on a regular basis for legislation that affects your state.
5. Refer any proposed regulations or laws in your area to your State Federation, to doglaw@AKC.org. or to me cmcgowan2@attbi.com if you are unsure of the impact any proposed law may have. The AKC has many helpful documents related to wording for regulations related to dogs. They are an excellent resource. 
6. Be a model citizen with your dogs and help educate other owners to do the same. Control barking, keep your dogs well, create no nuisance and help educate every dog owner to be responsible for the care and welfare of their dogs. 

Some useful resource pages for information on legislation:
http://www.akc.org/love/dip/legislat/index.cfm
http://www.naiaonline.org/index.htm

Charlotte McGowan
cmcgowan2@comcast.net