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AKC's Taking Command March 2009

News from the State Capitols
Many states kicked off their 2009 legislative sessions in January,
and the Government Relations team is already hard at work tracking
over 600 state bills and working with local federations and dog
clubs to protect the rights of owners and breeders. Also, many
local municipalities are considering ordinances that affect
responsible dog owners.

For more information on any of the measures mentioned, contact us at
(919) 816-3720 or doglaw@...<mailto:doglaw@...>. Here are
some of the highlights.
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Local Battles
Many local municipalities are also considering ordinances that
will have a tremendous impact on dog owners and breeders.
The AKC is unable to track every single city and town in the country,
so if you hear about an issue in your community, be sure to contact
us at (919) 816-3720 or doglaw@...<mailto:doglaw@...>. We
have a number of resources available to help your efforts to protect
your rights as a dog owner in your community. Here are some of the
highlights so far in 2009.
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2009 Legislative Success
The AKC Government Relations Department is working hard with local
federations, dog clubs, and concerned owners to protect the rights
of responsible dog owners. Despite the many challenges we have seen
so far this year, there have been a number of victories for owners,
breeders, and fanciers at the state and local level. Read more.
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2008 Year in Review
2008 was a busy year for AKC's Government Relations Department. A
combination of sound policy, motivated and well-educated
constituents, and lots of long hours resulted in many successes. Here's a quick
recap.
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AKC Distributes New Bulletin to Congress
AKC's Government Relations and Club Communications Departments
recently teamed up to produce a new publication for federal
lawmakers and their staffs. In Session - AKC's Congressional
Newsletter features news and information from the world of dogs,
including information on the AKC and our nearly 5,000 affiliated
clubs. In addition to regular commentaries and analyses on current
dog-related policy and legislative issues, the newsletter highlights
AKC's public education programs, charitable donations, and other
grass roots initiatives that benefit all dogs and their owners and
communities.

Why Breed-Specific Legislation Doesn't Work
We have all heard the heartbreaking stories: A child brutally
attacked by a dog. A beloved family pet or a farmer's livestock
killed or injured by a stray dog. Such stories are far too common,
and we all agree that something must be done to protect our children,
our property, and our communities at large from dangerous animals.

When faced with this dilemma, many state and local governments
turn to breed-specific legislation (BSL) as a possible solution.
Breed-specific legislation, however, creates extra burdens on the
government and dog owners but doesn't solve the underlying problem-
irresponsible ownership and the threat to the community. The American
Kennel Club agrees that communities must be protected. This is
exactly why we oppose breed-specific legislation. Read more.
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Where We Stand
Ever wonder exactly where the AKC stands on an issue? View the
AKC's Board-Approved Position Statements
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We're Working for You: The AKC Government Relations Department
The American Kennel Club announces the appointment of Sheila
Goffe to Director of the Government Relations Department. She
replaces Walter Bebout, who retired in late November after 12
years with the AKC.

Goffe joined the AKC in August 2006, as Breed Columns Editor.
She also wrote frequent feature articles for the AKC Gazette.
In early 2008, Sheila was named Manager of AKC's Public Education
Department, a department she continues to advise. Before coming to
AKC, she worked for Congressional Quarterly, Inc., in Washington,
D.C. Her previous experience includes working for the Economist
Newsgroup Economic Intelligence Unit, and for the International
Executive Service Corps as Senior Evaluations Analyst and Regional
Program Analyst. Read more.
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Meet the Government Relations Team
In addition to our new director, the AKC Government Relations
team represents a diverse wealth of experience and expertise. Each
member of the team works to protect the rights of fanciers,
breeders, and responsible dog owners. Click here
<http://sdm3.rm04.net/ctt?kn=12&m=2458883&r=MTU4MDc5NjA1MTES1&b=0&j=Njk4OTY1\OTM\
S1&mt=1&rt=0> to read more about the AKC
Government Relations team.

Welcome to the newly-relaunched Taking Command, the newsletter of
the American Kennel Club's Government Relations Department.

The purpose of this monthly newsletter is to educate, inform and
empower purebred dog owners and breeders about the legislative
challenges we face, and to help preserve the rights of responsible
owners and breeders. Each Taking Command will contain an update on
the major legislative issues and developments that we are
monitoring/addressing throughout the country. It also will provide
you with useful information and insight on how to defend your
rights, and how to educate and work effectively with officials to
develop policy that encourages responsible ownership and punishes
irresponsible ownership.

Today, we are being challenged as never before by the introduction
of legislation that could change or destroy our way of life. The
AKC Government Relations (GR) department is committed to fighting
these battles wherever they occur, but this battlefield is vast
and we need your help. The GR department is staffed by five
individuals (see Meet the GR Team
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Carolina. We rely heavily on our club-based legislative liaisons
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1&mt=1&rt=0> (pdf) and state-wide federations
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0&j=Nj\k4OTY1OTMS1&mt=1&rt=0> to be our eyes and ears "on the
ground".
These groups play a crucial role in keeping us informed about
threatening legislation and other issues at the local level and
letting us know when they need our assistance. If your club does
not have a legislative liaison yet, please consider appointing one?
this is easy to do, and it's one of the most important first steps
we can take to coordinate our efforts. If your state doesn't have
a federation of dog clubs, please consider forming one. We can
help you do this, but we need to hear from you.

Through its compliance and inspections programs, the AKC has
demonstrated a level of commitment to ensuring quality of care and
conditions for purebred dogs heretofore unknown by any registry.
More than ever, the AKC remains the gold standard for purebred dogs.
Let's work together to ensure that the voice of responsible breeders
and owners is heard in state houses and city halls throughout the
country, and that our beautiful purebred dogs are protected for
future generations to enjoy.

I look forward to working with you to meet these challenges. For
tools on fighting legislation and the latest legislative alerts,
visit our web page
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S1&mt=1&rt=0>.
Also, please don't hesitate to contact us personally at
919-816-3720 or doglaw@...<mailto:doglaw@...>.

All the best,
Sheila Goffe
Director of Government Relations
Contact Us
Phone: (919) 816-3720
Fax: (919) 816-4275
Email: doglaw@...<mailto:doglaw@...>

Government
Relations<http://sdm3.rm04.net/ctt?kn=13&m=2458883&r=MTU4MDc5NjA1MTES1&b=0&j=Njk\
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Legislative
Alerts<http://sdm3.rm04.net/ctt?kn=14&m=2458883&r=MTU4MDc5NjA1MTES1&b=0&j=Njk4OT\
\Y1OTMS1&mt=1&rt=0>

We respect your privacy. Please read AKC's Privacy Statement
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American Kennel Club | 8051 Arco Corporate Drive, Suite 100 |
Raleigh, NC 27617
Customer Care Center (919) 233-9767 |
info@...<mailto:info@...>

© 2009 American Kennel Club
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