The past month has been especially busy for federal legislation and regulation. Recent AKC GR blogs and alerts highlight the steps AKC is taking –and what you can do—to impact two major issues that could have significant impact on you and a large number of dog enthusiasts nationwide.
The 2024 Farm Bill continues to advance through Congress. This must-pass bill is commonly a vehicle for legislation that impacts dog owners. Anti- breeder groups have proposed the House and the Senate version of the bill that could undermine responsible dog breeders and enthusiasts. AKC appreciates the leadership by House Agriculture Chairman GT Thompson in keeping problematic language out of the House bill in a recent bill markup. AKC urges Senate Agriculture Chairman Debbie Stabenow and other members of the Senate Agriculture Committee to do likewise. To learn more and how you can make an impact, visit this alert.
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recent rule restricting the entry/import of dogs into the United States is designed to address the serious issues of zoonotic diseases and unhealthy dogs being imported into the U.S. The AKC supports the intent of the rule, but is disappointed by an overly broad approach that does not take into account the relative risk of different types of dogs entering the U.S. Effective August 1, the rule required that all dogs entering the U.S. must be at least 6 months of age. They must also have an ISO-approved microchip, certain new government paperwork, and appear healthy. There are additional requirements for dogs entering from countries with a great rabies risk. AKC has provided numerous comments, updates and overviews of this proposal, including what you can do to express concerns about the blanket 6-month age threshold. Our most recent updates and alerts are included below. For more information, visit GR’s key issues page on Pet Imports: Protecting Pet and Public Health.
The AKC Government Relations Department has released updated economic and community impact figures for all 50 states, detailed in the “AKC Impact by State” page in the Legislative Action Center. This resource provides valuable information for lawmakers, local media, chambers of commerce, and community entities about the benefits of AKC clubs, affiliates, and events.
Key highlights of the one-page summaries include:
- The economic impact of AKC dog shows
- The number of AKC dog clubs and shows in each state
- Contributions of the AKC Reunite disaster relief trailer and K-9 Officer donations by state
- Funding and research grants from the AKC Canine Health Foundation (AKC CHF) by state
The resources, updated with 2023 data, use survey data on local spending by dog show exhibitors, noting that the over 26,000 annual AKC-sanctioned events generate significant economic benefits, averaging $982 per person during a dog show weekend.
The AKC encourages exploring and sharing the impact highlights in each state through the AKC Government Relations Legislative Action Center (www.akcgr.org) toolbox, which also offers the full economic impact report and printable one-page flyers.
Also this past month, the AKC participated in or hosted two important events. The first was an event at the North Carolina Capitol in Raleigh. AKC staff and their dogs met with many legislators and staff, with many calling the event the “highlight of their year” at the State Capitol. A variety of breeds were represented at the Canines at the Capitol event from a Bichon Frise to a Golden Retriever to a Siberian Husky to a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen (PBGV). One of the most popular was “Patsy”, a Plott Hound (the State Dog of North Carolina), with even the capitol tour guides making a special trip to meet her. AKC staff received many expressions of gratitude for coming, saying how much they were looking forward to the event and how important it was to them. One staffer who attended, made a point of meeting every dog said she read the summaries AKC Government Relations sent out before the event with information on each dog and felt like she “knew” them.
AKC staff also participated in the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs annual conference, providing the opportunity to meet with local leaders from throughout the Commonwealth. Through this conference, AKC learned about a proposed ordinance that would limit dog ownership. As a result of outreach by AKC, the Pennsylvania Federation of Dog Clubs, and local dog owners, this proposal was tabled this past week.
Be sure to be watching for local issues in your community, and reach out to AKC Government Relations if you hear of any canine legislative issues in your area. Providing resources from our Legislative Action Center, including the new AKC Impact by state handouts, help lawmakers know about your expertise and positive impact in the community.
For more information, visit www.akcgr.org or contact AKC GR staff at doglaw@akc.org or 919-816-3720.