Election Day is right around the corner. On Tuesday, November 8, all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives, 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate, 36 governorships, and many other state and local elections will be contested. To preserve the future of purebred dogs, it’s important to identify dog-friendly candidates and use your vote to elect those who will protect the rights of responsible dog owners, exhibitors and breeders. You can ensure you understand a candidate’s views, as well as understand how to participate in voting to protect purpose-bred dogs by reviewing our election guide and by having the candidates in your district answer the Canine Legislation Candidate Survey. These useful tools can help you quickly identify candidates who are friendly and committed to protecting the rights of responsible dog owners and breeders as well as the health, safety, and well-being of the dogs. Visit the AKC Government Relations toolbox to print or share a copy of the survey so you can make an informed decision on the candidate based on information that is important to you.
It’s time to save the (new) date for the AKC Government Legislative Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina! Due to unforeseen circumstances, we will be moving the date of the legislative conference to January 21-22, 2023. You are invited to join us for a day and a half of learning, networking, and sharing experiences with other legislative liaisons around the nation. Learn from AKC Government Relations and other experts about the latest trends, strategies, and tips for community outreach and legislative success. Learn how you can get involved, improve outcomes and inspire others to join the cause. Contact doglaw@akc.org for more information.
You may have heard of therapy dogs, service dogs, and emotional support dogs, and while they all play an important role in the lives of their owners, they vary widely in the tasks they perform. AKC Government Relations has put together a one-pager detailing the differences between these three types of dogs. For information, click here to view, download, and/or print the Service, Emotional Support, & Therapy Dogs… What’s the Difference? one-pager. This document is posted on the AKC GR’s Service Dog Key Issue page and the GR Toolbox under Advocacy Assistance/ Public Outreach.
After a two-year pandemic-related hiatus, the AKC Detection Dog Task Force resumed the AKC National Detection Dog Conference last month in Durham, NC. The two-day event was attended by more than a hundred terrorism experts, law enforcement officials, U.S. military officials and dog breeders committed to addressing the grave shortage of high-quality explosives detection dogs. The focus of year’s National Detection Dog Conference was Bringing together stakeholders to improve availability of high-quality, American-bred detection dogs. More than 23 panelists and presenters participated in the event, which emphasized providing practical information of value to all stakeholders, but especially breeders, puppy-raisers, trainers, and buyers. Make sure you stay informed about all happenings with the AKC Detection Dog Task Force, by following the key issues page.
For more information or questions, please contact AKC Government Relations at doglaw@akc.org or 919-816-3720.