Chairman’s Report

July 2005

Since my report last month, there has been a great deal of discussion and speculation regarding the Pet Animal Welfare Statute (PAWS). I have heard from many of our members, both pro and con, and wanted to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the interest I have received from so many of you.

As you know, at the request of the bill's sponsor, Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, AKC has provided clarifying information concerning various aspects of the proposal. More specifically, AKC has been involved in crafting language to ensure the bill is effective in providing adequate inspection of Internet and other non-conforming, large-scale breeders, while ensuring that hobby breeders and the fancy are not unnecessarily regulated by the government. We believe we were helpful in securing these marked improvements over previous iterations of the bill.

While there has been some misinformation dispersed by the bill's opponents regarding the bill's provisions, the truth is that only a small percentage of breeders will be impacted. In fact, AKC's rigorous inspection standards already meet or exceed those that are contemplated by PAWS. Why would we oppose legislation that reflects our own standards of self-regulation? This is one of the chief reasons we have agreed to support the bill.

Although the bill has already been introduced, we are cognizant of the fact that legislative language can change and legal definitions can be reinterpreted. For this reason, we are committed to channeling all the influence AKC can muster to ensure that the PAWS legislation preserves the important exceptions for hobby breeders and fanciers, while at the same time holding non-conforming breeders to reasonable standards of pet care. At AKC, we take seriously our charge to do what we can to protect the welfare of dogs, and will continue to advocate for appropriate measures to do so.

Because there is misinformation circulating about the bill and our position, I wanted to invite you to visit our website, where we have posted an updated and comprehensive section dedicated to PAWS. We are committed to keeping you informed on every aspect of this important bill and to answer any questions you may have.

As the legislative process evolves, I will remain personally engaged in the AKC effort to ensure that the final outcome is a law we can back. I give you my personal commitment that AKC will never support any legislation that deviates from our long-established core mission of ensuring adequate standards while protecting the sport of purebred dogs.

I hope that once you learn all the details, you will join me in voicing support for PAWS. This is our opportunity to embody the essence of our tagline by being about "more than champion dogs" and be "the dog's champion."

Sincerely,

Ron Menaker
Chairman