When united, the voice of responsible dog owners can be a powerful political tool. This is why the AKC strongly supports the establishment of a state federation in each state, so that clubs can unite together to fight bad dog laws that would impact them directly and support measures that encourage responsible dog ownership. The AKC Government Relations (GR) Department is pleased to welcome the Indiana Purebred Dog Alliance and the Kansas Federation of Dog Clubs to our growing list of state federations promoting responsible dog ownership in their states and local communities.

The Indiana Purebred Dog Alliance was organized by several Hoosier dog clubs earlier this year who were concerned about a strict breeder and dog ownership limit bill introduced in their state. They, along with other concerned fanciers and breeders, were successful in amending the bill to address areas of opposition.

The Kansas Federation of Dog Clubs has been established out of a growing concern about potential legislation and the desire to be proactive in canine legislation and education in the Sunflower State. Both federations welcome any new clubs and breeders who wish to join with them in their efforts to promote responsible dog ownership in Indiana and Kansas.

State federations and their members have a powerful voice in addressing legislation because they are constituents and voters and will be directly impacted by any new laws and regulations. Federations are the ground soldiers in the state-level battles on topics such as unfair breeder regulations, limit laws, breed-specific legislation and mandatory spay-neuter laws. The AKC Government Relations Department works closely with the federations to support them in these battles. We strongly encourage you to join your state’s federation, become a Legislative Liaison, or consider joining fellow responsible dog owners in organizing one if there is not yet a federation in your state.

To learn more about forming a state federation, visit the AKC Government Relations page and click on the “Organizing a State Federation” link. For more information on becoming a Legislative Liaison, see the September issue of Taking Command or view our one-page flier.