March 22, 2016
The Alaska Board of Game, part of the state’s Department of Fish and Game, will be considering almost 140 regulatory proposals at meetings scheduled to take place from March 18 to March 28. Proposal 69 seeks to prohibit statewide hunting with domestic dogs. All concerned residents, clubs, and allied organizations are strongly encouraged to contact the board or attend the meeting and express their concerns with the proposal.
The American Kennel Club encourages and strongly supports the interaction and mutual enjoyment of owners and dogs in sporting activities such as hunting and field trials; in working circumstances such as herding, tracking, and pulling; and in competition events such as dog shows, obedience trials, agility trials, and other performance events and tests. The AKC believes that dogs should be properly cared for, humanely trained, and not pushed beyond reasonable limits for which they were bred.
About Proposal 69: If adopted, Proposal 69 would prohibit the use or accompaniment of domestic dogs while hunting. Exceptions would apply to those dogs working as service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act if the hunter is in possession of a current official certificate of veterinary inspection for the service dog. The proposal is based on a concern that continued use of domestic dogs will result in an increased risk of disease transmission to Alaska’s wildlife populations via non-native tick-borne diseases.
Ticks generally considered not native to Alaska have been discovered in various parts of the state in recent years, including in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and the North Pole Area. Instead of an absolute ban on use of dogs in hunting, a more reasonable alternative may include the continued requirement of veterinary certificates being required of dogs imported into Alaska for any reason and including the application of an appropriate systemic product that kills ticks and/or veterinary inspection to determine an imported domestic dog is free from the presence of ticks prior to full entry into the state.
The entire agenda document may be viewed by clicking here.
Written comments may be submitted to the Alaska Board of Game via fax at (907) 465-6094 or via mail at:
ATTN: Board of Game Comments
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Boards Support Section
P.O. Box 115526
Juneau, AK 99811-5526
The Alaska Board of Game, part of the states Department of Fish and Game, will be considering almost 140 regulatory proposals at meetings scheduled to take place from March 18 to March 28. Proposal 69 seeks to prohibit statewide hunting with domestic dogs. All concerned residents, clubs, and allied organizations are strongly encouraged to contact the board or attend the meeting and express their concerns with the proposal.