As the year wraps up, the American Kennel Club’s Government Relations team has been holding strategic meetings to better position ourselves going into the 2018 Legislative Session.
In late October Jennifer Clark, Director of Legislative Outreach, spoke to the annual summit of the National Assembly of Sportsmen Caucuses in Traverse City, Michigan. This event, sponsored by the Congressional Sportsmen Foundation, brings together legislators and state officials from around the country to discuss protecting the interests of sportsmen in their states. Jennifer spoke about reviewing legislative proposals to understand how nuances may negatively impact those who breed and participate in sporting activities with dogs. She also discussed the importance of standing together with a unified voice to protect the right to own, breed, train, and work with the dogs of our choice and preserve the sporting heritage for future generations.
The AKC GR team also held a very successful meeting/ mini-conference in Maryland. Sheila Goffe, Vice President, Government Relations; Jennifer Clark; and Emily Holmes, Program Specialist; joined guest speakers Gail LaBerge, Wendy Jordan and Bill Marlow and nearly 40 Maryland residents to begin the process of re-establishing a proactive AKC state federation in Maryland.
Tickets are now on sale for the 2017 AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin, December 16th and 17th in Orlando, Florida. The event is the largest dog show in the United States and the only show hosted by the American Kennel Club. The National Championship is held in conjunction with the AKC Agility Invitational, the AKC Obedience Classic, the National Owner- Handled Series finals, AKC Meet the Breeds® and Juniors competition in Conformation, Agility, Obedience and Rally®, and showcases more than 5,000 of the top national and international canine athletes. Will you be at the show? Come see us at the AKC Government Relations booth and learn how you can ready yourself for next year’s legislative session!
You can keep up with the Government Relations team by visiting the Legislative Action Center or following us on Twitter.