Happy New Year! As we move into 2022, we are pausing to reflect on all that happened in canine legislation in 2021 and looking ahead to what that means for purebred dog owners and breeders in 2022.
Things were not entirely back to pre-COVID times last year, but it didn’t stop the Government Relations department or our dog enthusiasts from continuing to protect the breeds we love. The team monitored approximately 3,000 legislative and regulatory proposals on the federal, state and local levels in all 50 states. At each level of government, the most common type of policy discussion appeared to change. For example, at the federal level, the most common type of legislative proposal was related to working dogs. While, at the state and local levels, the top issues were COVID-related and retail pet sales, respectively.
As decision-makers move away from COVID-related bills and turn their attention to other matters, we expect to see 2022 become another busy year. In anticipation, our legislative analysts located around the country were out and about (safely), meeting with lawmakers to demonstrate our expertise in all things dogs and why AKC has an important voice when it comes to dog-related policy. In Maryland, for example, AKC Government Relations had a seat on a task force with a focus on canine breeding facilities and sourcing standards. This task force recently released their final report. AKC’s participation in the task force brought clarification to many issues, and also helped foster a stronger relationship with the Maryland Department of Agriculture, Maryland Attorney General’s office, and other stakeholder groups, which will prove beneficial as we continue to advocate for positive legislation and regulations that benefit dogs and their responsible owners and breeders.
In Connecticut, our analyst, Stacey Ober, attended the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) where more than 1,000 attendees, including local government leaders from across the state gather for two days of informative workshops, interactive discussions, and networking opportunities. She set up an informational booth featuring materials demonstrating AKC as the recognized expert in promoting responsible dog ownership, training, and breeding, and promoting what our affiliated clubs and organizations do for elected officials’ communities.
Sometimes storytelling is the best way to reach new people and help them understand a new perspective they may not have considered. AKC Government Relations has created three new animated explainer videos that allow audiences to better understand more challenging issues, such as ‘bond for care,’ ‘dogs in weather,’ and why donating to the AKC Political Action Committee is so important. We encourage you to view these videos and share them to help spread the message.
Speaking of the PAC, AKC GR would like to thank all those who donated to the PAC in 2021, and to congratulate the winners of the 2021 Impact Crate + drawing. Club members support of the PAC truly makes a difference to protecting our rights!
Thank you for a wonderful year. We look forward to taking this momentum into 2022. If you have any questions, please reach out to doglaw@akc.org, otherwise check out our Legislative Action Center for the most up to date legislative alerts, blogs, and factsheet/talking points.