The holidays are just around the corner, and if you are going to be at the AKC National Championship in Orlando this year, we have just the gift for you! For a donation of $35 to the AKC PAC, you can get a custom drawn caricature of you and your dog on a special holiday ornament. Sittings are available on December 15-17 at the AKC GR/PAC booth at the AKC National Championship, or you can pre-order an ornament until November 30th.
Your donation and the ornament are a visible sign of your commitment to protecting the future of purebred dogs and offer a memory that will last for years to come. Caricatures on a custom ornament are a great memento of your participation at the event this year and make great gifts for the special dog lovers in your life! Consider a $100 donation for three ornaments to share with the special dog lovers in your life. To reserve a 10-minute sitting ahead of time at the show or to preorder, please contact Katie Phipps at KGP@akc.org.
Also, this month, the AKC Government Relations (GR) department is excited to introduce two new additions to the Legislative Action Center. The first one is an “Introduction to GR fact sheet.” This one-pager highlights the many tools and resources we offer to help clubs and breeders advocate for your dogs – from our monthly newsletters, to legislative alerts, to personalized assistance from regional staff throughout the United States. It also highlights the importance of your involvement in advocating for dogs – and how the AKC GR team can work with you to communicate effectively with your representatives. Please be sure to share this fact sheet with your club members to help spread the word that we are here to partner with you to protect your rights as dog owners and breeders.
We’re pleased to introduce a new responsible policy explainer video on why one-size-fits-all mandates fail to achieve best outcomes for dogs. The video touches on some of the problematic dog care proposals in recent federal, state and local legislation, and how they can harm dogs and responsible dog owners.
AKC GR recently hosted a New England Legislative conference in Portsmouth, NH. The conference brought together more than two dozen federation leaders and club members from across New England. New Hampshire State Senator Howard Pearl shared strategies for effectively communicating with lawmakers, before proudly receiving AKC’s Legislator of the Year award in recognition of his extraordinary efforts in working with dog owners to advance animal welfare and protect the rights of responsible dog owners.
While the year is winding down, there are still many legislative issues that need your help. Be sure to check out the federal, state, and local updates in this issue for the latest information. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to direct them to Doglaw@akc.org.