Over the next few weeks, Oregonians may see local activists with signs that read “Sign my Petition – End Animal Cruelty”, or a similar message. The truth, however, is that signing the petition will not end animal cruelty, but will have a devastating impact on dog training, breeding, hunting and other animal husbandry practices – and even pest control.
AKC urges Oregon residents to not sign these petitions and to help spread the word about the dangers of putting Initiative Petition 13 on the ballot.
If volunteers collect enough signatures, Initiative Petition 13 (known as the “Abuse, Neglect, and Assault Exemption Modification and Improvement Act”) will be placed on the November 2022 ballot. IP 13 essentially bans all hunting and all artificial insemination, among many other essential and/or humane practices in the state – potentially including ear cropping, tail docking, and similar procedures, as well as some methods of dog training. Read AKC’s previous alert for more information on the many concerns with IP 13.
How You Can Help Today:
AKC Government Relations has joined a broad coalition of sportsmen, fishermen, farmers, agriculture groups, veterinarians, and other animal owners to oppose Initiative Petition 13, and we need your help.
Supporters must collect 112,020 signatures from registered Oregon voters to place this initiative on the 2022 ballot. You can help fight this by taking the following actions:
1) If you are approached, do not sign the petition.
2) Ask your friends and colleagues to not sign the petition. Also remind exhibitors at Oregon dog shows and events, students in training and CGC classes, owners who have purchased a dog from you, etc. to not sign the petition.
3) If you notice a business distributing petitions and collecting signatures, respectfully express your concerns and ask them to not collect signatures for this ballot measure.
4) Register to vote and encourage your fellow club members to do the same. Urge them to vote NO should IP 13 reach the ballot. Visit the Oregon Secretary of State’s website to register or update your registration.
AKC GR continues to work closely with other interest groups in opposing this measure and will provide updates and additional resources as they become available. For more information, contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.