This week, animal rights activists are ramping up their efforts to urge Congress to pass laws that could undermine the proper care of dogs, and even create an environment for abuse and unnecessary euthanasia of animals.
Your Member of Congress and U.S. Senators to hear from you TODAY! Let them know you are a constituent and ask them to not support Goldie’s Act (H.R. 1788) and the Puppy Protection Act (H.R. 1624). Read AKC’s previous alert for more in-depth information on these bills.
Who This Applies To:
Anyone subject to USDA breeder/dealer licensing. Breeders are subject to USDA licensing if they maintain more than 4 “breeding females” (a term that is undefined but is generally considered to mean an intact female) and transfer even one of the offspring “sight unseen”. “Breeding females” include any combination of cats, dogs, or other small pet mammals such as hamsters, guinea pigs, etc. (Learn more).
Talking Points:
Explain you are a constituent. Respectfully share your experience and concerns as a dog owner/breeder/expert.
- Ask them to oppose Goldie’s Act (H.R. 1788). Express your concern that it would require animals to be removed and potentially euthanized if it is believed there is “psychological harm”. It is not clear what this means or who determines this. No one wants to see animals kept in harmful or dangerous conditions, but this provision creates an environment for abuse and unnecessary euthanasia of animals.
- Goldie’s Act removes a distinction between care and welfare (direct) violations and paperwork/ non-welfare related (indirect) violations. While zero violations of any rules or laws should be the goal, the care and wellbeing of animals must always be a priority. Reporting paperwork errors in the same manner as care violations also creates a misleading perception about breeder licensees and creates a new target for animal extremists who use those public databases to identify breeders.
- The stated intent is to expand enforcement of federal breeder licensing requirements, but in fact it throws out recent enforcement enhancements currently in the middle of a 3-year implementation process. Instead of improving enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, it creates confusing and onerous new mandates, and undermines recently established enforcement efforts. Constantly changing arbitrary rules create a confusing, expensive, and potentially harmful environment for animal care in which neither licensees nor regulators may be certain of requirements.
- The one-size-fits-all mandates in the Puppy Protection Act (H.R. 1624) undermine animal wellbeing and enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act. It fails to recognize the diversity of licensees and the types or breeds of dogs impacted and could harm to some dogs.
- Ask them to not support advancing the Puppy Protection Act or Goldie’s Act out committee or in the Farm Bill. Tell them, despite claims being made by animal rights groups, these bills do impact responsible small breeders.
- Ask them to instead support additional financial resources for USDA so they can appropriately enforce the requirements they already have.
Additional Talking Points:
Proposal Would Undermine Animal Welfare, DC Journal, April 20, 2023
Breeder Expertise, Thoughtful Analysis Demonstrate Dangerous Flaws in ‘Feel Good’ Dog Law
Your Member of Congress and U.S. Senators need to hear from you TODAY!
Visit AKC’s Legislative Action Center and type your address in the “Find Your Elected Officials” box to find out who represents you and get their contact information.
If possible, please let the AKC GR team (doglaw@akc.org) know you contacted your lawmakers and if you received any response.
For questions or more information, contact doglaw@akc.org, visit AKC’s Legislative Action Center at www.akcgr.org or contact 919-816-3720.