Page 144 - ShowSight - July 2019

AKC NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE
We had just finished a months-long battle to stop new county regulations that would have prohib- ited pet shops from selling puppies as well as put onerous new restrictions and inspections on local hobby breeders. As the legislative liaison for Brevard Kennel Club in Florida, I had been pulled into a fray I felt I wasn’t completely prepared for. While we were somewhat successful in getting some particularly distasteful requirements changed or deleted, we were unable to keep the ordinance from passing.
On top of that, we were in a letter-writing and email campaign to stop some draconian, proposed state legislation against breed- ers in Florida, which thankfully didn’t make it out of committee before the session ended. After AKC sent our club an invitation to participate in the AKC National Legislative Conference and the club voted to spend the money to send someone, it was a no brainer to say “Yes! I’ll attend.”
What an incredible weekend, with dedicated, inspiring and motivated people! Two days with the AKC government relations staff, great speakers and other club and club federations’ legislative liaisons; I feel both energized by their commitment and experience in fighting anti-dog breeding and anti-dog ownership legislation and daunted by the money and rabidness of the animal rights activ- ists we are up against.
BY SUSAN B. THIBODEAUX
My first impression was the group of attendees was much smaller than I had expected. I had expected a few hundred from kennel clubs across the nation but, inclusive of the speakers, there were about 50 in attendance.
The biggest clear fact that came out of this conference is that AKC doesn’t have the manpower to fight this without us as their troops. Just as an officer in the army leads a battalion, we must rec- ognize without us AKC has no Army. General Eisenhower couldn’t have won World War II by himself; it took the soldiers and airmen and sailors. The AKC can’t fight this on our behalf. It needs us.
The folks in AKC’s government relations department are extraordinary. They come from government, legislative and legal backgrounds and they all have a genuine love for purebred dogs. They are fiercely committed to protecting our right to breed, own and participate in canine events. These aren’t just jobs to them. Sev- eral on the GR staff are active breeders and exhibitors themselves and members of breed and all breed clubs. They have a stake in this just as we do.
The conference took place over two intensive days. Among the speakers, in addition to the AKC GR staff, we got to hear was Susi Szeremy, the founder of National Purebred Dog Day. She is a Puli fancier and her commitment, drive and imagination has led to an entire day devoted to purebred dogs.
The seven representatives of the groups at the Capital Hill reception.
138 • ShowSight Magazine, July 2019