Has American Kennel Club Lost Its Way?

For reasons many of us cannot understand, the American Kennel Club (AKC) is supporting enactment of the "Pet Animal Welfare Statute" (PAWS) which is a bill to amend the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA).

It would require federal licensing and inspection of the private homes of many hobby breeders. Until now no federal license has been required to breed cats and dogs in a private residence and sell retail to the public. PAWS will also have an impact on rescue organizations, requiring licensing of many of these as retail sellers.

The AWA standards are written for commercial establishments and not in-home facilities. Compliance with commercial regulations will be difficult if not impossible for rescue and small, private cat and dog hobby breeders.

Three years ago when the bill was first introduced in Congress as the Puppy Protection Act, the AKC stated correctly: “the so-called Puppy Protection Act is based on sensationalized conclusions rather than facts. It will involve the federal government in unworkable regulation of the breeding practices of individual breeders.”

The above is true of the 2005 version of the bill, PAWS. What is different this year is the AKC's support.

The organizations that are supporting this horrible piece of legislation are the Humane Society of the United States, PETA, the Doris Day Animal League (DDAL), and the American Kennel Club. In other words, three organizations that believe humans are not entitled to make pets of dogs and that have used lawsuits to harass those who breed animals support this legislation. And the AKC!

Among the groups that opposed PAWS are the United Kennel Club (UKC), the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) (the feline counterpart to AKC) and the National Animal Interest Alliance. Read the CFA's 10 Reasons Why PAWS Bill Should Be Killed.

Despite the support by the AKC’s national group, 42% of the AKC’s member groups oppose PAWS. Those include American Brussels Griffon Association, Papillon Club of America, Pug Dog Club of America, Yorkshire Terrier Club of America and American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club.

Four AKC directors voted against the motion to support the proposed legislation. One of those directors is Dr. Carmen Battaglia, has chosen to make his concerns with PAWS and the AKC's position public at http://saova.org/1139battaglia.html

His statement indicates the AKC's underlying rationale is flawed, the bill itself poorly written and dangerous and he urges its defeat.

I have no idea what possess the AKC to support this horrible piece of legislation. What it has said is 1) Sen. R. Santorum (R-PA who sponsored this legislation), HSUS and DDAL were going to pass AWA legislation, with, or without, its support and 2) no legislation is perfect!

The problem is that by collaborating with animal-rights groups and their lackey, Sen. Santorum, the AKC no longer has the ability to negotiate worthwhile changes in the bill because it’s one of the authors.

The attitude of their directors and paid legislative staff is "We're the American Kennel Club. We don't care. We don’t have to."

We all support reasonable laws that will protect dogs but this law is intended only to harass dog breeders.

If you want to preserve your right and your children’s right to have dogs as pets, notify the members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry which is considering this legislation: http://agriculture.senate.gov/sen.htm as well your own Representative and Senators.


P.S. Visit http://www.ToyBreeds.com next month for a new edition of the Bone-Mot™.