Bulldog Club of
Legislative
Committee
Committee Chairman
Committee Members
Nichole Bermea, Div. I George Cromer, Div. II
Jennifer Joseph,
Div. III Nelia Duarte, Div. V
James Bullard, Div. VI Lynn Smith Div. VII
Bulldog Club of
To promote the best interests of
purebred Bulldogs through the BCA by encouraging adoption laws, rules,
ordinances and legislation favorable to
these interests, and by discouraging adoption of all those that are not.
To further these interests by
encouraging proper humane practices as determined by the BCA, and opposing
misrepresentation and malpractice by all who are associated with the breed, and
to support the efforts of other organizations who share our interests and
concerns.
To further these interests by
reporting on legislative matters to the BCA Council, Executive Committee,
Division Officers and General Membership in a timely
manner and making recommendations for action when appropriate.
...
Today
legislation that “singles out” a particular breed is a major problem for our
hobby. This “breed specific” legislation may not affect our Bulldogs today, but
we don’t know about tomorrow. Our right
of responsible ownership of dogs is constantly put in jeopardy by a well
financed small group of activists who are working to create what they call
“animal rights.” The rights that they want to “give” to animals are to be
taken away from animal owners.
We need to be
proactive and work with other dog clubs and dog law monitoring groups to stay
on top of what is happening from the national to the local level. This is not a
task that can be delegated to one or two BCA members. It is up to all of us to act to protect
ourselves from unfair laws concerning dog ownership. Learn which legislative
committees work on dog laws in your state, arm yourself with knowledge and
information about proposed legislation and contact your legislators to let them
know your position. In short, be active
in protecting your rights as a dog owner!
What you can do –
Be aware of what is going on in your community and state. Get involved with
your local Bulldog Club or all breed club. Check out
the AKC Legislative Alert site (Link) http://www.akc.org/news/sections/legislative_alerts.cfm
Write letters that count –Write letters and make phone calls. Be sure to be professional and courteous! Organize petitions, contact us, the BCA Legislative Committee, your fellow dog owners, friends, relatives and whoever else you can think of that will help fight these infringements on our rights. http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/gileg197.cfm?SEARCH_BUTTON.X=10%5C&SEARCH_BUTTON.Y=9
For assistance in writing effective letters, refer to “Make Your Contact Count.” This is an article prepared by the AKC Legislation Department and is available at the following link: http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/gileg197.cfm?Serch button.X=10%5C&Serch button.Y=9. Other good AKC legislative resources include the following links: www.akc.org/canine_legislation , to their monthly newsletter “Taking Command” www.akc.org/canine_legislation/taking_command, and to their legislative alerts at: www.akc.org/news/sections/legislative alerts.
The National Animal Interest Alliance Trust is another good source for legislative information. Their website is www.naiatrust.org. The NAIA keeps track of current dog legislation and maintains a list of regional groups interested in the subject. You may find one located near you by visiting this site.
The American Dog Owners Association is also interested in protecting the rights of responsible dog owners. They have specialized in assisting with dog-related litigation. Reach the ADOA at their website: www.adoa.org.
Other resources that may be helpful are www.dogwatch.net, www.thevoicefordogs.org, www.responsiblepetowners.org (an example of a good regional group, the Responsible
Pet Owners Association, in
AKC Resources:
http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/index.cfm
http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/taking_command.cfm
http://www.akc.org/news/sections/legislative_alerts.cfm
Other Resources that may be helpful:
http://www.thevoicefordogs.org/vfd-legis.shtml
http://www.naiatrust.org/gov/index.htm
http://www.naiaonline.org/resources/legislative.htm
It is up to all of us to preserve our rights as Breeders,
Exhibitors and Owners! Make your voice
heard, you can make a difference!!