As the summer turns to fall, greater attention will be paid to the elections taking place in November. Of course, the race that will garner the most attention will be the race to see who the next President of the United States will be, and which party will control Congress. However, it is important to remember, there are countless races at the state and local level that will greatly impact dog owners across the country.
So far in 2024, AKC Government Relations has monitored over 1700 proposals with the potential to impact dog owners. These include ownership limits, breeding regulations (or even bans), leash laws, breed discrimination, and restrictions on kennels, just to name a few.
Given the increasing number of legislative and regulatory measures that affect dog owners and breeders, your vote and voice are more important than ever. This is why AKC Government Relations has created an Elections Center in our Legislative Action Center (www.akcgr.org/electionguide) to provide you with tools and resources to be an informed voter for dogs and our sport in the upcoming elections.
In addition, we encourage you to consider the following four steps that every exhibitor, hobbyist, and fancier should take to ensure that your voice is heard in this election:
Here are some suggestions on how to determine if a candidate will work to protect your rights as a dog owner:
If the candidate is an incumbent or has previously held an office, you can research their voting record on issues that impact dog owners. For federal and state office holders, you can find information about their voting during their most recent terms by visiting AKC GR’s Legislative Action Center (www.akcgr.org) and clicking on “Legislative Tracking” where you can select your state, see who sponsored a measure, and view votes cast both in committee and on the floor of the legislature. This information can also be found on many state websites by doing a key word search using the bill search function for terms such as “dog,” “kennel,” “breeder,” etc.
Analysis and highlights of selected legislative and regulatory issues can also be found in the Legislative Action Center.
Since many candidates for state legislatures have previously served at the local level, it is important to review their voting history as a local elected official. Most municipalities’ (county, city, town, townships) websites provide current and archived meeting minutes that record the votes on local measures. If they do not, contact the municipality and request the vote record for an issue of interest. These records are available to the public.
Another good way to learn about candidates is to research their endorsements. Many candidates publish endorsements on their personal or campaign webpages, or on their social media. It can be helpful to see which special interest groups have endorsed or “rated” a candidate on animal issues. Check both organizations that you agree with as well as those with which you don’t agree. Additionally, some candidates will also be endorsed by other public officials. If possible, check those endorsing officials’ records as well to see their position on key animal issues.
An effective way to find out a candidate’s views is to ask him or her directly. This not only helps reveal candidates’ opinions and attitudes on canine issues but also lets them know that these issues are important to you, the voter.
Attend town hall meetings, public forums, debates, and other public events that allow voters to ask candidates questions about issues important to them. You can find upcoming opportunities on websites hosted by the candidate’s political party, if applicable, and on the candidate’s website. Look for lists or calendars of upcoming events.
When asking questions, avoid asking their views on specific organizations, as they may not be aware of where various groups stand on dog issues. Instead, asking them about policy questions will give you a much better idea of their positions. In our online elections center, you can find a sample candidate survey with questions you may wish to consider.
You may also wish to send the survey to the candidates to determine their positions on behalf of your club or other dog organizations. Contact candidates ahead of time to let them know you are sending them this survey. Let the candidates know that you and your colleagues will use this to consider how to vote in the upcoming election. Follow up after you have sent it to answer any questions they may have.
If a candidate is not familiar with the issues, evades a question, does not share your views, or has not voted how you want in the past, view this as an opportunity to educate them. Be sure to have some talking points prepared to provide information on issues of concern to you as a responsible dog owner. Better yet, follow up with their campaign office and ask if you can meet with the candidate or their staff to discuss canine legislation issues. Be sure to let them know that the candidate’s positions on these issues will impact how you vote!
Get involved in campaigns that are important to you. Let them know why you support them, and volunteer! Even if you have only limited time, taking a few hours to stuff envelopes, answer phones, or simply putting up signs is a great way for candidates to see that responsible dog owners care about legislation and will support those who will protect our rights. Helping on the campaign is a wonderful way to establish a relationship with elected officials for when canine legislative issues arise.
Electing lawmakers who respect the rights of dog owners and hobbyists helps to ensure that the concerns of dog owners are heard and understood when canine legislation is considered. If you identify a dog-friendly candidate for office, not only should you spread the word to other animal owners, your club’s Legislative Liaison, and the AKC GR team, let the candidate know that you are asking your fellow dog owners and exhibitors to support them.
The AKC has established the AKC Political Action Committee (AKC PAC), a fund that combines donations from individuals who believe strongly in the need to take a stand in support of the rights of responsible dog owners. One hundred percent of donations go directly to the campaigns of candidates who share the commitment to preserving and defending these rights. Donations to the AKC PAC may not be earmarked for individual candidates, but donors may make recommendations to the PAC Board about candidates they believe are worthy of support.
If you would like the AKC PAC Board to consider supporting the campaign of a candidate you have identified as dog-friendly, please contact: AKCPAC@akc.org. If you are an AKC club member and wish to donate to the PAC in order to help support the election of dog-friendly candidates this November, visit: www.akc.org/pac.
