Congress
Attempts to Federally Regulate Dog Breeding
Legislation
has been introduced in Congress to increase regulation of
commercial
dog breeding operations in the
United
States
.
The legislation
amends
the Animal Welfare Act (
AWA
)
to dictate when the first breeding of a
female
may occur and limits the number of breedings
allowed within a certain
time
period. In addition, the legislation imposes socialization
requirements-an
engineering standard including a written plan of
activities-that
will be developed by a panel of animal welfare and behavior
experts.
Finally, the legislation creates a "three strikes and you're out"
penalty
provision for breeders. The bills, S. 1478 and
H.R.
3058, have
already
gathered an impressive list of cosponsors to date-11 in the Senate
and
59 in the House-and have broad bipartisan support. (Click here for Senate
cosponsors;
click here for House cosponsors).
BACKGROUND
In
May 2000, the Doris Day Animal League (DDAL) initiated a lawsuit against
the
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand coverage of the number and
types
of breeders regulated by the Animal Welfare Act. Several national
animal
rights groups supported this effort. A July US district court
decision,
currently under appeal by the federal government, would require a
huge
expansion of the Animal Welfare Act's licensing and inspection
activities
potentially requiring every person who sells a dog or cat,
including
non-commercial and private in-home hobby breeders, to obtain a
federal
license and submit to federal regulations.
AKC
believes that such
expansion
would actually weaken the effectiveness of
AWA
enforcement by
forcing
USDA inspectors to focus more of their limited time and resources
investigating
low-risk, small breeding facilities instead of concentrating
their
attention where it is most needed, in the large commercial facilities.
NEW
BILLS
Now
several of these same organizations are supporting S. 1478/H.R. 3058,
legislation
that is supposed to deal with "puppy mills" but which potentially
could
expand the
AWA
to apply to all dog breeders-large or small, commercial
or
hobbyist, even those who sell from their own homes.
Because
the vast majority of
AKC
dog fanciers across the country already
employ
higher standards than those set forth in this legislation, they may
not
immediately recognize the serious problems contained in these legislative
proposals.
Specifically, the
AKC
is concerned about the following issues:
First,
the bills' findings are presented in a sensational rather than a
scientific
format. Such presentation encourages emotional responses rather
than
ones that are based on knowledge and fact. Second, the legislation
encourages
a level of federal involvement in breeding decisions that is
intrusive
and excessive. Third, it attempts to create an engineering plan for
socialization
that would be developed by animal welfare and behavior experts
instead
of the recognized experts in the regulated community.
As
the nation's leading authority on purebred dogs, the American Kennel Club
would
like the opportunity to provide input into these findings before
legislation
is considered further. The
AKC
's
early attempts to work with
sponsors
of this legislation to improve the bills' provisions were rebuffed.
It's
important to note that the
AKC
strongly and officially supports proper
care
and humane treatment of animals at all times. It not only advocates
strict
enforcement of the
AWA
to ensure humane treatment of dogs in breeding
facilities,
but it also conducts its own inspections and suspends breeders
from
its registry that violate its care and conditions standards.
The
AKC
is studying S. 1478/H.R. 3058 to develop more effective ways to
regulate
irresponsible and inhumane breeders who may currently fall through
the
cracks of regulation. We know that there are irresponsible breeders who
do
not share our concern for the welfare of their dogs and we want to them
brought
into compliance with the
AWA
.
We believe, however, that it is a
misuse
of tax dollars and resources to pass overly intrusive and restrictive
laws
that would affect responsible breeders who already maintain exemplary
breeding
programs.
WHAT
YOU CAN DO:
•Contact
your
U.S.
Representative and Senators in
Washington
.
Ask them to
oppose
S. 1478/H.R. 3058 for the reasons stated above. To find out who
represents
you in the Senate, click here. To find out who represents you in
the
House, click here. You may also phone the United States Capitol
switchboard
at
(202)
224-3121
and an operator will connect you directly with
the
Senate or House office you request.
•If
you live in the district or state of a member of the House or Senate
Committee
on Agriculture, it is especially important that you urge them to
stop
these bills from moving forward. Click here for committee membership
lists.
•If
you live in the district or state of a House or Senate cosponsor of these
bills,
ask them to withdraw their support. For additional information about
these
bills or other legislative issues affecting dogs and their owners,
please
contact doglaw@akc.org.
SEARCHÂ
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Members
of the
US
House of Representatives Committee on
Agriculture
(in
order of seniority)
Republicans
Rep.
Larry
Combest, Chairman
House
Agriculture Committee
1301
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-2171
(ph),
202-225-0917
(fax) agriculture@mail.house.gov
Rep.
John
Boehner
,
Vice Chairman
1011
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-6205
(ph),
202-225-0704
(fax) john.boehner@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Bob
Goodlatte
2240
Rayburn
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-5431
(ph),
202-225-9681
talk2bob@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Richard
Pombo
2411
Rayburn
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-1947
(ph),
202-225-5914
(fax)
rpombo@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Nick
Smith
2305
Rayburn
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-6276
(ph),
202-225-6281
(fax)
rep.smith@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Terry
Everett
2312
Rayburn
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-2901
(ph),
202-225-8913
(fax) terry.everett@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Frank
Lucas
438
Cannon House Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-5565
(ph),
202-225-8698
(fax)
replucas@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Saxby
Chambliss
1019
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-6531
(ph),
202-225-3013
(fax) saxby.chambliss@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Jerry
Moran
1519
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-2715
(ph),
202-225-5124
(fax) jerry.moran@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Bob
Schaffer
212
Cannon House Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-4676
(ph),
202-225-5870
(fax)
Rep.
John
Thune
1005
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-2801
(ph),
202-225-5823
(fax)
jthune@mail.house.gov
Rep.
William
Jenkins
1708
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-6356
(ph),
202-225-5714
(fax)
Rep.
John
Cooksey
113
Cannon House Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-8490
(ph),
202-225-5639
(fax) congressman.cooksey@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Gil
Gutknecht
425
Cannon House Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-2472
(ph),
202-225-3246
(fax)
gil@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Bob
Riley
322
Cannon House Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-3261
(ph),
202-225-5827
(fax)
bob.riley@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Mike
Simpson
1440
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-5531
(ph),
202-225-8216
(fax) mike.simpson@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Doug
Ose
215
Cannon House Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-5716
(ph),
202-226-1298
(fax)
doug.ose@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Robin
Hayes
130
Cannon House Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-3715
(ph),
202-225-4036
(fax)
Rep.
Ernest
Lee
Fletcher
1117
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-4706
(ph),
202-225-2122
Rep.
Charles
Pickering
427
Cannon House Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-5031
(ph),
202-225-5797
(fax)
Rep.
Timothy
Johnson
1541
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-2371
(ph),
202-226-0791
(fax) rep.johnson@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Thomas
Osborne
507
Cannon House Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-6435
(ph),
202-226-1385
(fax)
Rep.
Mike
Pence
1605
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-3021
(ph),
202-225-3382
(fax)
mike.pence@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Dennis
Rehberg
516
Cannon House Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-3211
(ph),
202-225-5687
(fax) denny.rehberg@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Sam
Graves
1407
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20215
202-225-7041
(ph),
202-225-8221
(fax)
sam.graves@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Adam
Putnam
506
Cannon House Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-1252
(ph),
202-226-0585
(fax)
ask.adam@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Mark
Kennedy
1415
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-2331
(ph),
202-225-6475
(fax) mark.kennedy@mail.house.gov
Democrats
Rep.
Charles
Stenholm
,
Ranking
Minority Member
1211
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-6605
(ph),
202-225-2016
(fax)
Rep.
Gary
Condit
2234
Rayburn
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-6131
(ph),
202-225-0819
(fax)
rep.condit@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Collin
Peterson
2159
Rayburn
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-2165
(ph),
202-225-1593
(fax) tocollin.peterson@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Calvin
Dooley
1201
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-3341
(ph),
202-225-9308
(fax)
Rep.
Eva
Clayton
2440
Rayburn
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-3101
(ph),
202-225-3354
(fax)
eclayton1@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Earl
Hilliard
1314
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-2665
(ph),
202-226-0772
(fax)
Rep.
Tim
Holden
2417
Rayburn
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-5546
(ph),
202-226-0996
(fax)
Rep.
Sanford
Bishop, Jr.
2429
Rayburn
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-3631
(ph),
202-226-3601
(fax) bishop.email@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Bennie
Thompson
2432
Rayburn
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-5876
(ph),
202-225-5898
(fax) thompsonms2nd@mail.house.gov
Rep.
John
Baldacci
1740
Rayburn
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-6306
(ph),
202-225-2943
(fax)
baldacci@me02.house.gov
Rep.
Marion
Berry
1113
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-4076
(ph),
202-225-5602
(fax)
Rep.
Mike
McIntyre
228
Cannon House Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-2731
(ph),
202-225-5773
(fax)
Rep.
Bob
Etheridge
1533
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-4531
(ph),
202-225-5662
(fax) bob.etheridge@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Leonard
Boswell
1039
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-3806
(ph),
202-225-5608
(fax) rep.boswell.ia03@mail.house.gov
Rep.
David
Phelps
1523
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-5201
(ph),
202-225-1541
(fax) david.phelps@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Ken
Lucas
1237
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-3465
(ph),
202-225-0003
(fax) write.kenlucas@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Mike
Thompson
119
Cannon House Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-3311
(ph),
202-225-4335
(fax)
m.thompson@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Baron Hill
1208
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-5315
(ph),
202-226-6866
(fax)
Rep.
Joe
Baca
1133
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-6161
(ph),
202-225-8671
(fax)
cong.baca@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Richard
Larsen
1529
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-2605
(ph),
202-225-4420
(fax) rick.larsen@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Michael
Ross
514
Cannon House Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-3772
(ph),
202-226-1314
(fax)
Rep.
AnÃbal
Acevedo-Vilá
126
Cannon House Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-2615
(ph),
202-225-2154
(fax)
anibal@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Ron
Kind
1713
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-5506
(ph),
202-225-5739
(fax)
ron.kind@mail.house.gov
Rep.
Ronnie
Shows
1408
Longworth
House
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20515
202-225-5865
(ph),
202-225-5886
(fax) ronnie.shows@mail.house.gov Â
If
your representative does not have an e-mail address listed, please go to
the
following Web site: www.house.gov/writerep/.
Constituents will be asked
to
enter their zip code to access their member's e-mail.
Â
Â
Members
of the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry (in order of
seniority)
Democrats
Sen.
Tom
Harkin, Chairman
Senate
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition
and
Forestry
328A
Russell
Senate
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-2035
(ph),
202-224-1725
(fax)
Sen.
Patrick
Leahy
433
Russell
Senate Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-4242
(ph),
202-224-3479
(fax) senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov
Sen.
Kent
Conrad
530
Hart Senate Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-2043
(ph),
202-224-7776
(fax)
senator@conrad.senate.gov
Sen.
Thomas
Daschle
509
Hart Senate Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-2321
(ph),
202-224-7895
(fax) tom_daschle@daschle.senate.gov
Sen.
Max
Baucus
511
Hart Senate Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-2651
(ph),
202-228-3687
(fax)
max@baucus.senate.gov
Sen.
Blanche
Lincoln
359
Dirksen
Senate Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-4843
(ph),
202-228-1371
(fax) blanche_lincoln@lincoln.senate.gov
Sen.
Zell
Miller
257
Dirksen
Senate Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-3643
(ph),
202-228-2090
(fax)
Sen.
Debbie
Stabenow
702
Hart Senate Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-4822
(ph),
202-228-0325
(fax) senator@stabenow.senate.gov
Sen.
Ben
Nelson
720
Hart Senate Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-6551
(ph),
202-228-0012
(fax) ben_nelson@bennelson.senate.gov
Sen.
Mark
Dayton
346
Russell
Senate Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-3244
(ph),
202-228-2186
(fax)
Sen.
Paul
Wellstone
136
Hart Senate Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-5641
(ph),
202-224-8438
(fax)
Republicans
Sen.
Richard
Lugar
,
Ranking Minority Member
306
Hart Senate Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-4814
(ph),
202-224-0360
(fax) senator_lugar@lugar.senate.gov
Sen.
Jesse
Helms
403
Dirksen
Senate Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-6342
(ph),
202-228-1339
(fax)
jesse_helms@senate.gov
Sen.
Thad
Cochran
326
Russell
Senate Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-5054
(ph),
202-224-9450
(fax) senator@cochran.senate.gov
Sen.
Mitch
McConnell
361A
Russell
Senate
Office
Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-2541
(ph),
202-224-2499
(fax) senator@mcconnell.senate.gov
Sen.
Pat
Roberts
302
Hart Senate Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-4774
(ph),
202-224-3514
(fax) pat_roberts@roberts.senate.gov
Sen.
Peter
Fitzgerald
555
Dirksen
Senate Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-2854
(ph),
202-228-1372
(fax) senator_fitzgerald@fitzgerald.senate.gov
Sen.
Craig
Thomas
109
Hart Senate Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-6441
(ph),
202-224-1724
(fax)
craig@thomas.senate.gov
Sen.
Wayne
Allard
525
Dirksen
Senate Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-5941
(ph),
202-224-6471
(fax)
Sen.
Tim
Hutchinson
239
Dirksen
Senate Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-2353
(ph),
202-228-3973
(fax) senator.hutchinson@hutchinson.senate.gov
Sen.
Michael
Crapo
111
Russell
Senate Office Building
Washington
,
DC
20510
202-224-6142
(ph),
202-228-1375
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