PAC’s for Pets – What Are They?

By Debra Vey Voda Hamilton, Esq./Mediator

How many of you have contributed to the AKCPAC? The AKC Canine Legislation Support Fund (CLSF)? Both groups work tirelessly to help educate candidates (PAC) and incumbents (CLSF) on the desired rights and responsibilities purebred dog owners and breeders want to see implemented or sustained.

See the following:

https://www.apps.akc.org//apps/pac/index.cfm

http://www.akc.org/clubs-delegates/government-relations/donations/

WHAT ARE THEY?

For those of you who may be unclear as to the differences between a PAC and a Canine Legislative Support Fund, the following short lesson is for you. PACs lobby candidates who are currently running for office. They seek to educate and evaluate a candidate to see whether they are aligned with AKC’s mission of legislative non-interference in responsible pet owner’s rights to own, breed and sell dogs. The CLSF educates incumbent representatives and the public on what it means to be a responsible pet owner and how maintaining the right to own and breed your dog should not be inhibited by overbroad legislation.

Recently, a new PAC organization entered the PACs for animal welfare group. PetsPAC lists veterinarians, pet owners, service providers and veterinary nurses as the animal-interested parties it seeks to serve. In an article appearing in Today’s Veterinarian Business, [http://todaysveterinarybusiness.com/-petspac-packs-political-punch/], Mark Cushing*, the policy and political adviser to PetsPAC and the Veterinary Innovation Council, said, “PetsPAC’s main objective will be to focus exclusively on state legislatures and agencies in all matters affecting pets.” They will, “oppose bad legislation to stop it from becoming law.”

It also states it is the first PAC, “to work on the state and local legislative level.”

PAC groups first and foremost advocate for a cause and constituency. The original PAC organization for the protection of purebred dogs and the purebred dog fancier is the AKCPAC. PetsPAC seems to have a similar mission. It intends to serve pet owners by working to preserve their rights. PetsPAC states, “it looks forward to bringing veterinarians and pet owning clients together as a stronger voice to promote pet friendly legislation.” AKCPAC goes a step further by identifying its constituency as responsible breeders and pet owners.

As PetsPAC continues to formulate its mission, this may be a good time for the AKCPAC to reach out and welcome them to the neighborhood.

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=145378

Posted by Alex on Jun 6 2018. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.