This year seems to be flying by, but it’s not too late to introduce yourself and your club to your local lawmakers.AKC GR is proud to provide you with the resources you need to make your introductions and meetings with policymakers positive and successful. A great place to start is by sharing information about the beneficial impacts that dog clubs, owners, breeders and the AKC have in the community. Many lawmakers know very little about this, and it’s up to us as constituents to ensure their information about AKC is accurate and positive.
We are excited to launch a new one-page AKC fact sheet, Above and Beyond (policymaker version) specifically designed for sharing with lawmakers and community leaders.
A one-pager can’t cover all the good things AKC does, but this one provides a quick overview of resources for policymakers, economic impact information, Canine Health Foundation research impact, AKC’s charitable affiliates, detection dog and service dog program information, and much more. Use this resource as an opportunity to set up meetings with your lawmakers and fill them in on the details about the good things you do in your local community.
Last year, AKC Government Relations (AKC GR), along with local federations, dog clubs and dog owners like you, achieved dozens of successes across the country, amending or pushing back against harmful proposals and supporting bills of benefit to dogs and dog owners. Many of these successes were the direct result of concerned dog owners communicating with their lawmakers and providing them with the facts, science, and expertise needed to truly educate them on these important issues. These successes prove that when responsible dog owners get actively involved, you can make a major impact on policy that affects you!
We hope this new resource and others like it will help and inspire you to become one of the many who reaches out and makes a difference for purebred dogs in your community!
Above and Beyond (policymaker version) is available in the GR toolbox in the AKC Legislative Action Center, www.akcgr.org.
Other great resources also include:
- Sample introduction letters for you and for your club
- Working With Public Officials When Planning an Event During COVID-19 – An article with suggestions on working with officials to plan a show or other dog event during the pandemic.
- Key Issues – A series of pages in the Legislative Action Center with talking points and information to help you communicate with legislators on issues important to you. Visit www.akcgr.org and click on key issues to view the available resources.
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