A SAOVA message to the working press nationwide regarding sportsmen, pet owners and farmers concerned about protecting their traditions, avocations and livelihoods from anti-hunting, anti-breeding, animal guardianship advocates. Forwarding, cross posting and quoting encouraged.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Thousands of U.S. pet owners have contacted Congress and the American Kennel Club (AKC) in the last month, telling them that they oppose Sen. Rick Santorum's (R-PA) bill, S1139 "Pet Animal Welfare Statute of 2005" (PAWS). PAWS is Sen. Santorum's third attempt to amend the Animal Welfare Act, expanding its scope. It is supported by the AKC and the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS), the Doris Day Animal League (DDAL) and other animal rights groups. A total of 114 pet owner groups have formally declared their opposition to PAWS and that number grows as the bill's adverse impacts become better understood. Groups opposed include all the major cat owner interests, plus ten AKC parent breed clubs and local dog clubs representing all the sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, herding and non-sporting groups. The current list may be viewed here. PAWS has also spawned a series of political cartoons.

Bob Kane, Sportsmen's and Animal Owners Voting Alliance (SAOVA) spokesman, indicated "Hunting dog owners, along with security dog owners, are singled out for what will certainly be harsher treatment in any USDA rulemaking that implements PAWS. We also have an overriding policy concern with abandoning a legally tested and well functioning USDA regulatory mechanism that was in minimal danger of being changed administratively. The new numbers of dogs or litters based PAWS system is obviously open to interpretation and will be the subject of intense legislative and regulatory lobbying by all parties. Litigation by animal rightists, seeking more changes, is also likely. Supporting PAWS is a fool's gamble, in my opinion.

SAOVA has other significant concerns. One of them is PAWS's impact on pedigreed cat breeders. The PAWS numbers system literally shuts down pedigreed cat breeding. AKC, in negotiating PAWS language with HSUS & DDAL, didn't bother to consult with the Cat Fancier's Association (CFA), or any other registry. Focused only on its interests, it severely injured a key ally and an animal owner group that has stood shoulder to shoulder with dog owners, helping us in the past, when felines weren't even involved. That's not only outrageous behavior, it's not smart. If I'm in a tough political fight, I want the CFA on my side."

Kane continued, " The AKC's handling of PAWS runs a whole gamut problems, from a flawed policy premise and a misread of the Washington political situation, to confusing its corporate agenda with dog owners' interests, to unfortunate negotiations with Sen Santorum, HSUS and DDAL, and finally to careless bill drafting. After PAWS's defeat, America's dog owner leadership must carefully examine the AKC's current policies, direction and management practices. We have too much invested in our sport and the AKC to see it squandered in such a fashion. What should have been corrected with minor embarrassment has escalated into a major crisis from which it will take years to recover."

Additional PAWS details may be found here.

-----------------------------------------------------

The Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance (SAOVA) is a nationwide, nonpartisan group of volunteers lobbying legislation and seeking to elect politicians who will oppose the animal rightist (AR) threat to our rights as Americans. Our members hunt, fish and own livestock, dogs, cats and other pets. For more information about SAOVA, call (540) 543-2312 or visit http://saova.org