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 The
Exemption!
Sen. Rick Santorum, Chairman of the Senate
Subcommittee on Research, Nutrition and General Legislation, is
blamed for the infamous PAWS bill which has raised the hackles
of dog and cat people in record-setting numbers. Santorum gets
the blame, AKC gets the credit. Bad guy, good guy? You decide.
AKC Chairman Ronald Menaker testified in support
of the bill on November 8th. Was the whole PAWS “battle” just a
charade to make a billion-dollar deal more palatable?
Make no mistake;
Hunters won The Exemption. Strongly
supported by the National Rifle Association and other
politically powerful lobbying groups, Hunters are well
represented in local and state economy/tax/license structures. Most notably, we were NOT backed by our organization.
Is it possible that the effective opposition from Hunters was
the only unexpected glitch? So "the exemption" was
cleverly turned into a pacifier for a
gullible dog and cat fancy?
If so, it worked. We thrilled with The Exemption
even though (predictably) 90% of us don’t understand it!
Oh "they" know us. We’re told it was a victory by the very people who want PAWS
passed. We've been spoon fed the idea that PAWS was inevitable.
We’re told AKC fought for us every step of the way and that
ultimately those efforts brought about The Exemption for us
elite show breeders.
But wait, the only significant change is in
this statement from AKC. “The modifications include an
additional exemption for breeders who sell dogs and cats only at
retail and are in compliance with certified kennel inspection
standards, such as those of the AKC.”
That sentence is loaded! If
you breed more than six litters OR (not
“and”) sell more than 25 dogs you are not exempt. In
addition to exempting hunters, there
was also some re-wording to exempt a “non-profit organization
that receives federal approval” or “a shelter or rescue
organization that does not import for resale or operate for
profit.” Expect a rush of non-profit applications.
Know that
shelters will continue to import saleable dogs while
killing thousands of not-as-adoptable dogs. That is what they’ve
been doing and that is what has been covered up and it continues
to be protected in the so-called Exemption.
But here’s the kicker, direct from AKC. If
you exceed the six litters/25 dogs, the exemption, if it ever
becomes reality, would apply only
“if
you are inspected by a non-profit organization that receives
federal approval such as AKC.”
For you, nothing has changed. I saw no
mention of exemption for co-bred litters. If your name is on the sale or breeding of more than six litters or 25 dogs,
you must expose your sales records and your home to inspection!!!
What has changed is that now, presumably as planned from the
very beginning, it will be AKC that inspects you!
No doubt that
service will surely be paid for with a never-ending flow of tax dollars, although
I predict the AKC will also
figure out a way to collect from the breeder. Once passed, there’s no limit to how the new
program can be changed or implemented. The most common
phrase (sadly) now associated with AKC is "it's all about the
money." I predicted
last Sept. 2005 that PAWS fit that phrase. So did a handful of other journalists who
feared PAWS more than the wrath of AKC.
Our backs went up over AKC's embrace of the puppy
mills (otherwise known as the HVBC) and even though in the end,
show breeders rolled over, PAWS was not as easily swallowed.
Consequently, a little more care is
now being taken in how things are marketed to an increasingly
wary dog fancy. A recent AKC press statement is a great example
“’These problems need to be addressed for the sake of dogs and
the pet buying public,’ said Menaker. "However, it is also
essential that we maintain the sport and hobby of purebred dog
breeding and exhibiting as it is today, an activity regulated by
our own rigorous compliance standards. The new exemption
provision and other changes secured through AKC’s work with Sen.
Santorum and other interest groups helps PAWS achieve that
balance.”
The Exemption verbiage is deliberately
confusing but legal scholars will happily interpret it,
especially those in the employ of AKC and HSUS. In October 2005,
we dared speculate that AKC would benefit from a never-ending
flood of PAWS-generated money. The December AKC press release
revealed that what had only been speculation had quickly and
silently become a done deal!! Twelve words buried in glowing
text state AKC’s “kennel inspection programs and standards
are certified by the Secretary of Agriculture.”
Rolling right on past that earth shaking
statement, AKC proudly points out “The kennel standards
certified by the Secretary must be at least equivalent to those
required by the United States Department of Agriculture under
the Animal Welfare Act.” Amazing, very much like the way we were
told about the HVBC and the Board’s position on PAWS’
after-the-fact and matter-of-fact, no big deal, characterize it
however you wish. While digesting that rotten bit of news,
wonder if that “standard” is the same one which proscribes
calling the puppy mill to notify of an inspection appointment?
Would those be the standards that ignore incredibly inhumane
conditions despite “USDA inspection” as recorded and broadcast a
few years ago a two-part special entitled Doomed Dogs Of Missouri? Have things changed
significantly? Well yes, if we believe the AKC officials who
were the guests of the ever-growing, mega-miller Hunte
Corporation…..
These are my opinions based on both solid AKC
information and the knowledge that the new inspection deal
represents a fountain of funds that never run dry. A highly
respected associate pointed out that it would be better to be
inspected by a dog person, i.e. AKC, than by a vet, particularly
a USDA inspector who is “conditioned to conditions” that would
make any decent dog owner shudder! She is usually right and no
doubt, she is this time. The point is that it didn’t have to
happen! This was about big business, political handshakes (I
would not imply there was any kind of pay-off) gaining lost tax
revenue from non-reported sales income, and control.
So go ahead, talk to yourself. Ask yourself
(and answer) some questions before you register your next litter
with the American Kennel Club, which notably, is the only
registry participating or benefiting from PAWS!!!!! Others
may cave, but only the American Kennel Club wants PAWS.
I have happily invested forty years in
exhibiting our dogs. I would never knowingly misjudge AKC. I’ve
told by a higher-up in AKC that I’m “known to be critical of
AKC” and I plead guilty but - I only question and report what AKC
does! If I’ve ever been wrong (on any observation regarding AKC) in more than twenty-five years of
columns, it has not been brought to my attention by anyone,
least of all the AKC.
I would
never do anything to harm the sport or the association which has
given us so much joy and so many friends. Questioning the method
and motivation behind PAWS makes me less than popular at the
moment but like any hot potato, it needs to be opened up.
When journalists report something and the
situation is corrected or the bad guys are excised for the overall good of the people it’s like cutting away a cancer. It may
be painful but it's healthy in the long run. Having been told
I’m fighting a hopeless battle and been warned to “stay out
of it” signals something inherently wrong with PAWS and the
motivation behind it.
You should make up your own mind. To that
end, I share this quote, “AKC is extremely pleased with recent
developments regarding PAWS. As Mr. Menaker stated in his
Chairman’s Report last month “The success of any legislation in
Congress is uncertain, but we will continue to represent the
needs and voice the concerns of our breeders in this legislative
process. We are proud to continue to sit at the table as an
equal, as we have since the introduction of this legislation,
and strive to make a real difference that benefits our
responsible breeders and the welfare of all dogs.”’
I direct
you to the AKC website for more information.
http://www.akc.org/enewsletter/taking_command/2005/december/paws.cfm
Barbara J.
Andrews
Handy links:______________________
If you
haven't checked in at Project: PAWS Section for
position statements, latest news and progress,
go
there now! Also the Dog Federation Of Wisc. has been on
top of this problem and the site is full of easy to digest information.
http://www.dfow.org/h14.htm
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