This is not the first legislation the AKC has blocked. They block every bit of legislation that they find that concerns livestock in general. No, you cannot legislate morality but the United States is and always has been a country that operates by the rule of law. When the health and welfare of people and livestock are at risk there has to be legislation in order to control those who are out to profit at the expense of the innocent. We cannot morally or ethically ignore the wholesale suffering that occurs in the current puppy mill and BYB situations in order to make it easy for large scale AKC kennels to continue unchecked. If these kennels are well run then they have nothing to be concerned about.
AKC is not out to protect the small hobby breeder. This is about big time kennels. A small hobby breeder should have nothing to be concerned about in any of the state crafted legislation. You may want to be more concerned about city law makers that want to put regulation on everything from what your fence is made of to how many people can reside in your home.
Instead of being obstructionists AKC needs to prove that they have the best interests of the animals in mind and get together with humane organizations and legislators to craft legislation that can help stop the abuse that is rampant in what was once a humane country while also seeing that reputable breeders can continue doing their best for the breeds they represent. |