THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB STRONGLY OPPOSES LOS ANGELES PROPOSAL THAT PLACES MORATORIUM ON BREEDER PERMITS

NEW YORK, Oct. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, October 20, the Los Angeles City Council directed that an ordinance be drafted to suspend the issuance of breeding permits in the city as a way to address shelter overpopulation concerns. The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) vehemently opposes the proposal to place a moratorium on breeder permits (and intact animal permits which are licensed simultaneously), creating a de facto mandatory spay-neuter policy for all dogs owned by residents.

AKC and their constituent LA dog owners are troubled about efforts in the last week that would allow the City Animal Services Manager to disregard, at the Manager's sole discretion, city laws that allow for exceptions for responsible dog owners and breeders to maintain an intact animal even if the city council defeats the proposed moratorium on issuing breeder and intact animal permits. 

"There are many reasons a responsible owner may not spay or neuter a dog they own," says Sheila Goffe, VP of Government Relations, AKC. "Current city laws recognize this. Sadly, these laws are not being fully and lawfully administered. New proposals that scapegoat responsible breeders as the cause of the city's shelter issues fail to recognize this and will only exacerbate existing problems by not addressing the underlying problems that have led to the city's sheltering crisis."

AKC recognizes and shares concerns about the city's animal shelters. However, we have strong concerns about responses to "send a signal" or scapegoat responsible owners of intact dogs, rather than to create substantive policies that address the real, underlying issues that are causing the shelter's problems.

To lessen the strain on the shelter system, improve the working conditions for staff and volunteers alike, and to promote the welfare of all animals in the system, AKC proposes the following recommendations:

• Ensure good data collection to determine where issues are originating and allow for arising problems to be adequately addressed.
• Require all animals received in the shelter system to be checked for microchips so lost pets don't languish in shelter system taking up valuable space and resources.
• Make sure low-cost spay and neuter funds are available to all who need it and ensure that program availability is widely known through community outreach.
• Consider offering tax credits or other programs to incentivize greater acceptance of pets in residential housing to address issue of pets ending up in shelter system only because of housing issues.
• Develop a plan to manage "dangerous dogs" taken in and kept in the shelter system.

AKC believes inclusive public outreach and education are key to promoting and instilling a culture of responsible pet ownership.

AKC and its affiliate organizations continues to proudly support the people and dogs of Los Angeles and California:

• Recently, AKC Reunite donated to two Pet Disaster Relief trailers to the county of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control. There are currently 21 AKC provided trailers in California.
• AKC Reunite also provided $220,397.50 in donations to California animal shelters and organizations impacted by natural disasters.
• AKC Reunite has awarded ten Adopt a K-9 Cop grants totaling $62,500.00 across California to assist police departments with the acquisition of k9 officers.
• The AKC Canine Health Foundation, has granted $3.8m to date for organizations in California including $314,740 for organizations within the greater Los Angeles area. 

To learn more background on the proposal, click here or visit https://www.akc.org/legislative-alerts/ask-los-angeles-city-council-oppose-ban-breeding-intact-animal-ownership/

About the American Kennel Club

Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function.  Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 26,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred and mixed breed dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests.

Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite, the AKC Museum of the Dog, and the AKC Purebred Preservation Bank.  For more information, visit www.akc.org.

AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc.

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SOURCE The American Kennel Club, Inc.