Where’s the Beef?

Turns out it’s right next to the purebred dogs

Save our Sport is a popular rallying cry these days. Everybody has an idea or a suggestion. This is a story about one dog fancier’s journey and how she worked with a New Mexico cattle rancher to help effect positive change in animal welfare regulations. With practical, hands on suggestions about how you, too, can make a difference.

Patte Klecan's Story

About 15 years ago anti-dog legislation arrived in New Mexico. Patte Klecan turned for help to a customer from her grooming shop, Caren Cowan, Executive Director of the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, who she knew was actively involved in legislation for the state’s cattle industry.

Since then, the two have worked together on numerous pieces of legislation at the state, local and even national level, bringing the combined voices of purebred dogs and agriculture to speak out on animal welfare issues.

Beef, Dogs and Agriculture: Stronger Together

Their experienced input offers listeners a number of excellent suggestions.

* Understand that legislation is local. No one is going to do it for you. NAIA and AKC Government Relations have a treasure trove of helpful material, but nothing beats live and local when it comes to fighting anti-dog, anti-breeder, animal extremist’s legislation. YOUR voice counts.

* Get to know your legislators, establish yourself as an expert in the field, help them when they have questions, build a relationship, then you can ask them to sponsor/carry a bill for you.

* WE are the subject matter experts, WE have the hands on knowledge to inform legislators on any animal welfare topics.

* NAIA is the mainstream, reasonable, fact based legislative voice on all animal related issues. AKC Government Relations focuses on purebred dogs. The two organizations work on parallel tracks.

* Present a united front with breeders, farmers and ranchers, amongst others. Together our voices are numerically far more powerful than the well-funded machine that is Animal Rights Extremism.

* Legislators NEED us. They need someone they trust, who will always give them the truth.

* Don’t wait until there this is a crisis. Create a relationship with legislators first. Invite them to your kennel club meeting or dog show. Invite the city mayor or local legislator to come and award the BIS trophy, make sure the local tv and newspaper are notified. Legislators love media and positive coverage in the community. If we reach out to them they become aware. Otherwise they don’t know we exist.

It’s fun!” Klecan says. “I was scared to death! But you get into it. It’s really exciting to interact with legislators.”

We need to counter with our voices, our passion, our truths,” Klecan adds. “Stand up for yourself, for your animals, for your food. Everyone has time to do something. It takes five minutes to make a phone call to a legislator. They want numbers, that’s what matters,  from THEIR constituents."

An example of the “unintended consequences” of “feel good” legislation:

https://patch.com/rhode-island/eastgreenwich/ri-has-problem-puppy-trade-state-vet

Puppy Sales, Pet Shops

Puppy sales have moved from pet shops to the Internet, according to the state veterinarian who says it's now hard to regulate the sellers.

Humane societies and pet lovers are not winning the war to end the cruel practices at puppy mills, he said.

Although many pet lovers believe the problems with puppy mills have been largely solved by closing the pet stores that sold puppies, in reality, the problem's become worse, he said. At least the brick and mortar stores could be inspected and regulated. They had to be licensed.