As many of our readers know, AKC reaches out to elected officials in a variety of ways. We regularly provide input on legislative issues, exhibit our education booth at legislators’ conferences each year, and co-sponsor Pet Night on Capitol Hill, just to name a few. In 2005, AKC’s Communications department launched yet another outreach program through a print campaign in the New York Times Magazine. A series of 26 full-page ads, these issue-oriented pieces are designed to reach legislative and corporate leaders, academics, and general readers with information about AKC. Specifically, the “advertorials” each focus on a program or initiative that protects the health and welfare for purebred dogs. For example, one ad addressed AKC’s involvement in protecting fanciers’ access to safe, affordable air travel for dogs, while other pieces focused on Companion Animal Recovery, our Investigations and Inspections department, and the Canine Health Foundation. A future ad will address our support of non-breed-specific legislation.

AKC continually searches for new and innovative ways of educating public officials (and the general public!) about all of the positive things we do for the love of dogs. In establishing ourselves as the authority of purebred dogs, we help to ensure that legislators think of us as their primary resource the moment they take up an animal-related issue.

Regards,

Stephanie Lane