As part of our ongoing effort to equip you with the tools needed to be an effective advocate, the AKC Government Relations Department is pleased to unveil our new online Government Relations Toolbox. While the toolbox is still under construction, it already contains a number of new printable resources and existing Government Relations brochures designed to help you communicate with lawmakers and your community about the importance of canine legislative issues.

The toolbox may be found by visiting the AKC Government Relations home page, and clicking on the toolbox icon in the bottom right corner. New items are being added all the time, so be sure to check back often!

Some of the new items in the toolbox include:

• One-page policy issue briefs – These four documents provide talking points for legislators on AKC Inspections, Breed-Specific Legislation, Ear Cropping/Tail Docking/Dewclaw Removal, and Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws. We also have a new, colorful one-page flyer regarding animal limit laws, which provides talking points and positive alternatives to this type of legislation.


• Event and economic impact statistics for your state – These one-page documents provide the number of AKC events that occurred in your state over the past three years, as well as the estimated amount of money spent on purebred dogs each year.


• A link to the Government Relations brochures order page


• A list of all Government Relations resources currently available


• Downloadable Public Education Resources – These flyers are effective when communicating with your community and club members. They include:


• “Be Your Dog’s Best Friend”, which provides tips and suggestions on how to be a responsible dog owner.


• “Communicating Effectively With Your Legislators”, which combines our “Disagree Diplomatically” and “Preparing for Action” brochures into a one-page, printable document full of helpful tips to remember when talking with lawmakers about canine legislation.


• Handouts entitled “Where Did All the Dogs Go?” and “Can You Imagine a World Without Dogs?”, both of which emphasize the importance of getting involved with canine legislation. Some clubs print and distribute these at dog shows to get the message out to spectators as well as exhibitors.
  


• Downloadable AKC Position Statements – Now you can print our Summary Position Statements individually, which can be helpful when talking to your club or putting together information for lawmakers about a specific issue.

The Government Relations Department hopes these new tools will help equip you, your club, and your colleagues to be effective advocates for responsible dog ownership. Make sure to visit the Toolbox often and check future issues of Taking Command to see what new resources have been added!