California 1634 Goose Is Cooked
by Cindy Cooke, Legislative Specialist
July 2007 - Whether he knows it or not,
California Assemblyman Lloyd Levine did a big
favor for the dog and cat owners of California
and the rest of the country, too. The early
successes of AB 1634 galvanized dog and cat
owners and made them truly understand the
serious threat of the animal rights movement.
The other good thing that came out of this
battle was that dog people from all walks--show
people and hunters, pet people and breeders, AKC
people and UKC people, all came together for the
fight of their lives.
Unfortunately, a statewide battle is a
comparatively easy battle. I think the next
thing to expect is that the AB 1634 supporters
will go home and try to introduce similar
legislation in every city or county in
California. These types of bills are much harder
to fight and will require continued cooperation
from all the groups that came together to oppose
AB 1634. More than ever, we will need to court
the media in every community to get our message
out.
My role in this battle was pretty simple and
straightforward. I wrote letters and made phone
calls. I sent e-mails and faxes until the faxes
in the state capitol gave out! However, many,
many UKC dog owners were on the front line of
this fight, attending every meeting and rally.
Plott Hound breeder Irv Corbin, Rebel Pride
Plotts, was a real irresistible force, and we
felt fortunate to have such a fighter on our
side.
I am a little concerned that the National Animal
Interest Alliance is NOT getting as much credit
as it deserves for its part in defeating AB
1634. NAIA works quietly and efficiently, so its
effectiveness can sometimes be overlooked. It
was NAIA's behind-the-scenes work that resulted
in the change of position by CVMA, and it was
the loss of CVMA support that really turned the
tide against Levine. Since NAIA is often too
modest to shout about its achievements, I hope
TheDogPress will give them the credit they
deserve. I believe that NAIA will be the NRA for
animal owners if we will all get behind and
support this outstanding organization.
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