Legislation Issues in the USA

Taking the first step in writing your legislator on an issue can often feel pretty overwhelming. It’s not always known who to write to, who exactly are the legislator in your area that represents you, where to send such letters, what to say in them and more. What do you include in your letter?

Feel free to join the forums for more personal one on one help. I have personal experience in getting laws pertaining to animals changed and can better help you in detail in the forums.

Feel free to contact the site administrator with any links that you think will be helpful.

• My Dog Votes - this website will tell you what your state representative voted on animal related issues presented in Congress. (USA)
• Find your local legislator - Here you can find who represents you and the address to write to them at! (USA)
• Direct Gov - This is the UK version to where to find your local representative (UK)

Tips on writing a letter to your local legislator -

Sometimes you can get pretty overwhelmed in trying to figure out what to say when taking action you feel strongly about.
The first thing you want to do is think over what you want to say, what points you think should be made and write them down. You will probably write and rewrite your letter several times before you feel it’s ready to send.
Start out with what you wrote down and address those points.
Read what you have. Reread it. Again.

After three reads of your original letter you will see what you are missing. This usually gets the ‘idea wheels’ turning! You should now get more ideas as you can clearly see what you are missing or possibly put too much in and need to take out.
Another good point, is never sit down when you are angry and write. Let your anger stay, but don’t go at this when you’re all fired up because you will certainly come off as some kind of nut. Getting a politician to see things your way is a tricky affair and coming off like some looney cat lady or goofy lizard man will easily get you ignored. Learn how to ‘schmooze’ them with intelligent talking points. Give information that is true, easy to look up and offer your help.

Timing can also be a big part of getting your request looked into. Election time is very handy! Politicians want your vote and some will go the extra mile for it. I have had great success many times two weeks before an election. Sometimes it’s good to target a young up and coming local politician to help your cause! Not every politician is a crooked slime ball, so don’t forget about them. They are on your payroll and are here to serve you!

Get on the ASPCA and the HSUS mailing list. If you are outside of the USA, find a similar group to get your information from. Many times these large organizations will do most of the research, letter writing and other useful tasks for you. All you need to do is fill in a small bit and sign your name to it.

Stay away from groups that are radical.
Stay away from groups that support domestic terror to get their point across.
Stay away from groups that want ‘animal liberation’.
Educate yourself on your state’s local animal welfare laws and compare them to what’s on the books Federally.

Here is an example on some ‘talking points’ for breed specific legislation:
• Breed-specific laws are not the best way to protect communities. An owner intent on using his or her dogs for malicious purposes will simply be able to switch to another type of dog and continue to jeopardize public safety. The list of regulated breeds or types could grow every year without ever addressing responsible dog ownership. Deeds, not breeds, should be addressed.
 
• Breed-specific laws are hard to enforce. Breed identification requires expert knowledge of the individual breeds, placing great burden on local officials.

• Breed-specific laws are unfair to responsible owners.

• Breed-specific laws increase costs for the community. Shelter costs for the community could rise as citizens abandon targeted breeds, and adoptable dogs of the targeted breeds would be euthanized at the shelter.

• In some instances, breed-specific laws have been overturned on constitutional grounds. Because proper identification of what dogs would be included is difficult or impossible, the law may be deemed unconstitutionally vague. It may also be found to involve the taking of property without due process.

• Strongly enforced animal control laws (such as leash laws), generic guidelines on dealing with dangerous dogs and increased public education efforts to promote responsible dog ownership are all better ways to protect communities from dangerous animals.

• Since dogs must be unaltered to participate in conformation dog shows and other performance events, many responsible dog owners will be forced to give up a sport that both they and their canine companions enjoy.

• Breed-specific legislation is opposed by the AKC, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the National Animal Control Association, the ASPCA, and a host of national animal welfare organizations that have studied the issue and recognize that targeting breeds simply does not work.

~ by Joan A Walker ©

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