WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ANIMAL RIGHTS AND ANIMAL WELFARE—AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
“THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB IS A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR ANI- MAL WELFARE. ANIMAL WELFARE SUPPORTS THE PRACTICAL AND LEGAL CONCEPT OF ANIMAL OWNERSHIP. IN PRACTICE, OWNERS LOVE THEIR ANIMALS, SHARE THEIR LIVES WITH THEM, AND WANT TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE CARE FOR THEM.”
By contrast, Animal Welfare (AW) is pro-animal ownership. It recognizes the human-animal bond, recognizes the value of quality animal care and purposeful breeding, and supports advancing science to ensure the health and wellbeing of animals. The American Kennel Club is a strong advocate for animal welfare. Animal welfare supports the practical and legal con- cept of animal ownership. In practice, owners love their ani- mals, share their lives with them, and want to provide the best possible care for them. Legal “owners” of animals are respon- sible for their care and have the right to make appropriate care decisions for them. If a person does not legally own their ani- mal, it undermines our legal system’s ability to address cur- rent issues such as pet theft, responsibility of care of an animal, and the right of an individual to make healthcare decisions for that animal. It is also important to recognize that reasonable, non-discrim- inatory laws acknowledge that the wellbeing of an animal is not tied to the number of animals a person has, but rather to the quali- ty of conditions and the care provided. There are excellent owners of kennels of 100 dogs; and substandard owners of a single dog. It’s common for animal rights activists in the US to advocate for closing down purposeful US dog breeders, and restricting the sourcing of pets to random or unknown sources (often mislabeled as “rescues” or rescue distributors). These efforts are commonly titled and promoted as legislation to end puppy mills or legislation to ban pet sales at retail pet stores. In practice, such legislation only bans the sale of purpose-bred dogs and undermines consumer protection; while incentivizing substandard breeders who respond to market demand to sell pets online, or falsely market pets as “rescue” so that they can be sold at a pet shop.
A few examples of the over 2,000 bills nationwide impacting dog ownership and wellbeing that AKC Government Relations has monitored in the first quarter of 2022 include: • An animal bill of rights in California (AB 1881); • Bills to provide lawyers (animal advocates in court) for dogs in New Jersey, Florida, Kentucky, and Illinois; • Bills that would violate due process rights for dog owners and allow for permanent forfeiture of a dog if an owner missed a boarding payment during the trial, even if charges were dropped, or the individual was found not guilty (New Jersey, Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, South Carolina); • More restrictive dog breeder licensing and regulations.
(More than 50 bills introduced in U.S. Congress, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Kansas, Tennessee, Virginia and elsewhere in states and localities throughout the country.)
Lawmakers typically get their information from the same sourc- es as the general public. Like the general public, it’s not uncommon for lawmakers to be confused about the difference between animal rights and animal welfare too. Many lawmakers who introduce animal rights bills are well-meaning but uninformed. It is up to us to respectfully educate them about the difference between animal rights (increasingly being re-branded as animal protection) and animal welfare. The AKC Government Relations Department has a great team and great resources standing by to help you. Don’t hesitate to check out our resources at www.akcgr.org or contact AKC GR
at doglaw@akc.org or 919-816-3720. The future of our breeds is worth it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR As Vice President, Government Relations for the American Kennel Club, Sheila Goffe leads the AKC’s efforts in public policy arena, including working to protect the rights of all dog owners and promote responsible dog ownership. She oversees AKC legislative policy strategy and AKC outreach at the federal, state and local levels. She also serves as AKC staff lead for the AKC Detection Dog Task Force, Service Dog Pass, and other key programs. Sheila joined AKC 2006. Prior to working for the American Kennel Club, she was a Senior Legislative Analyst/Editor and Deputy Director of Editorial Product Development for Congressional Quarterly in Washington, DC. Previous experience included federal legislative staffing and advocacy, work as an editor and analyst for The Economist Intelligence Unit, and serving as an adjunct in Political Science/Comparative Politics at the State University of New York/Stony Brook. She also owns, breeds and shows Siberian Huskies.
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2022 | 269
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