CFODC Newsletter

CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF DOG CLUBS

Newsletter

July 22, 2015

Wildfires

The North Fire in San Bernardino County hit the headlines when it crossed I-15 and destroyed twenty vehicles – thankfully without serious injuries. CFODC contacted San Bernardino Animal Control to offer support for evacuated pets and is standing by.

For more information about CFODC’s disaster assistance activities, please read the following article.

25^th Anniversary Annual Meeting

California Federation of Dog Clubs held its annual meeting on July 3, 2015 in conjunction with the El Camino Real Summerfest cluster in Ventura, CA. We would like to thank Channel City K. C. and Santa Maria K. C., both CFODC members, for providing the venue.

Prior to meeting, the members of the Board recognized outgoing President Judy Coffman for her long service to CFODC and the fancy. Judy isn’t retiring, she’s simply changing roles and will continue as CFODC’s Vice President.

Judy reported on the activities for the past year:

• Judy and Board Member Carol Hamilton put on Breed ID Workshops at shelters in Agoura, Riverside, San Jacinto and Kern County. The Breed ID Workshop, a seminar and MS PowerPoint presentation developed by CFODC, gives shelter and rescue organization workers, and the general public, information to correctly identify the breed lineage of dogs they encounter – one of the first steps to returning lost dogs to their owners or finding new homes for unowned dogs. Board Member Jan Dykema and incoming President Chuck Bridges are being trained to give the Breed ID Workshop and rollout the seminar to organizations in Northern California.

• CFODC has provided support for pets evacuated from their homes as a result of natural disasters for over a decade. CFODC can immediately dispatch a trailer stocked with needed supplies (such as crates, pet bedding, cat litter boxes, feeding supplies and food) to emergency sites. CFODC’s current disaster assistance trailer is stored in Southern California.

Judy identified a similar trailer used by a specialty club that’s for sale. This potential new addition to CFODC could be stocked and positioned in Northern California to reduce response times to disasters in that part of the state. The CFODC will approach the AKC for funds to stock the new trailer and restock the Southern California trailer. The Northern California disaster assistance trailer should be fully provisioned and on station by late summer.

• The animal-related legislation docket at the state level has been thankfully light this year. Here are some of the bills that CFODC is following:

SB 716 bans the use of the elephant goad (commonly known as a bullhook or ankus) in the State of California beginning in 2018. It would apply not only to circuses, but to zoos and all other elephant exhibitors and facilities in California. The bullhook is a benign tool used by animal trainers for thousands of years to control elephants – much like dog fanciers use dog collars to control their pets. With few true humane issues associated with the use of bullhooks, we believe that the motivation behind the bill is to eliminate elephants in captivity – eliminate the ability to control elephants in captivity and you eliminate the ability to maintain elephants in captivity. Similarly, we’ve seen Animal Rights activists attempting to further their view of no human “exploitation” of animals by claiming that dog collars are a form of cruelty and animal oppression. CFODC is OPPOSED.

AB 147 requires research animals to be adopted by rescue organizations. CFODC has requested the bill be amended to allow anyone to adopt such animals. CFODC SUPPORTS the bill as amended.

AB 794 provides for restitution for dogs or horses injured or killed while engaged in law enforcement. CFODC SUPPORTS.

AB 1543 provides for a fine of $5,000 to compensate the owners of animals subjected to abuse by others. The bill has been amended to direct local animal control agencies to administer this “animal victims of crime” program, rather than the state Veterinary Medical Board. CFODC is NEUTRAL.

Please feel free to contact us concerning these bills at any time.

• Mandatory spay/neuter proponents were active at the local level. Despite strong opposition by CFODC and groups of local fanciers, mandatory spay/neuter ordinances were passed in Pasadena and Long Beach. Sadly, a fancier – President of Long Beach K. C. and Great Western Terrier Association and interestingly not a resident of Long Beach or the surrounding counties – spoke in favor of the ordinance in Long Beach.

• Whittier, CA is renewing its animal control contract with the County of Los Angeles and is considering adopting the County’s animal control ordinance, which includes mandatory spay/neuter provisions. CFODC, assisted by the AKC, has organized local fanciers to oppose the measure, and CFODC representatives appeared at the initial Whittier City Council hearing. Consideration of the measure was postponed until early August. CFODC will post additional alerts to its members.

• CFODC and the AKC hosted a “Safety Around Dogs Workshop” in Dublin, CA on June 20 as a community outreach event for Assemblymember Catherine Baker (R-16). CFODC will host a similar workshop for Assemblymember Tom Lackey (R-36) October or November and possibly for Assemblymember Shannon Grove (R-34). These workshops give CFODC the opportunity to show the public that dog fanciers and breeders are responsible dog owners and provide important access to interested politicians.

• CFODC will hold a seminar by No Kill shelter expert Nathan Winograd in Bakersfield sometime later in 2015.

• In 2009, CFODC hosted a summit meeting at Harris Ranch of organizations interested in protecting animal ownership in the state. This year, Judy and Board Members Janice Anderson and Chuck Bridges attended a meeting of the Kern County Cattlemen’s Association. The CFODC delegation to presented “Numbers, they add up!: Political Power on the Hoof and in the Home,” a description of the potential for an alliance of animal agriculture and pet owners in the state.

With the numerous common concerns of farmers, ranchers, and pet owners, should CFODC host another summit in 2015-2016?

With no nominations received from the floor, the following were declared elected as officers and directors of CFODC:

Chuck Bridges – President

Judy Coffman – Vice President

Geneva Coats – Secretary

Jamie Rudolph – Treasurer

Janice Anderson, Jan Dykema, Carol Hamilton, Teri Kahn, and Carole Raschella – Directors

Incoming President Chuck Bridges again thanked Judy Coffman for her service to CFODC and her willingness to continue to serve as Vice President. Chuck then outlined what he viewed as priorities for the coming year:

• Increasing membership is always a goal, but beyond that, CFODC needs to increase the number of individuals actively working on the organization's programs – CFODC needs more “boots on the ground.” Perhaps it’s time once again to visit dog club meetings across the state to enlist new member clubs and individual volunteers.

• State Federations were in existence before the formation of the AKC Government Relations Department. As a result, the various federations, while “recognized” by the AKC and working collaboratively with the AKC on government relations and disaster assistance, do not have formal relationships with the AKC. In 2015-16, CFODC should work with the AKC to develop a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) clarifying the relationship. One goal, which may not be obtainable, would be to have the CFODC formally represent the AKC in local governmental matters.