FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Daisy Okas

Date: June 13, 2007 Phone: 212-696-8343





AKC DELEGATE BODY PASSES RESOLUTION OPPOSING CA AB 1634



New York, NY –A resolution proposed by the American Kennel Club® Board of Directors opposing California Assembly Bill 1634 was unanimously adopted by the AKC® Delegate Body at its quarterly meeting, held Monday, June 11, 2007, in Las Vegas. The bill would require all dogs and cats over the age of four months to be spayed or neutered unless the owners qualify for and obtain an intact animal permit. The AKC Delegates, who represent 599 member clubs out of the nearly 5,000 AKC affiliated clubs nationwide (more than 460 of them in California), issued the following resolution on Monday in response to proposed Assembly Bill 1634:



“Be it resolved that the Delegates of the American Kennel Club declare that the enactment of AB1634 in the State of California would 1) be detrimental to the sport of purebred dogs; 2) fail to achieve the humane results it purports to espouse; and 3) cost the State of California and its communities tens of millions of dollars in lost revenues.



Be it further resolved that the Delegates of the American Kennel Club urge the Governor, the Senate and the Assembly of the State of California to defeat AB1634.”



“This resolution represents our steadfast opposition to this bill and any others which unfairly target the responsible breeders that make up our constituency,” said AKC President and CEO Dennis Sprung. “We are deeply concerned about the problems irresponsible dog owners, irresponsible breeding, and inadequate animal control can cause a community; however, mandatory spaying and neutering has proven to be an ineffective solution because it fails to address the heart of the issue—irresponsible ownership. The AKC and its clubs support non-discriminatory, fair, effective and enforceable legislation that addresses the pertinent animal issues in the community. “



###





The American Kennel Club, founded in 1884, is a not-for-profit organization which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Along with its nearly 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 20,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Companion Animal Recovery and the AKC Museum of the Dog. For more information, visit www.akc.org.



AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc.