National Beagle Club Legislative Committee

Legislative Do's and Don'ts

Richard J. Nunez, Esq., Liberty Hall Beaggles, LaGrange, NY

Approved by the NBC Legislative Committee 2009

WHAT TO DO

1. Respond directly to new legislation   If statewide, write, email, and phone.  If local:  go and see the supervisor, council members, and committee members.  Their proposal was put forward because it was deemed to have a good chance.  Firmly show the opposite.

2. Build your network.  Identify people with common interests and get them on board to pump out information and make the phone calls, send emails, and write letters as quickly as possible.  Be creative on this:   your veterinarian has more impact than most breeders.  Have feed stores ready to post signs.   Maybe even supermarkets. Letters to the editor.

3. Pick your battles.  Promote your specific rights with care and attention.  Taking property without due process is wrong.   Say it.  (But see "Don'ts" below)

4. Build allies.  Learn who are your town/country/state leaders - assembly, council, even planning/zoning board members.   Promote your good practices in public places - fairs, press releases, participation at community events - generally a higher, supportive profile.

5. Use lobbyists.  They target your position and keep you abreast.

6. Firewalls.  You are not private if you have a public nuisance.  Be prepared to expose yourself to prove your point.  Keep separate bank accounts.  Keep ongoing records of where every animal came from, how it was cared for, and where it went.

7. Good care practices.  Adopt some of the things your opposition wants.  Document it if you do it now. Keep a diary if you feed twice daily, control temperature, and exercise daily.  This can be used locally as well as state-wide.

8. Create standards which you can abide by.  You will lose if you don't have standards.  This covers care of animals, housing and feeding, and records and disclosures on care and licensing to buyers.  Consider including necessary information before you take an animal in.  Set a care standard that can be certified by the NBC.W

WHAT NOT TO DO!

1. NO DEBATES:   Do not debate the opposition.   You eat away your valuable time.  You need to prove your point to someone who can vote you out of existence.  Don't waste time on someone who won't change.

2. DO NOT promote your rights to have animals:   That starts off a war of words over animals having rights, too.  The argument goes nowhere.  [You do have rights though:  right to privacy, rights to due process in the taking of property.  These are safe.]

3. DO NOT alienate the legislator.  Keep it simple, factual and straight to the value of your point.

4. DO NOT try to destroy the enemy.   First you won't - PETA has been directly attacked on credibility for years to no purpose.  Second, you look like a fool.

Help lawmakers carefully change laws and regulations.  One change in one section of law impacts others.  Animal laws or agricultural laws impact zoning laws when lawmakers figure out how to go forward.  One change in one place impacts something else and can put you out of business.  Work on all levels - your county or town zoning board can do you in just as fast as you state legislator.