STCA Legislative Committee

Breed Specific Legislation and the American Staffordshire Terrier

For information, contact Jaime Nuckles.

A History and Update of AKC Involvement in
Courtroom Litigation Against Breed-Specific Legislation
Prepared by: I. Lehr Brisbin

Notice Regarding Use of the American Staffordshire Terrier Standard:
(Updated August 14, 2006)

The Board of Directors of the Staffordshire Terrier Club of America has drafted for release the following linked letter in regards to legislative use of our Standard for breed identification. Members are encouraged to forward to representatives as appropriate.
STCA Position Statement Regarding Use of Standard (pdf format)

Notice Regarding "PAWS":
(Updated August 16, 2005)

The Board of Directors of the Staffordshire Terrier Club of America has voted to officially oppose the PAWS legislation. Although we support the AKC we oppose AKC's decision to endorse this very poor legislation. We fail to see great benefit to either dogs in general or hobby breeders in this legislation and feel that AKC should have consulted their member clubs before deciding to support this legislation.

Staffordshire Terrier Club of America's Board of Directors

The official publication of the STCA is the Quarterly Magazine. A report of the Board of Director's decision and position will be published in the next issue scheduled to be mailed the beginning of September. For additional information on PAWS, read the bill at Pet Animal Welfare Statute of 2005.
To research opposing and supporting information on the bill, and information on taking action, an Internet search of "PAWS bill", "PAWS legislation", "S 1139/H 2669", etc. will provide a host of links.

Introduction: Today; Breed Specific Legislation weighs heavy on our minds and our hearts. Our breed and many others are constantly put in jeopardy and our right of ownership is constantly put to task. Only you can protect yourself from unfair laws concerning dog ownership. Find your state’s legislation web site and your representatives. Research bills, arm yourself with knowledge and information, contact legislators and let them know they have your support for fair laws that target any dangerous dogs and irresponsible ownership. Let them know you oppose any dog laws based on breed!

STCA Statement of Position: The STCA opposes breed specific laws and does support responsible dog ownership. The STCA supports the position of the AKC and recommends that representatives contact the AKC Canine Legislation Department for their legislative information packet and contact local dog clubs for help in writing laws that work.

Write letters that count: For assistance in writing effective letters, refer to Make Your Contact Count at the AKC site. Be professional and courteous. Send letters via US Mail and fax (works better than e-mails). Make phone calls and attend meetings. Even if you are not speaking at the meetings, numbers count. Recommend AKC's information packet and get one sent to your representative yourself, if necessary. Join local clubs and participate in their Dog Legislative efforts. If your club does not have a legislation committee, offer to chair a committee for the club.

Actives: Participate in AKC's Responsible Dog Ownership Day.

Get involved with other dog owners and groups: Contact other STCA Club Members and AKC Clubs in your state. Join Group and All Breed Clubs and/or form a local specialty club! There are also national and local organizations working hard to fight BSL. Local clubs that may be able to direct you to those efforts. Subscribe to the AKC Legislative Alert.

What's HOT in your state: Most State sites offer search tools to make it easy to find dog related bills by simply specifying "dog" or other related words in the search window. To help locate your State Legislatures Internet Links, go to National Conference of State Legislatures.

Other useful information from AKC:
Homeowners' Insurance Resource Center
Tips to Prevent Dog Bites
Writing to Your Representative
Canine Legislation