From The American Sporting Dog Alliance

Christmas is a time of giving and receiving gifts. For Christians, this day marks the birth of Jesus Christ, the savior of humankind. For all of us, regardless of faith, Christmas marks a renewal of faith in life, and renewed closeness to family, friends and coworkers.

Those things truly are gifts to all of humanity. Christmas Day celebrates this profound gift to us and encourages us to give back by renewing our love, devotion, compassion and appreciation for the beauty of life.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance regards our relationship with our dogs as one of the most profound gifts in our lives. We give our love to our dogs, and they return it hundredfold. We urge everyone who owns a dog to spend some time during this holiday season contemplating the meaning and beauty of this relationship that has been an integral part of human history since the dawn of the Earth.

Animal ownership has been at the heart of every tribe, society, culture, nation, religion, sect and civilization that has ever inhabited this beautiful planet. People and dogs have been inseparable for millions of years. Men and dogs hunted together on the savannas of Africa before people had even developed complex language or tools. They have been together through the centuries as hunting companions, herding partners, protectors and just plain best friends.

We know the gifts animals have given to us, and we to them.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance also wishes to honor the gifts of support and encouragement we have received from thousands of dog owners during our first year of operation. We want you to know how much this means to us.

We also want to thank the hundreds of elected officials in 22 states, several municipalities and in Congress who have listened to our words and ideas, and who have voted to support the rights of dog owners. Many of these officials showed great courage and integrity by resisting the misguided demands of the animal rights groups.

The mission of the American Sporting Dog Alliance is to give something meaningful back to the dogs we love, the people who have inspired us, dog owners who are fighting to preserve their traditions and rights, and the millions of Americans who have risked everything to defend freedom over the centuries. We truly regard everything we do as a gift to you, who have given much to us. We promise to continue walking by your side as we face the challenges of the coming years.

Most of all, we wish you peace, love, joy, beauty and wholeness.

We wish you life, which is the greatest gift of all.

Merry Christmas! May your new year be blessed.

John Yates

Executive Director

American Sporting Dog Alliance

http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org

asd@csonline.net

Overview Of 2008 Issues

• Dog owners in Ohio were given a wonderful gift in the days just before Christmas. Several key senators killed two very bad pieces of legislation in committee. HB 223 (SB 173) and HB 446 were tossed in the trashcan as the legislative session expired. We fought hard to defeat this legislation against overwhelming odds. We reported the issues to thousands of Ohio dog owners through our email database and message board postings, encouraged hundreds of Ohio dog owners to take an active role in this fight, supported the efforts of other groups such as the Ohio Valley Dog Owners Association, and communicated directly with every senator and representative. Although we won this year, we are preparing for a much tougher battle in 2009, when we expect similar legislation to be introduced.

• Working with thousands of dog owners, other groups and elected officials, we were able to help stop very bad legislation in New York, Michigan, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, California, Arizona, Connecticut, Santa Barbara and Kern County in California, South Carolina and Oklahoma. We also were able to encourage major improvements in Virginia legislation.

• We were particularly pleased with the results of our efforts to improve dog and kennel legislation in Pennsylvania. We kept fighting for the rights of dog owners and constitutional principles long after every other organization had thrown in the towel, and we received strong support in the state Senate that led to making many positive changes in the new law. We are truly thankful that hundreds of Pennsylvania dog owners responded to our reports by contacting their legislators, senators and the governor. We also were able to block legislation calling for a de facto ban on tail docking and dewclaw removal by breeders.

• We continue to stand beside dog owners in Chicago, Santa Barbara, Florida and Maine as they fight to protect their basic rights as Americans and dog owners. We also are preparing for expected major 2009 legislative battles in Illinois, Indiana, Texas, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Arizona, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, in other states and federally. We also look forward to playing a proactive role in the administration of President-elect Barack Obama.

• But we have our regrets, too. We fought hard, but were unable to help Dallas dog lovers to defeat a terrible spay/neuter mandate. We also were just organizing when major battles were being fought and lost in Los Angeles, Louisville and two Florida counties, and could not play the role that dog owners there deserved, and our growth simply has not kept pace with the challenges faced by dog owners in many smaller municipalities around the nation. We promise to try very hard to do better for these people in the coming year.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance represents owners, breeders and professionals who work with breeds of dogs that are used for hunting. We also welcome people who work with other breeds, as legislative issues affect all of us. We are a grassroots movement working to protect the rights of dog owners, and to assure that the traditional relationships between dogs and humans maintains its rightful place in American society and life.

The American Sporting Dog Alliance also needs your help so that we can continue to work to protect the rights of dog owners. Your membership, participation and support are truly essential to the success of our mission. We are funded solely by your donations in order to maintain strict independence.

Please visit us on the web at http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org. Our email is asda@csonline.net.

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