MESSAGE FROM THE ARC PRESIDENT

Dear ARC Members,

This has indeed been a busy week for the ARC and its various committees and members. Please take a look at this week’s web updates and please try and visit the ARC web page at least once a week. Audrey, who does such a great job taking care of this monster of a task, usually updates on weekends so Sunday night and Monday are good times to take a look.

This week marked the long awaited "thud" on the desk of the AVMA of the ARC's response to the AVMA revised dock/crop statement. Indeed a “thud” was heard when the 230 plus pages landed on Dr. Golab's desk. While Dr. Golab has indeed been an asset to our dogs on the BSL front (hope you have seen the letter the AVMA provided regarding the CDC bite study) the AVMA just got this one wrong. Read it for yourself. Veterinary "science" was thrown out the door in favor of a political position to "get in line" with Europe. We respectfully hope that the AVMA will rethink what they are doing on this one. PLEASE forward a copy of at least the cover letter and main paper (36 pages) to all of your veterinarians and state veterinary agencies. The veterinarians we use and talk to are adamantly opposed to the AVMA position and want to see the paper.

Enough thanks can't be given to Barbara Haywood, our Legislative Chair, for all her work on this document. She was ably assisted by Gwen Chaney and several others. I think we can be proud of the response and we hope many other clubs will "adopt" it, in addition to their own letters opposing the AVMA position.

Also, you can now “take a look at” Juan Michelen, our new Summer Legal Intern. He is busy researching various legal issues to aid, now and in the future, our letter writing campaigns on various issues. Juan's picture has been added to the webpage.

A special feature this week, Della, the service Rottie and her human Heather, have been in the fight of their lives in Killeen Texas. Several letters and Della's story are on the web. The ARC’s official letter to the school is included. While the school has for now allowed her to attend with Della, they are attempting to restrict Della and Heather in ways that other service dogs on campus are not . . . breed discrimination, pure and simple. As you will read in the article from Heather, she is sure not through fighting for Della. Neither are we. We can't allow these things to occur. We win the war one battle at a time.

Meanwhile all the usual club business is running smoothly, finances are in order and the general fund is "on the rise"! Please take a look at the “to the penny” balanced 3rd Quarter financial statement from our Treasurer in the next ARK. It will be mailed by the end of this upcoming week.

That’s it for now.

Have a Great Week,

Jeff Shaver

Jeff Shaver
ARC President