But I’m a Hobbyist, not a Lobbyist!

Like most hobby breeders, I hardly entered the hobby expecting to fight city hall much less the United States Congress on bad legislative issues. We all know that hobby breeders rarely cause the problems for which government tries to pass restrictive legislation. I, too, would like to pursue my hobby without having to consider whether that hobby will be illegal tomorrow. That world is gone now.

Wishful thinking will not make the problem of overzealous or “miseducated” legislators go away. Unfair legislation would not exist but for misdirected opinions such extreme ordinances actually work to solve a problem or to forward an agenda counter to the objective of hobby breeders. Increasingly legislators are taught that all breeders are the problem, breeders are irresponsible pet owners. Eliminate the breeders and all those animals euthanized in shelters would find homes or never end up in the shelter in the first place (or even exist to end up in the shelter). The distinction between breeders and irresponsible or low income pet owners will not enter the picture unless we insert it. Also ignored is that feral or unowned cats are significant contributors to the problems municipalities try to address. No law that ignores the various and complex causes of euthanasia rates will be effective in practice or cost of implementation.

            With the numbers of people trying to convince legislators that the breeders are as much of the problem as any other cause and perhaps more so, we have to counter such propaganda. Who better to reeducate the legislators about the value of breeders and purebred animals than the people who have made this hobby an integral part of their lives?

            “But I’m too busy to protect my chosen hobby! Won’t those volunteers in the TICA Legislative Committee do it for me?” No, the Legislative Committee does not have the resources to monitor and fight every piece of legislation introduced. The Legislative Committee will provide you with the tools and the knowledge to wield those tools effectively should you be faced with becoming a criminal due to unfair laws. Lawmakers listen to constituents first and foremost. TICA’s voice alone is not sufficient to fight the large numbers of people trying to take our hobby away from us. Numbers are critical! It takes each and every one of us to save our hobby.