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Our Goals

The American Sporting Dog Alliance takes a fivefold approach to accomplishing our common goals:

 

1.                  We bring people together. We want to form alliances in all 50 states, assist local and statewide groups, and to develop strategies for people to work together effectively. This includes finding people with special skills that are needed by the sporting dog community, developing legislative contacts who support us, being able to take coordinated action when required, and offering mutual support when problems arise.

 

2.                  We strive to educate the general public about the good things in our relationship with our dogs and the stewardship of the land that have been the hallmark of the sporting dog community. Our traditions represent the best in American culture, be it in the form of hunting, competition, breeding better dogs, increasing our knowledge and understanding, nurturing the land, and forming the kind of special friendship and camaraderie that truly is special to us. Part of our role in educating the public also is to counter the falsehoods and half-truths that are being propagated by anti-hunting and animal rights groups, and also to inform people about the long-term goals and complete agendas of these groups. We also must counter the belief that making a profit from animals is somehow wrong or exploitative. In fact, for most of us, making a living from animals means that we are doing what we love to do, and also that we care deeply about our animals and truly value their companionship. Our most potent weapon is the truth.

 

3.                  We take a proactive role whenever possible, educating lawmakers and government officials before they face the heat of open political debate on a controversial proposal. This means making contacts, educating, developing relationships, expressing our thanks, and working together to solve any problems that arrive.

 

4.                  We also must be prepared to fight for our very survival when we are attacked by special interest groups, such as animal rights and anti-hunting groups, or when laws and governmental management changes are proposed that unfairly impact sporting dog owners, our sport and our traditions. As with all things, the truth is the strongest weapon. We must aggressively confront the illogical and unsound arguments that are used to limit or prohibit traditional human relationships with dogs and other animals. We must be willing and able to use the political process to our advantage, and to take our case before the courts when this becomes necessary. We must reject the appearance of a compromise, because we are not offered a compromise. A compromise is when two parties agree to give up something, in order to mutually get something they both want. What we are being asked to accept is surrender. We are being asked to give up parts of our lives and traditions, so that anti-hunting and animal rights groups can get something that they don’t have to begin with. Everything we give up is a loss for us, and a gain for our opponents. There is no compromise involved. We give everything, and they get all or part of what they want. It is like someone pointing a gun at your head and saying he wants your money and your life, and then offering a “compromise” saying that you can live as long as he gets your money.

 

5.                  We also must work hard to repeal laws and policies that already are in place, when it can be shown that they present an unfair burden or an unfair limitation on the rights of sporting dog owners. This involves many things, including working with lawmakers to repeal unfair laws, informing lawmakers when public agencies do not follow the law in their policies, demanding an investigation when violations of the law or policy are found, and going to court when necessary.

 

 

 

Specific Goals

1. Work to preserve the private ownership of sporting dogs and other domesticated animals, and defend the rights of sporting dog owners.

2. Turn back challenges to actions that would limit, restrict or end the use of sporting dogs for hunting.

3. Fight against restrictions that would eliminate field trials from public lands.

4. Protect kennel owners, dog breeders, professional trainers, and dog handlers from laws, policies and regulations that would drive them out of business

 

 

About John Yates

John Yates of Oil City, PA, is the founder of the American Sporting Dog Alliance, and will serve as its manager and secretary/treasurer to the Board of Directors.

Mr. Yates has been involved with sporting dogs since childhood. He grew up in a hunting family that raised beagles and Springer spaniels. He developed an interest in the pointing breeds, and worked as an assistant to a professional trainer to put himself through college; he graduated from Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 1971 with a degree in English and psychology. He also has done post-graduate work.

He has been a professional trainer of pointing dogs for the past 40 years, and also breeds English setters. During this period, he worked  for 15 years as a newspaper reporter and editor, and was the managing editor of daily newspapers in Montana and Pennsylvania, before pursuing a kennel business full-time. He also has done significant lobbying work for firearms rights and dog owners' groups, was the co-founder of the Pennsylvania Gun Owners' Association, and has done public relations work for political figures and organizations.

A lifelong hunter, Mr. Yates has guided professionally in Montana, North Dakota, Alaska, Oklahoma, Texas and Canada. Over the years, he has trained every breed of pointing dog, handled dogs professionally in competition, developed several champions, and owned beagles, coonhounds, Chesapeake Bay retrievers, Labrador retrievers and Springer spaniels.

Mr. Yates is semi-retired, but continues to train for the public on a limited basis, and breeds a couple of litters of puppies every year.

He feels strongly about the goals of this organization, and wants to devote himself full-time to working to protect the interests of sporting dog owners and professionals.