Plan of Action
The board will identify specific issues and challenges in four or five states for our initial focus, and then expand our activities as we grow larger, stronger and better organized. Initial suggestions will be to focus on threats to field trials in Ohio by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (we want to work with some very good existing groups in that state, and believe precedents will be set that will be applied to all states), work to block onerous new kennel regulations in Pennsylvania, combat an attempt in the Oklahoma Legislature to place severe burdens on kennels, use existing legal precedents to overturn local zoning attempts to severely restrict dog ownership in agricultural areas of New Jersey, and to seek a full Congressional investigation of the land management policies of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
A high priority is to form strong contacts with legislators, state senators, congressmen and U.S. senators from several states. We must cultivate friendships in high places, and find allies to help us when we face threats. We also must provide an easy-to-access way for our members to contact their elected officials, take an aggressive stance in writing commentaries and letters to the editor in our newspapers, and get our message out to the general public through newspaper columns, press releases, presentations to groups, and developing liaisons with farmers, organizations, land owners, and businesses.
Another high initial priority is to develop a strong and effective legal team to address situations in court. We must find a group of attorneys who support us and are willing to help, and possibly to expand this list by trading dogs, puppies and hunting trips for legal work. At the same time, the board may authorize legal action in situations where it really matters, such as when a person or business is treated unfairly by a regulatory agency, or where use of public lands is prohibited in violation of the law. Additional legal considerations might be libel/slander lawsuits when press coverage or animal rights/anti-hunting groups wrongly defame the character of hunters or kennel operators. Those groups must learn that there is a high price to be paid for unfairly, inaccurately and wantonly attacking the character of sporting dog owners and businesses.
Another immediate priority would be to develop a community outreach network. We need to reach people who share common interests and goals, and to ask for and receive their help. For example, we want to develop a speaker’s bureau to make presentations to sportsmen’s clubs, set up booths at outdoor shows, and make presentations in the schools. Using a field trial as an example, we will encourage every club to send a news release to local newspapers announcing upcoming trials, invite people to attend, and ask the paper to cover the event. Another very effective way for field trailers to promote their sport and gain support is to set up demonstrations at outdoor groups' meetings. Given a good dog and a bag of quail, we can put on a show that hunters will remember for the rest of their lives!
One of the most important alliances we can have is with farm groups, for several reasons. From our point of view, farm groups are one of the most powerful lobbying groups in America. In many states, they are the most powerful and influential group. From their point of view, they need our help. Any action that harms our ability to raise, train and enjoy sporting dogs has direct implications to farmers. If dogs, for instance, get extreme protection under law, that sets a precedent to extend those laws to farm animals. The animal rights groups are trying to do just that, and farmers understand that their lives and livelihoods are just as endangered as ours. Animal rights activists know they can’t win honestly, so they try to chip away at animal ownership one piece at a time. Farmers know that any action taken against dogs or kennels also sets a precedent for actions against livestock and farms. Field trials also are very helpful to farmers. For instance, management activities on field trial grounds play a major role in reducing depredation on private farmland by wild animals and gamebirds. Every animal and bird that stays on public land is not eating a farmer’s crops and pasture. Management for use by sporting dogs, hunters and field trailers, provides the optimum habitat for game birds and animals, thus reducing pressure on nearby private lands.
A final proposal for immediate action may be somewhat controversial. We plan to initiate a “covert action” division…espionage and subversion, if you will. This will have two basic thrusts. The first steps will be to quietly infiltrate animal rights and anti-hunting groups by joining them…pretending we agree with them…learning everything we can about their strategy and, most importantly, learning who supports them. It is vital to learn which governmental wildlife management and dog law agency employees belong to and support these groups. This would be a conflict of interest, and would be a firm legal basis for appealing decisions or challenging actions in court. We also need to know what companies support these radical causes, so we can make the information public and organize boycotts. The other covert action would be to infiltrate anti-hunting and animal rights groups meetings, and to participate on the message boards, in order to challenge false or inaccurate information that might influence people who have good intentions, but who do not truly understand the issues. Many of the allegations promoted by these groups are just plain false. We need to stand up and tell them that to their face. The impact of our surveillance and anti-propaganda campaign also will have the effect of creating fear and confusion within the ranks of those who attack us. They will know they are being watched…they will know that we won’t allow their lies to stand unchallenged…and they will know we are taking the names of their supporters and will make the information public.