GRCA Position Statements

• Breed Specific
• Breeding Restrictions
• Debarking
• Ear Cropping, Tail Docking, Dewclaw Removal
• Guardianship
• Lemon Laws
• Limit Laws

GRCA Position Statement Overview

GRCA cares about the Golden Retriever.

With a membership of approximately 5,000 nationwide, the Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA) is the largest AKC-affiliated parent breed club in the United States. Since 1938, GRCA has focused its attention on the breeding, care, health, and training of the Golden Retriever, and the education of its members. Goldens today excel as family companions, hunting dogs, therapy dogs, service dogs, and search and rescue dogs. On behalf of our members, GRCA opposes legislative efforts to curtail our legitimate rights to own, breed, train, and appreciate our dogs.

GRCA encourages responsible dog ownership.

Originally, animal control laws served two purposes: 1) to provide a basis for the protection of the public’s health, and 2) to provide a means to prosecute animal cruelty. In recent years, however, animal rights groups have pushed to force the government at every level to micromanage dog ownership, especially via numerical limits. We believe, however, that appropriate care for dogs is not related to the number of dogs one owns, but solely by how well one cares for his/her dogs. Every state has animal cruelty statutes and nuisance laws that are sufficient to deal with the cases that arise, as long as they are enforced. Creating more laws to make up for a lack of enforcement will not improve situations where substandard dog care is occurring, but will only succeed in creating more criminals. As our society becomes more urban, the number of people who have extensive experience in animal husbandry is dwindling. Education and training of individuals on how to be responsible dog owners have done more to improve the lives of animals in this country than any legislation

GRCA supports reasonable and rational boundaries

Still the demand to fix what is not broken continues, with little positive effect. Few of these proposals actually help animals instead, they attempt to make animal ownership more expensive, more difficult, and sometimes even impossible. Limit laws and higher license fees for intact dogs have been shown not to work, and generally are most difficult to enforce. People resist attempts to accept financial punishment when they know they have done nothing morally or ethically wrong. Intact dogs do not automatically create puppies unless they are allowed to breed without restraint. Responsible owners do not allow their dogs to indiscriminately reproduce. Reputable hobby breeders of purebred dogs, developed for companionship, recreation, and service, should be able to continue their breeding programs to maintain and improve their chosen breeds, without punitive legislation. USDA licensed commercial kennels, which follow the rules and adhere to USDA and state laws, and local laws and standards, should be able to run their businesses without fear of interference from animal rights extremists or excessive legislative mandate. Dangerous dog laws should never target specific breed type, size, or assumed disposition instead, they should be crafted so they can be fairly enacted across the gamut of dog ownership, and with a reasonable understanding of typical dog behavior. Because they have proven to be ineffective in reducing the number of dog bites, many communities that previously enacted breed-specific legislation are currently seeking to rescind them. GRCA supports these efforts

GRCA believes facts matter

Because many of these proposed policies seek to apply a “one size fits all” strategy to the increasingly complex and technical issues regarding proper dog ownership, which change drastically from breed-to-breed, GRCA believes that most legislative attempts to curtail or control the minutiae of dog breeding are completely ineffective. As local ordinances try to restrict the best of our hobby breeders, and after decades of pressure to reduce the numbers of litters produced, the prospective puppy buyer has less success in finding a local breeder that suits their needs. In some parts of the country, this shortage of puppies has given rise to a thriving yet un-regulated Internet-based free-for-all system of dog sales.

GRCA is a resource for anyone interested in Golden Retrievers.

Most of GRCA’s products and services are available to members and non-members alike. Its network of local member clubs provides referrals to local breeders and local Golden Retriever Rescue. Its website provides online educational material on all aspects of the breed and links to other sources of information on dog ownership. GRCA also provides contacts for a personal response to questions about the breed and its care. As the leading authority on Golden Retrievers in the United States, GRCA and its member clubs nationwide continue to promote the health and welfare of the breed and the educational efforts by AKC and other AKC parent breed clubs. We seek to enable all dog owners to be responsible members of their communities and to ensure the well-being of their dogs.

March 2010