KC Dog Advocates Political Stance
KCDA believes bad policy is bad policy – whether its pet or people related. And politicians that support bad pet policy will support bad policy in all areas. If you are running for election in the KC Metro area and have not received a questionaire, please contact us at Politics@KCDogAdvocates.org to set up a meeting to discuss your campaign.
KCDA is a group that promotes responsible dog legislation for the safety of communities and for the good of all human/canine interaction and helps us reach our goal of achieving a no kill Kansas City metro. And we then pass along how candidates stack up to the rest of the animal welfare community.
We know that there are many government issues that are important to our members as residents of their respective communities, and as such, we seldom endorse particular candidates. However, as a group, we actively support and vote for candidates that believe in, promote and stand up for sound animal policies. Because of this, we will also actively campaign AGAINST those who do not promote responsible dog legislation.
-- The highest praise of a political official. Listens to experts and dog owners, votes for and fights for sound animal legislation. It has been our experience that these politicians apply the same type of analysis and critical thinking to all areas that they vote on, and we are lucky to have them serving us in government!
-- Has publicly supported sound animal legislation but likely doesn't have any public accomplishments to support that stance yet. In most cases this will be the highest standing that can be given a new politician as they have no official voting track record.
-- Listens regarding animal legislation. These candidates mostly favor responsible legislation, but may have some beliefs that are counter to our vision or has yet to put anything “on the record”. There is a big difference in our minds between saying you believe a certain way, and taking a public stance on the matter.
-- Is overall pet-friendly in their beliefs, but often lacks all of the details to have a solid stance on one or more important issues. This is not an uncommon situation as there are many issues that legislative hopefuls need to know a lot about and animal welfare policy is not always high on the list.
-- Actively supports and pushes for irresponsible dog legislation such as Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) or does not support the No-Kill Solution. KCDA strongly recommends NOT voting for these candidates. It is our belief that anyone who would look at the massive amount of information on the ineffectiveness of BSL, and still support it, will apply the same illogical or lack of compassion in other legislative areas.
How does your city measure up?
KCDA tries to make the time to contact as many local politicians as possible -- and have attended city council meetings throughout the metro. However, you may disagree with our ratings, or have more info for us to share. Have you talked to your local politician or someone who is running for office and want to update our ratings? Are you a local politician that wants to talk to a KCDA member?
Feel free to provide comments and feedback, or request an interview, by contacting Brent Toellner at Politics@KCDogAdvocates.org
Sincerely,
Brent Toellner - Chair
KCDA Political Action Committee