Writing effective letters to officials:
One of the most difficult things for those new to fighting BSL is expressing your feelings to the legislators and/or other officials who have proposed it. There are some very important things to remember when communicating with officials:
First and foremost, ALWAYS BE POLITE AND REPECTFUL in all your communications with officials. Don't be combative or argumentative regardless of the difference between your point of view and theirs. Our dogs are worth putting your personal feelings of anger aside in order to communicate effectively.
Stick to the facts. Try to avoid being emotional. It is a given that you love your dogs or you wouldn't be fighting for them. The simple truth is, the officials do not care how much we love our dogs -- they care about the safety of their constituents and their community. To that end, the facts related to the inefficiency of breed specific legislation and the integral part that irresponsible owners play in dog attacks are important facts to get across to them.
Below are some talking points that you can use in conjunction with your own words when writing letters to officials. The talking points hit on important flaws of breed specific legislation, and should give you good groundwork to customize and build your own letter.
General letter writing tips:
First and foremost, ALWAYS BE POLITE AND REPECTFUL in all your communications with officials. Don't be combative or argumentative regardless of the difference between your point of view and theirs. Our dogs are worth putting your personal feelings of anger aside in order to communicate effectively.
Stick to the facts. Try to avoid being emotional. It is a given that you love your dogs or you wouldn't be fighting for them. The simple truth is, the officials do not care how much we love our dogs -- they care about the safety of their constituents and their community. To that end, the facts related to the inefficiency of breed specific legislation and the integral part that irresponsible owners play in dog attacks are important facts to get across to them.
Below are some talking points that you can use in conjunction with your own words when writing letters to officials. The talking points hit on important flaws of breed specific legislation, and should give you good groundwork to customize and build your own letter.
General letter writing tips:
- It is not necessary to type your letter. In fact, a handwritten letter has a tremendous impact. (As long as its legible!) Even a postcard is fine, as long as it's nott the pre-printed "form" card.
- Be brief and to the point. Try to limit your letter to one or two subjects. Include all bill titles and numbers whenever possible.
- Send your letter as soon as you hear about an issue or bill. If it comes up again later in the session, you can always write again or make a phone call.
- During the legislative session, send letters to the State Capitol building. During the interim, send letters to the legislators' home addresses.