OUR UNITED FRONT

(WHAT WE DO)


UAPPEAL has been fighting for the exotic animal community since 2003 with our motto “Circle of Unity”.  Our goal will always be to help unify all individuals, facilities, groups and organizations that support our mission as it is the only way we will be able to stop this legislative threat to the exotic animal community.  Whether you are a pet owner, pet store, zoo, breeder, educator, entertainer, rescue or a volunteer and you own a tiger, wolf, monkey, lizard, sugar glider or any other exotic, we all need to support one another as we are all facing the same threat: the threat of extinction. 

ELEMENTS OF OUR UNITED FRONT

NO FAVORITISM.  Being a united front means fighting for everyone at all times.  Therefore, UAPPEAL will always stand behind the entire exotic animal community, including the pet owners, pet breeders, small zoos, and social clubs and groups that are often left to fend for themselves.  We will not forsake one group to help another.   

AWARENESS.  Being a united front means knowing what is going on in your state at every step.  Therefore, we provide updates at every stage.  We start around July by providing an overview of the following year’s state sessions including convene and adjourn dates, prefile dates, and various bill deadlines and regularly updating it as information becomes available.  Then we announce as states start prefiling bills for the upcoming session and provide a link along with reporting ANY animal bills prefiled.  Near the end of the year, we ensure that all links to state legislatures and other resources are updated.  When January comes around, we announce as each state session starts and provide links to find bills.  Any new bills get reported immediately and get added to a report that lists who it affects, what animals it affects, what kind of bill it is and what it does, where it is at, and the committee members.  Any hearings scheduled are immediately announced and the information is posted in the bill report.  As states adjourn, we announce it and update the bill report for any bills in those states.  After states adjourn, we provide a link to interim session information including any work groups or permanent committees meeting.  For state agencies, we regularly report a list of all meetings and any new exotic animal rules or changes and hearings and comment deadlines.  We also announce any rule reviews or developments.

 ALERTNESS.  Being a united front means knowing exactly what you are facing and when you need to face it.  Therefore, we are the premiere source for exotic animal legislative monitoring on the state level.  Our dedicated State Legislation Director spends many hours each week thoroughly checking all states in session for new legislation that bill sponsors may try to sneak through and also tracking introduced legislation for any new hearings or amendments.  In addition, our experience has made us very resourceful at uncovering information that is not easily found online.  All this information is sent in regular reports.  On the federal level, our federal lobbyist alerts us to changes in federal legislation.    

PROFESSIONALISM.  Being a united front means being respected by legislators and governments when it comes to lobbying. Therefore, we strive to always leave a positive impression, even when legislators and agencies do not share our views on items.   

PREPAREDNESS.  Being a united front means being prepared and understanding the basics of lobbying.  Therefore, UAPPEAL provides a Government 101 Lobbying Guide which provides background information on state and federal legislatures, testifying at hearings, meeting with legislators, writing and calling legislators and more. In addition, we produce a series of tri-fold brochures about lobbying.  We also conduct lobbying sessions on various topics. 

CREDIBILITY.  Being a united front means making a convincing argument by only providing credible information.  Therefore, UAPPEAL ensures that our information only comes from reliable first-hand sources such as the state legislature or state agency website.  Whenever possible, we use professional sources to back up our arguments, including research studies and expert testimony.