Virginia Hunting Dog Owner's Association

Dear Mr. Golden:

As a candidate for the 41st District House of Delegates seat, you've indicated your views on a number of issues facing voters. The Virginia Hunting Dog Owners’ Association (VHDOA) would like to better understand your position and feelings on animal ownership and the sport of hunting.

Approximately 13 million Americans are licensed hunters, slightly more than 10% of all registered voters. Hunting is a well-established Old Dominion tradition. Two thirds of all Virginia households have pet, most frequently a dog or a cat. These sportsmen and animal owners are under attack. Using the guise of "animal welfare," groups such as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Virginia Voters for Animal Welfare (VVAW), the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and their supporters seek to eliminate or severely restrict hunting, fishing and animal ownership.

VHDOA is a statewide, non-partisan group of men and women who own animals and enjoy outdoor sports. Many Virginia voters would like to learn more of your opinion of and relationship with these so called "animal rights" organizations. Please take the opportunity to review and respond to this questionnaire so that your potential constituents may better know your views on the important topics affecting us.

Kindly reply by April 26, 2005, if at all possible. If this date isn't feasible for you, please indicate when I may look forward to your response.

-Do you or anyone in your immediate family hunt?
-Do you own a dog? If so, what breed?
-Do you philosophically support any animal rights or animal protection organizations? If so, please identify the organizations.
-Do any animal rights or animal protection organizations endorse your candidacy or financially supported your campaign? Do you anticipate such actions?
-Do you support any state animal rightist or animal protection organization's initiatives, such as the use of dog wardens to investigate alleged child abuse, the forced sterilization of all Virginia cats and dogs, or the deployment of minimally trained animal control officers and "humane investigators"?
-What is your position on the following animal and/or hunting related issues?
   Hunting, including the use of hunting dogs
   Animal medical research
   Rodeos, zoos and circuses
   High intact v sterilized dog tags and breeder licenses to financially discourage animal
   breeding?
-Sportsmen fund Virginia’s Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ entire budget. Recent actions of DGIF’s management have cost it the support of many outdoorsmen. In your view, what needs to be done to restore those constituents’ support? Was the Board Chairman’s resignation sufficient? What are the respective responsibilities of the Executive branch and General Assembly in instances of agency misfeasance?
-In your view, what is the biggest challenge currently facing Virginia's hunting dog sportsmen?

Your responses will be held confidential. Candidate evaluations, with failures to respond noted, will be summarized and distributed to assist voters in determining which individuals they might support in the upcoming elections. VHDOA's previous cycle state candidate reviews were widely publicized and may be found at 2003 endorsements. Your timely reply will be greatly appreciated. Questionnaire responses may be returned to the Virginia Hunting Dog Owners’ Association at rkaneinc@ns.gemlink.com. Should you have any questions, please contact me at that same address, or phone 540-XXX-XXXX. Thank you for your cooperation in this important matter.

Sincerely,

Bob Kane, President
Virginia Hunting Dog Owners' Association
http://vhdoa.uplandbirddog.com/index.html