To promote the International Agreement to Prohibit the Eating of Dogs and Cats, the World Dog Alliance (WDA) hired three lobbying firms in Washington, D.C. These firms were tasked with uniting Democratic and Republican Senators and Congressmen to sponsor bills and resolutions. They were calling on the U.S. government to join China, Japan, and South Korea to initiate the International Agreement as soon as possible.
The first of three firms the WDA hired was K&L Gates, a group former Congressman Jeff Denham leads as a government affairs counselor. The second firm, ArentFox Schiff, is led by former Senator Byron Dorgan, who is the Senior Policy Adviser. The third firm, BGR Group, is led by Fred Turner. The former Chief of Staff to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman. In 2018, the WDA hired these firms to persuade Congress members to include the dog and cat meat ban in the Farm Bill. It was a success and passed.
On October 29, 2021, 38 Democratic and Republican U.S. House of Representatives members sent a letter to President Joe Biden. The letter called on his administration to initiate the International Agreement to Prohibit the Eating of Dogs and Cats. However, to date, there has yet to be a response.
With the active follow-up of the three lobbying firms, the State Department has been informed that the joint letter has yet to receive an answer. It is believed that the administration will officially respond to the letter soon.
The First Lady of South Korea recently and publicly supported a dog and cat meat consumption ban. This reminded people that Dr. Jill Biden, the First Lady of the United States, is known for her love of dogs and cats. If the two First Ladies worked together and announced their support for the International Agreement on the Eating of Dogs and Cats during the US-South Korea Summit, it would bring the two countries closer to ending the consumption of cats and dogs and give hope to millions of dogs and cats across the world.