World Dog Alliance Expands Mercury Lobbying to Cover Animals

Why It Matters

Mercury Public Affairs LLC filed a Registration Amendment for World Dog Alliance Ltd. on Oct. 24, covering Animals, Foreign Relations, and Food Industry (Safety, Labeling, etc.) issue areas. The amendment followed Mercury Public Affairs LLC's new client registration for World Dog Alliance Ltd. by two days, and that registration listed no specific issues. The client retains two active outside firms: Dentons US LLP, whose third-quarter report listed fiscal year 2027 appropriations, Farm Bill legislation, and dog and cat meat consumption issues, and Mercury, whose third-quarter report listed work with House Democrats on a resolution calling for a ban on human consumption of dog meat in Asian countries. Williams & Jensen PLLC terminated its registration for the client on Dec. 31, 2025. The lobbyist on the Mercury filings is Cheri Bustos, a Partner at Mercury. ​

By the Numbers

World Dog Alliance Ltd. reported $390,000 in lobbying spend across the past four quarters. Dentons reported $135,000 per quarter for World Dog Alliance in the second, third, and fourth quarters of 2024, the largest single-quarter amounts in its filings for the client. Bustos also appears on Mercury's second-quarter amendment, which reported $30,000 and listed the same specific issue: working with House Democrats on a dog-meat ban resolution.

Broader Context

H.Res. 1110, introduced in the 119th Congress, urges Japan to enact a nationwide ban on slaughtering dogs and cats for human consumption and was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where it remains listed as introduced, according to Congress.gov. On appropriations, the Congressional Research Service reported Sept. 10 that the House-passed fiscal year 2027 agriculture bill, H.R. 8646, would provide $26.265 billion in discretionary funding, about $713 million less than fiscal year 2026 on a comparable basis.