The My Dog Votes Voter Opinion Survey, which was conducted online, sampled the opinions of more than 1,000 dog owners. A total of 118 questions were posed on topics such as homeowner's insurance discrimination, breed bans, weight and size restrictions, pet limit laws, public space bans, and mandatory microchipping laws.

A total of 94.3 percent of dog owners ranked dog laws and policies as being an even more important concern than property taxes, when questioned about which issues were important in a local or state election.

Many dog owners indicated they're concerned with the issue of breed discrimination and breed bans: the survey found that 97.8 percent respondents are opposed to breed bans and 80.3 percent said that a candidate's position on breed bans would influence their vote in a local or state election.

Some communities have passed laws instituting the mandatory microchipping of dogs, to which to which dog owners are strongly opposed (77 percent).

While dog owners also view their dog as important family members, the overwhelming majority favored retaining the term "ownership" and legal status of ownership. Only 9.9 percent indicated they would vote for a candidate that supports the term "guardian," and 54.6 percent said they'd cross party lines to vote against a candidate who supports guardianship over ownership.

"As dog-related laws become issues in local races, this survey may be a wake-up call for local politicians. Dog owners just may hold the key determining the outcome of local elections," said My Dog Votes founder Barbara Haywood.

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