Legislative Alerts

The period for public comment regarding the development of regulations for licensed dog breeders in Texas has closed. Thousands of comments were received by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). The American Kennel Club's comments can be viewed here or via TDLR's website. The Licensed Breeders Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet on […]

Senate Bill 2494 is scheduled to be heard by the Hawaii Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor on Wednesday, February 29, 2012. This bill would require owners of ten or more intact dogs to pay a $500 biennial license fee, allow unannounced inspections of their private homes, limit their ability to make decisions about breeding […]

Oklahoma House Bill 2921 seeks to create the Commercial Pet Breeders Act of 2012 and make significant changes to the state's oversight of dog breeders. The bill was recently passed unanimously by the House Agriculture Committee, and awaits further direction. The American Kennel Club and our Oklahoma federation, the Oklahoma Animal Interest Alliance, both support […]

Two bills are pending in the Iowa Senate that would impose detrimental requirements on those who are classified as "commercial breeders". In current law, a "commercial breeder" is defined as anyone who owns at least four intact dogs or cats and receives any consideration for breeding. These bills would significantly restrict the ability of those […]

Two positive measures –one protecting proper legal status of animals and one promoting responsible dog breeding –have passed Missouri committees and are awaiting action by the Missouri House of Representatives. House Bill 1513 would prohibit state laws from conferring "upon any animal a right, privilege or legal status that is equivalent or that exceeds a […]

The Maryland House Environmental Matters Committee is scheduled to consider House Bill 912 on Thursday, March 1. This bill seeks to change the word "owner" to "guardian" in numerous places within state code, which would likely result in a dramatic restriction in the rights of dog owners and veterinarians to properly care for and protect […]

The West Virginia Senate has passed Senate Bill 406, which would impose onerous restrictions on those who own 11 or more intact dogs. While some exemptions are included, the AKC believes they are vague and may still impact hobbyists who are not truly commercial breeders. The bill has now been assigned to the House Judiciary […]

The AKC is pleased to report that Ohio Governor Kasich signed House Bill 14 this morning, thereby finally removing the term "pit bull" from the state's definition of "vicious dog" and holding all dog owners accountable, regardless of the breed they own. The AKC believes this new law goes a long way toward ensuring that […]