Legislative Alerts

Maine LD 1192, sponsored by Representative Justin Chenette, will be considered by the Joint Committee on Insurance and Financial Services on April 25.  The bill seeks to prohibit insurance companies from cancelling, refusing to issue, or charging an increased premium for a property insurance policy solely on the basis of a policyholder's ownership of a […]

Maine LD 1239, sponsored by Representative Paul Davis, seeks to clarify, streamline, and promote fair animal welfare laws in Maine. The American Kennel Club (AKC) believes LD 1239 represents an improvement over current Maine law, and joins the Federation of Maine Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners (Maine Federation) in support of LD 1239.  Maine […]

The West Virginia Legislature has passed Senate Bill 437, which will regulate those who own 11 or more intact dogs over one year of age "for the exclusive purpose of actively breeding." The bill now goes to the governor for his signature. Those who keep or breed dogs "for the purpose of herding or guarding […]

Various news reports have indicated that, in response to a well-publicized dog attack last month, Westwego City Councilmember Glenn Green intends to introduce an ordinance that would extend the city's current breed-specific ordinance to additional breeds and make keeping certain targeted breeds much more difficult. On principle, the American Kennel Club (AKC) opposes breed-specific legislation. […]

The New York Assembly Codes Committee will consider a bill on April 16 that would prohibit insurance companies from denying, cancelling or raising premium rates for homeowners' insurance based on the breed of dog owned by the policyholder. All responsible dog owners and breeders in New York are encouraged to contact the Assembly Codes Committee, […]

The Maryland General Assembly adjourned late yesterday without passing Senate Bill 160, which would have overturned the Tracey v. Solesky court of appeals ruling. The original ruling, issued in April 2012, declared all "pit bulls" as inherently dangerous and held landlords liable for any actions caused by these dogs on their properties. On reconsideration in […]

On Friday, April 5, the Supreme Court of Texas issued its opinion in the case of Strickland v. Medlen. In a majority opinion authored by Justice Don R. Willet, the court noted that pets hold a special place in the hearts of their owners, but ultimately held that non-economic damages are not available in cases […]

A number of legislative bills have been filed in Maine that could ultimately impact the state's dog breeders and owners.  While some may prove beneficial to responsible dog breeders and owners, other may prove troublesome.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) urges all concerned residents of Maine to learn about the bills detailed below and to […]

Yesterday, the West Virginia Senate passed an amended version of Senate Bill 437. This newly amended version of the bill addressed many of the issues with the bill; however, the AKC remains concerned about the definition of commercial breeder. This is now defined vaguely as one who owns 11 or more intact dogs (male or […]