Legislative Alerts

Several dog-related bills will be considered by Rhode Island legislative committees this week. The American Kennel Club (AKC) supports both Senate Bill 2432, which seeks to prohibit the misrepresentation of a pet as a service dog, and Senate Bill 2133, which seeks to protect homeless persons in possession of a service animal from being denied […]

Earlier this week, the New Hampshire House Environment and Agriculture Committee amended and passed Senate Bill 569.  The Committee addressed many of the concerns expressed by the American Kennel Club (AKC), the Dog Owners of the Granite State (DOGS), and many breeders and owners.  Because the bill is expected to be voted on by the […]

The Roswell, GA, City Council is scheduled to vote Monday on an ordinance that would make it an animal cruelty violation to allow an animal to be outdoors when the temperature is below 32 degrees or above 85 degrees.  Violator would be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500 and/or […]

Yesterday the Michigan Senate passed Senate Bill 741, which will prohibit municipalities from enacting breed-specific policies. AKC supports this bill, which protects dog owners while still allowing communities to enact laws that hold all dog owners accountable. Scroll down to the sixth page of the Senate Journal (page 532) to see the official vote for […]

The Michigan Senate will likely be voting soon on a bill that seeks to protect the rights of responsible dog owners in the state by prohibiting municipalities from enacting breed-specific policies. Municipalities would still be permitted to enact other policies and regulations on dog owners, so long as these laws do not target specific breeds. […]

A bill has passed the Kansas Legislature that would mandate unannounced inspections of all state licensees- including hobbyists. In Kansas, a hobby breeder must be licensed if 3-5 litters are produced and under 30 animals sold in a year.  Unannounced inspections could prove challenging, as it is a hobby and the owner cannot be expected […]

The Maryland Legislature has approved a bill which will prohibit retail pet stores (defined as any “for profit establishment open to the public that sells or offers for sale domestic animals to be kept as pets”) from selling any dogs or cats.  Instead, they would only be allowed to “showcase” animals available for adoption from […]

On Tuesday, April 10, the Ohio House State and Local Government Committee will be taking testimony on a bill that will declare the Labrador Retriever the State Dog of Ohio. State Representative Jeffrey Rezabek, himself a Lab owner, said that he chose the Labrador Retriever because he felt that the breed “reflects the state’s passion […]

Due to the length of its previous hearing, during which deep concerns were expressed by many dog owners, the American Kennel Club (AKC), the Dog Owners of the Granite State (DOGS), the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, the New Hampshire Farm Bureau and the New Hampshire Veterinary Medical Association, the New Hampshire House Environment and […]

The Baltimore County Council is taking public testimony on Tuesday, April 10, on a proposal that would not allow any dog to be outside for more than 30 minutes if the temperature is below 32 or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. AKC believes that specific temperature requirements are arbitrary and do not consider the needs of […]