Legislative Alerts

Yesterday, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the final adoption of a rule, effective January 3, 2022, that requires licensees under the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA)—including breeder/dealers, research facilities, intermediate handlers, and carriers—to establish emergency/contingency plans in the event of a natural or manmade disaster […]

The Caddo Parish Commission is moving forward with an animal control ordinance that would require sterilization of dogs and cats A public hearing will be held at the December 9th Commission meeting to gather feedback from the community.  AKC strongly encourages residents to attend the hearing and contact the commission to express your concerns with […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC) and a broad coalition of animal interests groups remain gravely concerned with New Jersey Senate Bill 2868 and its companion Assembly Bill 4533, which, if enacted as currently written, would create court-appointed legal advocates for animals. AKC supports the traditional legal classification of animals as personal property, which has resulted […]

This afternoon, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced an update to its current emergency rule that generally prohibits the importation of dogs into the U.S. from countries that are considered high-risk for rabies. Effective December 1, 2021, eligible travelers, U.S. citizens, or lawful U.S. residents with a valid U.S.-issued rabies […]

AKC thanks Congressman David Schweikert for introducing H.R. 5261 to require that food products containing xylitol or “birch sugar” be labeled to warn of the sweetener’s toxic effects on dogs. AKC urges responsible dog owners to contact their member of Congress and ask them to support this positive bill. Summary: HR 5261, called the “Paws […]

A set of arbitrary and harmful federal breeder bills, H.R. 2840 /S. 1385 that would mandate new requirements for certain hobby and professional dog breeders are continuing to gain support in Congress.  We urge all responsible dog owners, breeders and enthusiasts to contact their lawmakers about the harmful consequences of the bills. While certain aspects […]

Over the next few weeks, Oregonians may see local activists with signs that read “Sign my Petition - End Animal Cruelty”, or a similar message.  The truth, however, is that signing the petition will not end animal cruelty, but will have a devastating impact on dog training, breeding, hunting and other animal husbandry practices – […]

The Massachusetts House of Representatives convenes a virtual formal session today at 2:30pm that will continue into tomorrow.  “Nero’s Law” would allow emergency care and transportation for a police dog injured in the line of duty.  On November 10, 2021, the Senate unanimously passed the bill as SB 2573. WHAT YOU CAN DO:  Although the […]

On Wednesday, November 17, more than one dozen animal bills impacting dogs and breeders are on the agenda for review by the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture (JENRA). The virtual public hearing is scheduled to start at 2pm.  The American Kennel Club Government Relations Department (AKC GR) has tracked most of […]

Last month, the American Kennel Club’s Government Relations Department (AKC GR) issued an alert requesting emails be sent in support of advancing HB 2547 and SB 1606, “Nero’s Law”.  The bill allows emergency care and transportation for a police dog injured in the line of duty while ensuring ambulance use remains a priority for human […]