Legislative Alerts

On Tuesday, September 28, multiple animal bills will be reviewed by the Massachusetts Joint Municipalities and Regional Government Committee between 12pm and 3pm.  Most have been re-filed from last session.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) strongly encourages those who reside in Massachusetts to again contact the committee and share the following concerns: HB 2130 (“Relative […]

On Monday, the Texas Senate Criminal Justice Committee passed Senate Bill 5, which seeks to regulate tethering in the state. Senate Bill 5 is very similar to Senate Bill 474, which was passed but then vetoed by the governor.  It provides guidelines for how a dog may be tethered, and includes many exemptions for training, […]

A Yarmouth (Maine) Town Council meeting considering changes to Chapter 309 regarding dogs has been rescheduled to Thursday, September 23, 2021 starting at 6pm. Read AKC’s previous alert for more information on the proposal. Town Council meetings are held at the American Legion Log Cabin in accordance with the most current recommendations from the Maine […]

As mentioned in a previous alert, the Waynesboro (VA) City Council recently heard a presentation from the City Manager about proposed amendments to City Code regarding animals, which included a provision that would limit the number of animals that may be kept or maintained on any property. At the beginning of last night’s meeting, Mayor […]

The Animal Welfare Program of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (DAFC) has proposed amendments to its Animal Welfare regulations.  The amendments apply to breeding kennels, boarding kennels, shelters, and pet stores licensed by the state. The proposal seeks to improve accountability for animal facilities importing animals for sale or adoption and improve […]

South Portland: On Tuesday, September 7, 2021, the City Council of South Portland reviewed proposed changes to its animal ordinance, which was amended in late August.  At Tuesday’s meeting, the City Council forwarded the proposal—ORDINANCE #3-21/22 - Amending Chapter 3, "Animals and Fowl", regarding dogs—to an ad hoc committee for the purpose of continued work […]

Late Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation announcing that he will convene the third special legislative session of 2021 on Monday, September 20, at 10AM.  His proclamation identifies five agenda items, including, “Legislation similar to Senate Bill 474 as passed by the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, but that addresses the concerns expressed in […]

At a recent meeting, the Waynesboro (VA) City Council heard a presentation from the City Manager regarding proposed amendments to City Code Chapter 14, “Animals” – including a provision that would limit the number of animals that may be kept or maintained on any property. Much of Chapter 14 of Waynesboro’s City Code was written […]

A bill will soon be sent to the governor that would prohibit homeowner’s insurance providers from refusing or cancelling coverage or increasing premiums based solely on the breed of dog owned by the policy holder.  For the past 10 years, AKC has advocated for legislation in New York on this issue, which will protect responsible […]

Animal owners and residents who wish to provide feedback on the proposed Horry County animal ordinance are urged to submit comments via a dedicated email inbox that will be available through Friday, September 3, 2021. The temporary email address is feedback@horrycounty.org. The inbox will be deactivated after September 3. Read the announcement about how to […]