August signals the end of summer vacations, and many are escaping the heat by heading to the beach or mountains. Even in state legislatures, many that are still technically in session are on a summer recess. On Capitol Hill, the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee failed to pass the Farm Bill earlier this month and recessed until September.
For AKC Government Relations staff, these “summer breaks” provided an opportunity to attend some national conferences throughout the country and continue to educate on the importance of sound, enforceable dog policy. This includes the National Conference of State Legislatures, where AKC participated in a panel discussion on canine legislation and hosted a booth, along with a few local kennel club members and their dogs. GR staff also participated in the National Association of Counties, National Sheriffs Association and American Legislative Exchange Council conferences to communicate with and educate key officials on dog policy, and AKC’s policy and educational resources.
If you are considering travel soon – in particular planning to fly with your dog – we encourage you to take a minute to review the updated USDA rules regarding flying with dogs as cargo to ensure you are prepared and in compliance prior to travel.
September will signify the beginning of school for many, and the same will be true for GR. We hope you will consider joining us in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Saturday, September 26 for AKC’s National Legislative Conference. This will be a great opportunity to meet the GR team and hear from experts around the country on the latest trends on canine legislation, fighting the animal rights movement, and advocacy tools and resources to help you be a strong voice for your dogs and breeding programs.
Dogs and dog ownership continue to be a huge issue in state legislatures across the country, and this year has been no exception. This issue highlights many of the issues and trends we saw in the first half of 2026, and what dog owners, breeders and exhibitors can expect to see in late 2026 and early 2027. Take a moment to review our first 6 months of 2026 legislative review for more information.
Thank you for all you do for dogs and continuing to partner with us. We hope to see many of you at our conference in September as we continue to work together on behalf of our dogs.