Legislative Alerts

Earlier this week, a conference committee of New Hampshire state senators and representatives failed to agree on a compromise version of Senate Bill 569.  This effectively ended consideration of the bill for the remainder of the legislative session. SB 569 was introduced in January as a response to a high-profile cruelty case in New Hampshire.  […]

The New Jersey Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee will consider several dog-related proposals when it meets this Thursday, May 17, 2018.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) encourages all concerned New Jersey residents contact the members of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and respectfully share any concerns they have. BILLS OF CONCERN: Assembly Bill […]

Tomorrow, Thursday, May 10, the New Hampshire State Senate will conduct a concurrence vote on Senate Bill 569.  Both the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Dog Owners of the Granite State (DOGS) support this latest version of SB 569, which was comprehensively amended by the House of Representatives in late April.  All New Hampshire […]

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 […]