Legislative Alerts

Thursday, May 30, 2019 Multiple bills seeking to impose regulatory oversight over personal and commercial kennels, mandate annual inspections of all kennels, and create consumer protections laws is scheduled for consideration by the Joint Municipalities and Regional Government Committee on Tuesday, June 4th.  These bills would onerously impact all responsible dog breeders in Massachusetts, including […]

May 28, 2019 The New York Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee will consider a bill on Wednesday, May 29, that would prohibit any contest, competition, or tournament where the objective is taking or hunting wildlife for prizes or entertainment. The AKC views this as a threat to the ability of New Yorkers who own purposebred dogs […]

May 24, 2019 The New York Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee will consider a bill on Wednesday, May 29, that would prohibit any contest, competition, or tournament where the objective is taking or hunting wildlife for prizes or entertainment. Assembly Bill 722 exempts certain field trials including field trials in dog training areas, so long as […]

Friday, May 24, 2019 On Thursday, May 23, 2019, the Rhode Island House of Representatives approved H. 5113, which seeks to prohibit anyone convicted of animal cruelty from owning animals by requiring “pet sellers” to check the registry prior to sale or face a $1,000 penalty.  The bill defines “pet seller” as any individual, person, […]

May 24, 2019 The New York Senate Domestic Animal Welfare Committee will be considering several bills on Thursday, May 30, including one that would regulate the appropriate temperature for a dog to be outside.  Those who reside or participate in dog shows, field trials, and other dog events in New York are encouraged to contact […]

Thursday, May 23, 2019 Since early this year, the Connecticut General Assembly has been pressed to adopt HB 5386, which originally sought to prohibit pet stores from sourcing dogs or cats from anywhere but animal shelters and rescues.  This would be similar to a 2018 law enacted in California. In March, a legislative committee significantly […]

Wednesday, May 22, 2019 Combined New Jersey Assembly Bills 4552/4385 seeks to prohibit the leasing of dogs and cats.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) is concerned that as currently worded the bill may impact the ability of responsible breeders to enter into limited-term leases for the purposes of breeding.  Such leases have historically been used […]

May 21, 2019 The AKC continues to closely monitor Assembly Bill 722 and Senate Bill 3830, which seek to limit hunting in the state. On Friday, these bills were amended to exempt certain field trials including field trials in dog training areas, so long as no game are killed. However, the bills would still prevent […]

Tuesday, May 21, 2019 AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) has confirmed that the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) has extended the period during which the public may offer comments about proposed changes to Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulations.  Comments will now be accepted through Wednesday, June 5, […]

May 16, 2019 Four bills have been introduced in New York which will prohibit retail pet stores from selling any dogs or cats.  Instead, they would only be allowed to “showcase” animals available for adoption from a shelter, rescue, or adoption agency. Current law requires that pet dealers (defined in part as anyone who sells […]