Legislative Alerts

Maryland House and Senate committees are considering bills over the next week that could cause an owner to permanently lose ownership of their animals when they are suspected of cruelty – even if they are found not guilty. The AKC agrees that anyone found guilty of cruelty should be punished appropriately, including being responsible for […]

Friday, January 25, 2019 The American Kennel Club (AKC) and our New Hampshire federation, the Dog Owners of the Granite State (DOGS), are seriously concerned about a newly filed bill, HB 688 - An Act Relative to Transfer and Inspection of Animals. The bill is expected to be considered in a public hearing before the […]

Friday, January 25, 2019 The American Kennel Club (AKC) is pleased to support North Dakota House Bill 1128.  The bill seeks to provide for funding for the training of service dogs to assist some of the state’s veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.  All North Dakota residents are encouraged to join in support of the bill. […]

The Virginia Senate will likely soon vote on a bill that could create a number of significant problems for dogs and dog owners in Virginia, including unreasonable tethering laws that could actually hurt dogs and a new provision that would allow local governments to pass new, stricter laws on basic standards of animal care including […]

January 18, 2019 The Washington State House Committee on Public Safety considers a bill on Monday, Jan. 21, that is a first step towards prohibiting local jurisdictions from passing breed-specific legislation (BSL). Under the bill, however, Washington cities and counties will still be able to pass BSL if they provide an exemption to dogs that […]

January 18, 2019 The Washington State House Committee on Public Safety considers a bill on Monday, Jan. 21, that is a first step towards prohibiting local jurisdictions from passing breed-specific legislation (BSL). Under the bill, however, Washington cities and counties will still be able to pass BSL if they provide an exemption to dogs that […]

January 15, 2019 North Dakota House Bill 1259, which is scheduled for consideration by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, January 16, would make it an infraction (maximum fine $100) to knowingly make a false claim that a pet is a service animal in an attempt to gain admission to a public place or obtain […]

January 15, 2019 Grove City, Pennsylvania, has introduced a proposal that could limit residents to owning three dogs. As introduced, the proposal states that a kennel license would be required for keeping more than three dogs at a residence, but it is unclear how one would obtain a kennel license, what would be required for […]

Monday, January 14, 2019 New Jersey Assembly Bill 4552 seeks to prohibit the leasing of dogs and cats.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) is concerned that 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 by AKC’s preservationist breeders […]

January 8, 2019 Last night, the New Haven Board of Alders incorporated into its public record the AKC’s request and suggested amendments to its recently-amended animal ordinance.  After AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) and a board member of the Connecticut Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners met with the Mayor of New Haven […]