Legislative Alerts

Urgent NC Alert:  Breeder Regulations Scheduled to be Considered TODAY (4/22) April 22, 2015 The AKC has learned that a hearing and possible vote has been scheduled for today on a rewritten version of House Bill 159, which would seek to regulate certain dog owners as commercial breeders regardless of actual sales/commercial activity and require […]

 April 15, 2015 The Nebraska Legislature is considering a series of measures that would make numerous changes to the state’s Commercial Dog Breeder and Operator Inspection Act. In addition to Amendment 1149, a subsequent amendment (Amendment 1194) has been filed that would also allow for a situation where a dog owner could forfeit their animals […]

Nebraska Advances Bill Imposing Forfeiture of Animals Without Court Judgment – Contact the Senate April 14, 2015 The Nebraska Legislature is set to consider several measures that will impact dog owners and breeders, including an amendment that could force a dog owner to forfeit their animals for only a suspicion of animal cruelty – even […]

April 13, 2015 The Pennsylvania Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee is scheduled to consider a bill on Wednesday (April 13) that would make several changes to the commonwealth’s consumer protection laws. The AKC believes that many of the changes in the bill as introduced are positive and would protect the rights of the […]

The American Kennel Club supports a bill filed in the United States House of Representatives that would add federal protections for the pets of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence.    Known as the “Pet and Women Safety Act of 2015” (PAWS), H.R. 1258 is principally sponsored by Congresswoman Katherine Clark […]

March 30, 2015 Committees will vote TOMORROW, March 31, 2015, on two bills of grave concern to all dog owners in Tennessee.  The committees will vote to accept and approve amendments to House Bill 1142 and Senate Bill 1020.  These amendments would delete the current language in the two bills and insert new language that […]

March 30, 2015 A bill is scheduled for a hearing TOMORROW (Tuesday, March 31) in the North Carolina Senate State and Local Government Committee that would allow Raleigh law enforcement and peace officers to adopt the animals they worked with or handled during the animal’s service.  A companion House measure (HB 199) has passed committee […]

Monday, March 30, 2015 Connecticut House Bill 6187, which will be considered by the Connecticut Joint Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, April 1, seeks to permit courts to order that a separate, independent advocate be assigned to represent the interests of an animal in a criminal proceeding in which the welfare or custody of the animal […]

The NY Assembly has approved a statewide ban on debarking, and now the bill is pending in the Senate Agriculture Committee. The AKC opposes this bill, which would restrict the rights of responsible dog owners to make viable, safe decisions on behalf of their pets in conjunction with their veterinarian. Read AKC’s previous Legislative Alert […]

Wednesday, March 25, 2015 Minnesota Senate File 1325 seeks to modify the use of certain traps used in hunting, and would require the reporting of pets or companion animals found caught in traps.  SF 1325 is currently pending in the Minnesota State Senate after being passed by both the Environment and Energy and Judiciary committees.  […]