Legislative Alerts

On Tuesday, June 16, a North Carolina House committee will consider a bill regarding tethering and shelters for dogs.  Some provisions in these bills are reasonable and do protect dogs from being harmed while tethered or kept outside.  However, other provisions fail to take into account responsible practices that meet the needs of various dog […]

Updated: Wednesday, June 24, 2026 In early June 2026, cases of New World Screwworm (NWS, hereinafter screwworm) have been detected in southwest Texas and New Mexico. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and state departments of agriculture and health officials are working together to address the issue. The American Kennel Club (AKC) recommends that […]

The New York Legislature recently adjourned after a busy two-year session where AKC followed over 350 bills with the potential to impact dogs and New York dog owners. With state budget discussions dominating much of this year, there was a significant flurry of activity at the end of session to determine which bills would pass […]

On Monday, June 8, 2026, Kentucky State Senator Robin Webb will host a ceremonial bill signing to celebrate the designation of the Treeing Walker Coonhound as Kentucky’s State Dog.  Kentucky’s purebred dog community is invited to join lawmakers, sportsmen, and stakeholders at this memorable event. State Senator Webb, a 2016 recipient of the AKC Legislator […]

The Illinois Legislature adjourned the spring 2026 session in the early hours Monday morning.  While the lawmakers will come back for a short session later this fall where bills may be considered, this adjournment crosses a major hurdle for bills impacting dog owners and breeders in Illinois. Thanks to a significant response from dog owners […]

Animal rights activists continue to collect signatures in Oregon to put an extreme measure on the November 2026 ballot to ban all hunting, criminalize certain dog breeding (including artificial insemination) and recognized training practices, and even significantly impact farmers, ranchers and fishermen. Oregonians should not sign this petition for Initiative Petition 28 (IP 28), even […]

Thanks to the strong response from AKC advocates and sportsmen’s groups—and the strong leadership of House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson—the House Farm bill, H.R. 7567, the “Farm, Food, and National Security Act,” passed by the U.S. House contained positive provisions that support responsible breeding and dog ownership and no provisions that will cause harm. […]

Tomorrow (Wednesday, May 27), a New York Assembly Committee will consider a bill providing assistance to domestic violence victims, those experiencing homelessness, and their pets. New York residents are strongly encouraged to contact the Assembly Social Services Committee today to express your support for Assembly Bill 8375 (Scroll down for contact information). Summary: Numerous studies […]

A bill in New York regulating the tethering of dogs has been amended to protect a variety of dog performance events and activities including hunting, tracking, “winter dog sports”, and training for these activities. As mentioned in a previous alert, Assembly Bill 165 provides new requirements regarding tethering dogs outdoors for more than four hours.  […]

Yesterday, the New York Assembly Agriculture Committee considered two bills relating to the tethering of dogs outdoors.  While one did pass committee, another was held, and AKC thanks the many dog owners who responded to our alert and expressed your concerns with the bills. As a result of these efforts, Assembly Bill 6145, which mandated […]