Legislative Alerts

The St. Joseph (MO) City Council will be voting on new regulations on Tuesday, February 22, that would require licensing, inspection, and strict care and conditions requirements for anyone who owns three intact dogs of any age for breeding or exhibition.  The guidelines would also affect anyone who is involved with boarding or rescue.  The […]

The Illinois House Agriculture & Conservation Committee is scheduled to consider a bill on Tuesday, February 22, that would remove the state ban on breed-specific legislation.  All responsible dog owners are strongly encouraged to contact the committee and ask them to oppose House Bill 1080. Summary: Illinois is currently one of 11 states that specifically […]

The Missouri House Rural Development Committee is expected to consider a resolution on Tuesday, February 15, that would protect animal owners from undue economic burdens and regulations.   If passed by the General Assembly, it would appear on the November 2012 ballot. All Missouri dog owners and breeders are encouraged to contact the committee and ask […]

The Hawaii House Committee on Economic Revitalization & Business is scheduled to consider House Bill 1621 on Tuesday, February 8 at 8:00 a.m.  This problematic bill places restrictions on dog breeding and limits dog ownership. House Bill 1621 defines as a "large scale dog breeder" and requires licensing for any person engaged in the business […]

On January 18, the New York City Council approved a new section of city ordinances that would prohibiting the restraining (tethering) of animals outdoors for longer than three continuous hours within a 12-hour period. As amended, the measure was also amended to prohibit "for any amount of time" (e.g. temporarily) the tethering of an animal […]

Two overly-broad animal cruelty bills, SB 2127 and SB 2821, have advanced to the Mississippi State Senate calendar and could be voted upon at any time. The American Kennel Club (AKC) supports strong penalties for acts of animal cruelty; however, we have concerns with several aspects of these bills as currently written.  SB 2127 prohibits […]

The AKC Government Relations Department has learned that the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee has scheduled a public hearing for supporters of House Bill 14 for Wednesday, February 9, 2011. The American Kennel Club strongly supports House Bill 14, which seeks to remove the term "pit bull" from the state’s definition of "vicious dog". Click […]

The AKC has learned that the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee hearing on House Bill 14 scheduled for Wednesday, February 2 at 9:00 a.m., is only for sponsor testimony.  A second hearing will be scheduled in 1-2 weeks that will allow for public comment. Due to inclement weather, it is asked that those who support […]

Several Missouri lawmakers have proposed a number of bills that would repeal or amend Proposition B, which passed on the ballot in November 2010. Throughout 2010, the American Kennel Club voiced its opposition to Prop B, primarily because it placed a cap on the number of dogs that could be owned. Click here to read […]

New York Assembly Bill 3595 would prevent senior citizens from being denied occupancy or evicted from a multiple dwelling because they own a pet.  We encourage all New York residents to contact their State Assemblyperson and the members of the Assembly Housing Committee, and ask them to support this legislation. Summary: There are many positive […]