Legislative Alerts

North Carolina House Bill 733, filed on Thursday, March 19th, seeks to strictly regulate dog breeding in the Tarheel State by imposing ownership and breeding limits. This measure is sponsored by Representatives McElraft, Dickson, Sager, and Allen. Bills similar to HB 733 have been introduced across the country since the start of 2009 - including […]

The American Kennel Club applauds Ohio Representative Barbara Sears of Lucas County for introducing House Bill 79, which removes "pit bull" from Ohio's statutory definition of dangerous dogs.  Ohio is currently the only state to have enacted statewide breed-specific legislation.  The current law states that if a dog "belongs to a breed that is commonly […]

On Thursday, March 19, the Montana House Judiciary Committee will hear a bill to expand the definition of animal cruelty.  The American Kennel Club urges all responsible dog owners, fanciers, and breeders to contact the Montana Senate and express their opposition to Senate Bill 221, which would expand the definition of animal cruelty to include […]

A bill has been introduced in the Nevada Senate to regulate anyone who wants to breed and sell dogs, regardless of the number.  Senate Bill 241 would require all breeders, regardless of how many dogs owned, to pay a $500 annual fee in order to breed and sell puppies.  It would also impose numerous other […]

SB 139 which sought to ban cropping and docking in Illinois, has been amended to remove all substantive language from the bill. It now simply exists as a placeholder or "shell", should the sponsor choose to revisit the issue later in session.  AKC will continue to monitor this legislation and will update our website if new language […]

Washington SB 5651 will be considered by the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, March 19th, at 10:00AM, in House Hearing Room A, in the John L. O'Brien Building, 504 15th Avenue SW, in Olympia, WA 98504. SB 5651 is part of a radical national legislative agenda aimed at limiting the freedoms and liberties of Americans […]

West Virginia House Bill 2843, sponsored by Delegates Daniel Poling of Wood, Virginia Mahan of Summers, Nancy Guthrie of Kanawha, Roy Givens of Brooke, and Tom Azinger of Wood, seeks to define commercial dog breeders and to impose limits on the ownership of dogs.  Similar to many bills introduced in legislatures across the country in […]

A bill has been introduced in the Arkansas Senate that requires owners of 12 or more dogs of any age to purchase an annual license for the right to maintain ownership of the dogs, regardless of whether the animals are on your property.  "Owner" is defined as someone who meets any of the following criteria: […]

Two mandatory spay/neuter bills have been filed in the Texas Legislature.  House Bill 4277, sponsored by Representative Jose Menendez of San Antonio, and Senate Bill 1845, sponsored by Senator Leticia Van de Putte also of San Antonio, will require that all dogs over six months of age be sterilized.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) and […]

Oregon Representative Vicki Berger has introduced legislation that would require "pit bull" owners to maintain $1 million in insurance coverage. It is important that all responsible dog owners, fanciers, and breeders contact the bill’s sponsor and members of the House Consumer Protection Committee and oppose House Bill 2852. House Bill 2852 would require owners of "pit […]