Legislative Alerts

New York State Senator Andrew J. Lanza of Staten Island has introduced Senate Bill 8546, which seeks to dramatically change the state's "pet dealer" laws by: Changing the definition of "pet dealer" to include anyone who engages in the sale or offering for sale of animals for profit to the public and keeps on their […]

AKC's Government Relations Department is pleased to report that New York Assembly Bill 11509 will not be considered by the Assembly Agriculture Committee for the remainder of the 2008 legislative session. This was confirmed today by the office of Assemblyman William Magee, chairman of the Assembly Agriculture Committee. The Government Relations Department would like to […]

The Dallas City Council will consider proposed changes to the Dallas animal control ordinance on Wednesday, June 18th, at 9:00 AM, at Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla Street, Dallas. These changes include mandatory spay/neuter, breeder permitting, and limits on the number of pets that can be owned. It is vitally important that Dallas-area responsible dog […]

Yesterday, Congress enacted the federal Farm Bill, including provisions prohibiting animal fighting ventures and limiting the importation of live dogs into the United States if the dogs are younger than six months old and imported for the purpose of resale.  President Bush's earlier veto of the bill was overridden when the House of Representatives voted […]

Pennsylvania House Bill 2553 will remove the state's prohibition on breed specific local ordinances, thereby allowing municipalities to adopt any type of law applicable to dangerous dogs, including breed-specific ordinances.  It is imperative that concerned dog owners in Pennsylvania contact their legislators and express their strong opposition to this bill.  The American Kennel Club supports […]

Ohio House Bill 568, introduced by Representative Tyrone Yates of Cincinnati, seeks to prohibit the ownership, keeping, or harboring of a dog that "belongs to a breed that is commonly known as a pit bull dog."  Furthermore, if this bill is passed and adopted into law, all such dogs will be seized and euthanized.  It […]

On Thursday, May 22, at 9:30 AM, the Ohio House State Government and Elections Committee will consider Ohio House Bill 223.  Sponsored by Representative Jim Hughes of Clintonville, the bill seeks to require licensure and inspection of an establishment that, in any given year, keeps, houses, and maintains nine or more adult dogs for the […]

Both the United States House of Representatives and the Senate have approved the conference report of the federal Farm Bill. An overwhelming majority of the Senate, 81-15, voted in favor of the bill on Thursday, while the House passed the bill, 318-106, on Wednesday. Renewed about once every five years, the comprehensive Farm Bill governs […]

Two Chicago Aldermen are sponsoring a new ordinance that would require all dogs to be spayed/neutered by the age of six months unless they qualify for an unneutered animal license. Chicago residents are asked to contact their representative on the Board of Aldermen to oppose this measure. To qualify for an unneutered animal license the […]