Legislative Alerts

Fanciers have worked hard and have made significant progress in the Illinois State Legislature, which is considering several dangerous dog and breed-specific bills. Fanciers are also working to oppose breed-specific legislation (BSL) in Chicago. Below is an update on current "hot" initiatives facing Illinois residents. In the General Assembly: As Illinois dog owners may recall, […]

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has voted to delay a vote on changes to its animal control ordinance until April 25th. Although the board appears to have been persuaded that a breed-specific proposal is not in the best interests of the citizens, they have now directed staff to draft language requiring mandatory spay/neuter […]

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors will hold a workshop on February 21st to discuss instituting a $200 intact animal fee, part of the proposed Animal Overpopulation Ordinance. The current license fee for an intact animal is $30. Fanciers are encouraged to attend the meeting which will be held at 2:30 in the Board Chambers […]

Rep. Maria Chappelle-Nadal has introduced H1686, a bill that will negatively impact owners of "pit bulls," defined as American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, and any dog exhibiting the characteristics of these breeds. Owners of pit bulls will be required to: Purchase a $500 permit for each pit bull owned. (No […]

$250, a bill to prohibit ear cropping in Vermont, passed the full Senate and now moves to the House for consideration. Dog owners are strongly urged to contact their Representatives immediately and ask them to oppose the bill! What the Bill Does: Under S250, owners who crop ears in Vermont will face a civil penalty […]

Senator Santorum's staff and Senate legislative counsel have completed a draft of the revised PAWS bill. The draft was provided to the US Department of Agriculture and the 26 Senate co-sponsors of PAWS at a briefing last week for their review and comment. The Discussion Draft of PAWS will be made public after input from […]

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion by Supervisor Michael Antonovich to draft a breed-specific ordinance that would impose breeding restrictions and mandatory spay/neuter of "pit bulls" and Rottweilers. The ordinance is expected to be discussed at the February 14th meeting. Concerned dog owners should contact their supervisor and ask him or […]

S250, a bill to prohibit ear cropping in Vermont, passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday and now moves to the full Senate. The bill was amended slightly to clarify that owners will not be penalized if they have their dogs' ears cropped in another state where the practice is legal. The new […]

The AKC and the Michigan Association for Purebred Dogs are pleased to report that the Detroit City Council has unanimously rejected a proposed breed ban. Local fanciers and responsible dog owners successfully convinced the council members that breed-specific legislation would be unenforceable, penalize responsible dog owners and would not improve public safety. The proposal would […]

UPDATE! The Colorado Federation of Dog Clubs reports that S54 was heard by the Local Government committee today on Tuesday, January 24th. 8 witnesses testified in opposition to the bill, including the Colorado Federation of Dog Clubs, with only one in support. The committee subsequently voted 4-3 to defeat the bill and then postponed it […]