Legislative Alerts

Nancy Fisk, Vice President of the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners (MassFed), recently shared the following report about the defeat of HB1346. Congratulations to all who helped make this victory possible! On June 20th Massachusetts dog owners and breeders rallied in opposition to House Bill 1346 and sent a strong message […]

The California State Assembly will resume its session on August 15th, and SB 861 remains on the Assembly floor. Concerned dog owners will recall that the bill, which originally would have permitted municipalities to broadly regulate and/or restrict dogs based on their breed, was amended in June to only allow breed-specific measures that pertain to […]

Under the guise of updating Albuquerque's animal control ordinance to help reduce euthanasia rates at local animal shelters, City Councilor Sally Mayer has instead proposed sweeping changes that would drastically limit fanciers' ability to breed and own dogs, while doing little to address the city's problems with irresponsible ownership. The proposal is currently set for […]

Despite opposition from the American Kennel Club, the California Veterinary Medical Association, The Animal Council, the Sacramento Council of Dog Clubs, and a host of other animal organizations, SB 861 passed the Assembly Local Government Committee yesterday. The bill would permit municipalities in California to enact breed-specific laws. However, SB 861 was amended on Wednesday […]

In response to a request from San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome, Senator Jackie Speier is sponsoring SB 861, a bill that will allow local governments to regulate dogs by breed as long as they do not ban specific breeds. Currently, California is one of 12 states that prohibits local governments from enacting breed-specific ordinances. SB […]

-- Click here for more information about PAWS -- --Monday June, 13 AKC Delegate Meeting, Chicago IL Remarks from Dr. James Holt, AKC's Legislative Liaison Regarding the Pet Animal Welfare Statute of 2005-- The Chair now calls on Dr. James Holt, AKC's Legislative Liaison to address this body. Dr. Holt: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and […]

The Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture will hear H1346, a commercial breeder bill, on Monday, June 20th at 1 p.m. The hearing will be held at the Sunderland Public Library 20 School Street, Sunderland. It is critical that large numbers of fanciers attend the hearing. Please contact the Massachusetts Federation of Dog […]

-- Click here for more information about PAWS --   -- Board Reaffirms Support of Proposed Legislation --   Chicago, IL - At a meeting of the American Kennel Club (AKC®) Board of Directors today, the Board reaffirmed their position to support the principles in the Pet Animal Welfare Statute (PAWS) of 2005, a bill […]

-- Click here for more information about PAWS -- The following is an interview with AKC's federal government relations consultant Jim Holt in response to dog owners' questions about PAWS. The article originally appeared in Dog News June 10th, 2005. Who is regulated under current law and how would PAWS change that? In simple terms, […]

-- Click here for more information about PAWS -- To help dog owners better understand the recently introduced PAWS legislation, please see the bill analysis below as prepared by Dr. James Holt, AKC's federal government relations consultant. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS OF S. 1139/H.R. 2669, THE "PET ANIMAL WELFARE STATUTE" (PAWS) INTRODUCED MAY 26, 2005. […]