Legislative Alerts

California legislators are once again attempting to regulate hobby breeders. Introduced by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, AB2513 establishes the "Humane Control of Dog and Cat Overpopulation Act of 2004."   The bill will: Prohibit the sale of unaltered dogs and cats unless the seller has obtained a permit. Create two types of permits. The first will […]

Attention Boston dog owners! Councillors Rob Consalvo and James Kelly have introduced an ordinance that requires residents to register their "pit bulls" with the city at a cost of $50 annually. Pit bulls are defined as American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, or any mix of those breeds. The measure also […]

Congratulations to the Colorado Federation of Dog Clubs, purebred dog fanciers, and animal organizations throughout the state on their recent efforts to prohibit breed-specific legislation in the Centennial State. Thanks to tireless lobbying by these groups, Governor Bill Owens signed H1279 into law last week, effective immediately. Among other changes to the state's dangerous dog […]

Urgent help is needed from Massachusetts dog owners regarding a proposed budget amendment that will negatively affect responsible breeders. The Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs reports that having been unsuccessful at pushing through an onerous commercial breeder licensing bill (H4537), Rep. Paul Kujawski plans to introduce an amendment to the House budget bill on April […]

On April 22nd, the North Carolina House Interim Committee on the Prevention and Disposition of Unwanted and Abandoned Companion Animals gave final approval to this legislation (see link below). The bill will next be introduced in the House of Representatives when it convenes on May 10th, where the measure will be assigned to a committee. […]

Immediate help is needed from all New York dog owners to help oppose Assemblyman Peter Rivera's A10169. This overly restrictive bill: Requires every dog owner to obtain liability insurance for their pet, regardless of past behavior.   Allows the Agriculture Commissioner to determine certain breeds of dogs as dangerous based on bite statistics. Further authorizes municipalities […]

For well over a year, Indiana field trialers and hunt test enthusiasts have been frustrated by the Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife's efforts to limit access to state lands for dog training, exercise, and other canine events. Concerned dog owners will soon have an opportunity to impact this policy. IDNR has […]

Sporting badges and patriotic ribbons to identify themselves as responsible animal owners, purebred dog fanciers, hunters, cat fanciers, and other concerned animal groups joined the American Kennel Club April 6 at a public hearing in Raleigh on proposed changes to the state's animal care and control laws. An impressive turnout of dog owners from every […]

The North Carolina House Interim Committee on the Prevention and Disposition of Unwanted and Abandoned Companion Animals has now released its draft of proposed animal care and control legislation. The Canine Legislation department strongly urges purebred dog owners to carefully review the draft prior to preparing their comments for the public hearing on April 6th. […]

The Canine Legislation department strongly urges purebred dog owners to carefully review the draft prior to preparing their comments for the public hearing on April 6th. We appreciate your efforts and will continue to post updates on AKC's Web site for updates as they become available.   NC Fanciers: April 6th Hearing Approaching [Wednesday, March […]