Legislative Alerts

The Virginia Senate will likely soon vote on a bill that could create a number of significant problems for dogs and dog owners in Virginia, including unreasonable tethering laws that could actually hurt dogs and a new provision that would allow local governments to pass new, stricter laws on basic standards of animal care including […]

January 18, 2019 The Washington State House Committee on Public Safety considers a bill on Monday, Jan. 21, that is a first step towards prohibiting local jurisdictions from passing breed-specific legislation (BSL). Under the bill, however, Washington cities and counties will still be able to pass BSL if they provide an exemption to dogs that […]

January 18, 2019 The Washington State House Committee on Public Safety considers a bill on Monday, Jan. 21, that is a first step towards prohibiting local jurisdictions from passing breed-specific legislation (BSL). Under the bill, however, Washington cities and counties will still be able to pass BSL if they provide an exemption to dogs that […]

January 15, 2019 North Dakota House Bill 1259, which is scheduled for consideration by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, January 16, would make it an infraction (maximum fine $100) to knowingly make a false claim that a pet is a service animal in an attempt to gain admission to a public place or obtain […]

January 15, 2019 Grove City, Pennsylvania, has introduced a proposal that could limit residents to owning three dogs. As introduced, the proposal states that a kennel license would be required for keeping more than three dogs at a residence, but it is unclear how one would obtain a kennel license, what would be required for […]

Monday, January 14, 2019 New Jersey Assembly Bill 4552 seeks to prohibit the leasing of dogs and cats.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) is concerned that the bill may impact the ability of responsible breeders to enter into limited-term leases for the purposes of breeding.  Such leases have historically been used by AKC’s preservationist breeders […]

January 8, 2019 Last night, the New Haven Board of Alders incorporated into its public record the AKC’s request and suggested amendments to its recently-amended animal ordinance.  After AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) and a board member of the Connecticut Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners met with the Mayor of New Haven […]

December 20, 2018 The Buffalo Common Council is expected to vote on Wednesday, December 26, on a proposal that would prohibit the humane tethering of dogs outdoors for over one hour unless the temperature is above 32 degrees or below 90 degrees, including a vague provision that may even impact walking a dog on a […]

AKC Government Relations just learned that the Buffalo Common Council Legislative Committee is considering a proposal tomorrow (Tuesday, December 18) that would prohibit the humane tethering of dogs outdoors for over one hour unless the temperature is above 32 degrees or below 90 degrees. Those who reside or participate in dog events in Buffalo are […]

December 17, 2018 The City of Manteca, California, is considering a new ordinance that will prohibit residents from owning more than three dogs or three cats over 4 months of age.  To legally own more than three dogs, a resident would need a city kennel license. The city council will consider this proposed ordinance at […]