At yesterday’s board of County Commission meeting, the Upshur County, West Virginia Commissioners approved an ordinance to address at-large and dangerous dogs in the county. The new ordinance (see previous alert) includes new definitions for “public nuisance” and “vicious” dogs.  As requested by AKC and local club members, the approved ordinance does eliminate “dog scratches” […]

Yesterday the Michigan Senate passed Senate Bill 741, which will prohibit municipalities from enacting breed-specific policies. AKC supports this bill, which protects dog owners while still allowing communities to enact laws that hold all dog owners accountable. Scroll down to the sixth page of the Senate Journal (page 532) to see the official vote for […]

On Monday, the Oklahoma House overwhelmingly approved Senate Bill 1919 by a vote of 86-1, which would make many positive changes to the state's commercial pet breeder law. Thanks to the phone calls and e-mails sent by responsible Oklahoma pet breeders and dog owners, the House approved all amendments made by the House Agriculture, Wildlife, […]

Governor Abbot has signed SB 876 further regulating Texas dog breeders. While the new law goes into effect on September 1, 2023, someone that owns between 5 and 11 intact females will have until January 1, 2024, to come into compliance.  The law will require anyone that both owns 5 or more intact females and […]

A panel of volunteers appointed by the Point Coupee Police Jury has recommended breed-specific changes to the Parish’s animal control ordinance, which it will consider at its meeting on May 25.  The American Kennel Club strongly opposes breed-specific legislation, and encourages all Point Coupee residents to contact the members of the Parish’s Police Jury listed […]

Friday, July 19, 2019 Governor Raimondo has signed into law a pair of bills, H. 5433 and S. 465 that expand authorities’ ability to seize animals suspected of neglect or abuse. The AKC abhors animal cruelty and supports enforcement of strong animal cruelty laws.  For more information on these bills and AKC’s concerns, read our […]

The Louisiana state legislature adjourned on June 3, 2024, with positive results for dogs, dog owners, and individuals who rely on service animals. The American Kennel Club Government Relations department (AKC GR) monitored 20 Louisiana bills of interest, which included:  Supported by AKC, Enacted  Senate Bill 476 criminalizes the use of bait dogs in training […]

Published on: October 23, 2015 Most breeders don’t think of themselves as having much in common with retail pet stores. But many anti-breeder extremists already consider you one, and a slew of legislation now appearing in dozens of communities across the country defines just about anyone who breeds or sells a dog as a retail pet […]

“You might be able to fool a kiosk, but you can’t fool a canine’s nose.” Those words were spoken by Paul Nardella, CBP Assistant Port Director for the Area Port of Philadelphia, after a woman who was traveling from Athens, Greece, to Philadelphia with almost $40,000 of undeclared currency and plants was caught by a […]

Starting next year, owners who expose their pets to extreme weather in Illinois could be facing a fine or up to a year in jail. The state’s Humane Care for Animals Act was amended this week to make it illegal for owners to “expose the dog or cat in a manner that places the dog […]