American Kennel Club Honors Black Hills Dog Training Club With a Community Achievement Award The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) announced recently that Black Hills Dog Training Club (BHDTC) of Rapid City, South Dakota has been named a recipient of the AKC Community Achievement Award for hosting an exceptional AKC Responsible Dog Ownership (RDO) Day event. […]

A radical nationwide campaign continues to seek government-sanctioned restrictions on retails sales of pets. The latest threat emerges from the California State Legislature.

The Joint Judiciary Committee of the Massachusetts General Court is scheduled to consider four dog-related bills at its upcoming hearing on Tuesday, September 12, 2017.

On Wednesday, July 28, SB1548 was amended to clarify an enforcement question by including the following language: "Any person who crops the ears of any dog or procures the cropping of a dog's ears within the State of California, except for treatment of disease or injury of the dog, is guilty of a misdemeanor." For […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), the world’s largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs is proud to announce the winners of the 2022 AKC® Lifetime Achievement Awards: James (Jim) Crowley (Conformation), Linda Mecklenburg (Companion Events) and Pluis Davern (Performance). The Awards, created by AKC President and CEO Dennis Sprung in 1999, are presented […]

In addition to bills to be considered by the Joint Judiciary Committee, the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture is also scheduled to consider several dog-related bills on Tuesday, September 12.

American Kennel Club & Cat Fanciers' Association Celebrate All-American Dogs & Cats for 4th of July   – Buy Your Tickets to Meet American Breeds and Many More at NYC’s Javits Center October 17-18, 2009 at www.meetthebreeds.com -  With dogs and cats having been domesticated for thousands of years, many of the breeds we know and […]

The AKC Government Relations Department has learned that the House Finance Committee will likely consider Senate Bill 460 on Wednesday, June 30, 2010.  This bill was originally scheduled to be heard on June 24, but the hearing was postponed after the committee received an enormous volume of calls and e-mails from concerned dog owners and […]

Due to the length of its previous hearing, during which deep concerns were expressed by many dog owners, the American Kennel Club (AKC), the Dog Owners of the Granite State (DOGS), the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, the New Hampshire Farm Bureau and the New Hampshire Veterinary Medical Association, the New Hampshire House Environment and […]

Enhanced Guidelines and New Format Provide Best Practices For All Responsible Dog Owners As the only purebred dog registry in the country with an ongoing kennel inspection program, the American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is proud to announce recent enhancements to its Care and Conditions of Dogs policy.  Since 2000, AKC has conducted more than 55,000 […]

The American Kennel Club Government Relations Department has just learned that Illinois House Bill 5771, which seeks to impose both government oversight over most responsible dog breeders and litter limits, has been removed from tomorrow’s agenda of the Illinois House Agriculture and Conservation Committee. The Government Relations Department will report new developments regarding HB 5771 […]

The AKC® Humane Fund is proud to announce the winners of the 22nd annual AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). These awards celebrate five loyal, hard-working dogs that have significantly improved the lives of their owners and communities. The five winners were carefully chosen from a pool of nearly 1,000 impressive nominations. The […]

Joint committees of the Massachusetts legislature will soon consider legislation about veterans’ service dogs, prohibiting animal cruelty violators from owning animals, establishing an animal cruelty registry, allowing non-economic damages, animal neglect cases, and animal tethering practices. Massachusetts residents are encouraged to review the information below, and contact legislators. TUESDAY, JULY 22: The Massachusetts Joint Committee […]

As part of its required five-year review process, the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) has proposed extensive changes to regulations applying to high volume breeders, pet stores, and dog brokers.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) encourages anyone potentially affected by the proposals to express their comments or concerns to ODA in one of the methods […]

The Joint Municipalities and Regional Government Committee of the Massachusetts General Court is scheduled to consider 14 legislative proposals at its next meeting on Thursday, January 21, 2016.  Included in the agenda are bills pertaining to dogs.  All concerned Massachusetts dog owners are encouraged to contact the members of the Joint Municipalities and Regional Government […]

Today, North Carolina Senate Bill 460 was assigned to the House Committee on Commerce, Small Business, and Entrepreneurship.  The House Committee on Finance will also consider SB 460 if the Commerce committee approves the bill.  Both the American Kennel Club and the North Carolina Federation of Dog Clubs continue to oppose SB 460. Because the […]

Citizens of Hillsborough County and dog trainers who have concerns about the proposed ordinance are encouraged to immediately contact Hillsborough County Commissioners to express your opposition, and to attend the meeting on November 15.

The New York State Assembly and Senate are expected to adjourn for the year in just four weeks.  As such, dozens of bills are on the move,  including many with the potential to impact dog owners. Please note that some bills are scheduled for hearings tomorrow, or are pending a vote at any time by […]

New York, NY – The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award finalists in the categories of Conformation, Companion Events and Performance Events. The Awards, created and first awarded in 1999, are presented in recognition of exceptional participation and achievement within the dog fancy. The finalists chosen, based on […]

Pennsylvania House Bill 2553 will remove the state's prohibition on breed specific local ordinances, thereby allowing municipalities to adopt any type of law applicable to dangerous dogs, including breed-specific ordinances.  It is imperative that concerned dog owners in Pennsylvania contact their legislators and express their strong opposition to this bill.  The American Kennel Club supports […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) announced today the winners of the seventh AKC Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE), the award designed to commemorate loyal, hard-working dogs that have made significant contributions to their community. The ACE is given annually to dogs in each of the following five categories: Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue, Therapy, Service […]

The AKC® Humane Fund is proud to announce the winners of the 20th annual AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). These awards celebrate five loyal, hard-working dogs that have significantly improved the lives of their owners and communities. One award is presented in each of the following five categories: Uniformed Service K-9, Therapy, […]

Good morning or afternoon, whatever the case may be. Resilience. Flexibility. Communication. When we look back on the past year and a half – as we do now nearing the midway point of 2021 – these are the words that characterize our incredible organization. The end of the pandemic is at last in our sights, […]

Earlier this week, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a new rule for the importation of dogs into the United States. The rule, which becomes effective on August 1, 2024, will require all dogs to be at minimum six months of age prior to import into the U.S. The American […]

The AKC® Humane Fund is proud to announce the winners of the 19th annual AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). These awards celebrate five loyal, hard-working dogs that have significantly improved the lives of their owners and communities. One award is presented in each of the following five categories: Uniformed Service K-9, Service, […]

Updated: Wednesday, June 24, 2026 In early June 2026, cases of New World Screwworm (NWS, hereinafter screwworm) have been detected in southwest Texas and New Mexico. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and state departments of agriculture and health officials are working together to address the issue. The American Kennel Club (AKC) recommends that […]

Updated: Monday, July 20, 2026 Since first detected on June 3, 2026, 41 cases of New World Screwworm (NWS, hereinafter screwworm) have been detected in southwest Texas and New Mexico. NWS is a parasitic fly whose larvae burrow into the living tissue of warm-blooded animals, typically through an open wound, causing painful wounds, serious infection, and […]

Minnesota House File 3369, which seeks to prohibit the sale of dogs and cats by retail pet shops, is scheduled to be considered by the Minnesota House Committee on Commerce on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) opposes legislation that attempts to artificially manipulate the market in favor of pets sourced solely […]

  In its endless pursuit to recognize outstanding members of the fancy, The American Kennel Club Lifetime Achievement Awards were established in 1998 to honor our Fancy’s best. The purpose of the awards is to celebrate those individuals whose many years of dedication have led to significant contributions to our sport on a national level. […]

September 16, 2019 An overreaching animal ordinance is back on the agenda for 9/17/19 in Hattiesburg, MS.  The ordinance has been minimally amended, and additional amendments might be added.   However, as of the time of this message, many provisions of concern remain in Draft #3 of the ordinance, and new problematic provisions have been added. […]