On Tuesday (March 24), the Illinois House Agriculture and Conservation Committee will consider a bill that would impose extensive new requirements on licensed dog breeders. This bill is identical to SB 2990 considered last week in the Senate and applies “one-size-fits-all” commercial-style standards to all breeders (Under Illinois law, a dog breeder is anyone who […]

A second and enacting vote is likely to be held Monday, September 23, 2024, on a proposed Fairfield County ordinance that seeks to establish problematic requirements and numerous new fees for dog and cat owners, exhibitors, breeders, and sportsmen. What you can do:  Concerned dog owners are urged to immediately contact county council members to […]

House Bill 1883, the Working Animal Protection Act, seeks to protect use of working animals in human service and animal enterprise.  HB 1883 has passed in House committee, and will next be voted on by the full House.  A House vote could be held as early as Monday, April 19, 2021. Owners, handlers, and exhibitors […]

RECAP OF THIS WEEK: For specifics on bills that were considered during the week of February 9, 2021, click here. CONCERNING AN ANIMAL RECORDS DATABASE The American Kennel Club Government Relations Department (AKC GR) and the Dog Owners of the Granite State (NH DOGS) expressed concerns to the Senate Finance Committee about the original animal […]

The Sarasota County Commission will consider a proposed ordinance which will define hobby breeders and possibly limit the amount of animals they may own and/or the number of litter they may have in a year. The measure also attempts to restrict the sales of pets from legal, licensed and regulated pet sellers. All breeders and […]

Friday, October 23, 2015 On Wednesday, October 28, the Joint Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee of the Massachusetts legislature will consider bills impacting the keeping of dogs.  House Bill 649 seeks to address the problems associated with the importation of animals intended for adoption, while Senate Bill 444 seeks to ensure that trainers of […]

AKC is monitoring several bills impacting dog owners in California. Below are a few highlights, including three bills with upcoming hearings, and three pending bills that could use comments of support. To see the complete list visit the AKC legislative action center at www.akcgr.org  and/or the AKC legislative tracker.  AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) will […]

Overreaching breeder regulation legislation has again been introduced in the Florida Legislature.  SB 1830  and HB 1481 seek to impose registration and inspections requirements on any dog owner of an intact female dog more than six months of age.  Similar to legislation first introduced in 2023, these bills are also part of an extensive anti-breeder […]

St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, is seeking to mandate the spay/neuter of all dogs at its Thursday, December 5, 2024, Parish Council meeting. The American Kennel Club (AKC) encourages all St. Tammany residents to review the information below and to contact Parish Councilmembers to share concerns about the proposal. IMPACT Ordinance Calendar Number 7740AA requires all dogs […]

A problematic and overreaching proposed animal ordinance could be voted on by the St. Landry Parish Council at its next meeting on November 16, 2022. The proposal includes vague definitions, dangerous dog provisions that are contrary to state law, overreaching and incentivized confiscation provisions, permit requirements for any person who sells or transfers a cat […]

HB 198 was pulled from the agenda on February 10th, but is now scheduled for a hearing on February 19th at 2pm. The AKC Government Relations department will provide an update after the hearing on our website and will have an alert available at our booth at the International Kennel Club show.   Illinois Alert! […]

March 5, 2019 A bill slated to move quickly in the Iowa House of Representatives would make significant changes to the state’s breeder laws. While some changes are a positive advancement, there are many concerning provisions that could unnecessarily harm dogs and responsible dog owners and breeders. A subcommittee discussed House Study Bill 227 today, […]

Tomorrow, September 27, 2016, the Palm Beach Board of County Commissioners will vote on proposed amendments to the county’s animal control ordinance. The provisions of the ordinance will be applicable to all incorporated and unincorporated areas of Palm Beach County, unless a municipal exemption applies. Although the proposal includes some positive provisions, the American Kennel […]

Two bills that would criminalize safe and effective dog care practices are scheduled to be voted on in Tennessee legislative committees on March 13 and 14. Certain provisions in each bill could result in cruelty charges against an owner absent harm—or even discomfort—to a dog. While these bills are well meaning, an owner who does […]

Illinois dog owners, your help is needed immediately to oppose HB707. Sponsored by Rep. Elaine Nekritz, the bill would amend the state’s Animal Welfare Act by requiring licenses for all “animal caretakers.” This definition includes but is not limited to anyone who sells, exchanges, or offers for adoption dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, and other […]

The New Hampshire Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is scheduled to consider Senate Bill 569 on February 6, which seeks to significantly expand the state’s definition of ‘commercial kennel’ and impose bond for care requirements for those charged with cruelty.  The American Kennel Club and the Dog Owners of the Granite State, our New Hampshire federation, are […]

A revised animal ordinance is scheduled for a second vote at the Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County, TN, Council Meeting on December 6, 2022. View the proposed ordinance. The current proposed ordinance, BL2022-1571, is less problematic than a previous version that was withdrawn in June. However, the current proposal still contains certain overreaching provisions, which […]

Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 15, the New Jersey Senate Environment and Energy Committee is scheduled to consider two dog-related bills.  New Jersey residents are encouraged to contact the members of the committee and respectfully share their concerns. Senate Bill 3607 As introduced, S.3607, dubbed the “Responsible Dog Ownership Act”, seeks to establish new dog related rules, […]

New York City to Consider Mandatory Sterilization, Other Restrictions on Pet Sales on April 30 April 25, 2014 The New York City Council Committee on Health is scheduled to consider several measures on Wednesday, April 30, that create excessive restrictions on all breeders or pet shops who sell a pet. Among the many new requirements […]

April 28, 2015 Attention Alabama Dog Owners: Alabama House Bill 548 seeks to establish criminal penalties for failure to comply with overreaching, undefined, and arbitrary requirements for the care, feeding, and housing of dogs.  Compliance with the problematic provisions of HB 548 would be required for every person or organization that has “custody or ownership” […]

Amended Assembly Bill 2401, dubbed the “Responsible Dog Ownership Bill”, is scheduled for consideration by the Assembly Appropriations Committee tomorrow, June 16, 2021.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) is deeply concerned with the disparate impacts of this bill on owners of large dogs.  It is imperative that concerned New Jersey residents contact the members of […]

The New York City Council Committee on Health is scheduled to consider several revised measures on Monday, November 24 that would impact pet stores and breeders who sell more than 25 dogs in New York City in a year. Thanks to AKC’s communications with the council, and your calls and e-mails earlier this year, the […]

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day on Wednesday, March 17th, the American Kennel Club celebrates seven purebred dogs of Irish heritage that are AKC registrable or are in the AKC miscellaneous class. Additional information, including the full breed standards, links to Parent Club web sites and video clips of each breed, is available a this […]

  --David Keene and Dr. William R. Newman Elected to Board of Directors; Incumbent Director Nina Schaefer Re-Elected; Ronald H. Menaker and David C. Merriam Re-Elected as Chairman and Vice Chairman Respectively -- The Annual Meeting of the AKC Delegates and subsequent meeting of the Board of Directors took place on March 14, 2006. David […]

COCKER SPANIEL “STRIKER” WINS BEST IN SHOW AT LARGEST EVER AKC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY ROYAL CANIN National Champion Beats Dogs from 50 States and 44 Countries   GCHP CH Silverhall Strike Force, an ASCOB Cocker Spaniel known as “Striker” triumphed over nearly 5,000 dogs to earn a $50,000 cash prize, a paw print pendant […]

The 2018 AKC Obedience Classic and the AKC Agility Invitational took place December 15-16, 2018 in conjunction with the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin, demonstrating the highest level of training and teamwork between dog and handler. Obedience and agility competitions for junior handlers were held for the eighth year, and an AKC Rally® […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), a not-for-profit organization, the world’s largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs, is pleased to announce The AKC Agility League recently concluded its seventh season of competition and honored its top teams and competitors. Team champions were named in each of the eight divisions. The AKC Agility League […]

Greetings everybody. A year ago, almost to the day, the American Kennel Club and our constituents had to face the grim reality of a lockdown due to an unprecedented pandemic. Incredibly, we are still grappling with this global disaster. COVID-19 has taken an unbearable toll on our Events, Clubs, Exhibitors, Handlers and Judges. But, there’s […]

Good morning, fellow Delegates. Before I begin, I have a question for you all. How great is it to be together in person once again? Big thanks to Paula, and to Gina and Dennis for arranging our first in-person meeting in a year and a half – and a special thanks to all of you […]

-- Making a Difference for Canine Health and Well-Being -- At the March Delegates meeting, Article III of the American Kennel Club Bylaws was amended to include the following: “The objects of the Club shall be to advance canine health and well-being…” Someone unfamiliar with the AKC might see this as a beginning. In fact, […]