Wednesday, February 03, 2016 On Monday, February 8, 2016, the New Jersey Senate Economic Growth Committee will consider Senate Bill 63.  The bill repeals consumer protection laws for pet purchasers, prohibits the sale of dogs unless the transactions are conducted face-to-face, and requires pet shops to sell dogs sourced only from shelters and pounds.  Because […]

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 […]

The Maryland House of Representatives Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear a strict breeders bill on Thursday, February 12. Maryland Delegate Michael Smigiel has introduced House Bill 495, which, like Senate Bill 318, aims to strictly regulate dog breeders in Maryland by imposing ownership limits, strict enclosure and exercise requirements, and other requirements. The American […]

Two Florida Senate bills that are of great concern to the American Kennel Club (AKC) are scheduled for consideration by Senate committees on Monday, April 6th. The AKC and the Florida Association of Kennel Clubs urge all Floridians to take action on these bills. Senate Bill 2002 Florida Senate Bill 2002, sponsored by Senator Lee […]

The Massachusetts legislature’s Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government has scheduled consideration of 14 dog-related bills at its meeting on Tuesday, July 14th.  Another bill of importance, HB 344 (see info, below) will be heard concurrently by the Joint Judiciary Committee.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) and its Massachusetts federation, the Massachusetts Federation of […]

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 […]

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 […]

Senate Bill 460, a bill which regulates breeders and infringes on the rights of responsible dog owners, is expected to be heard in the Senate Finance Committee as early as next week.  Many committee members have indicated that they have received few or no calls and letters in opposition to this bill.  It is essential […]

No Good news for dogs as AKC announces its most popular breeds:  The picture painted of the American Kennel Club in a blog published by HSUS yesterday was filled with so many inaccuracies, we’ve decided to try to fix the inaccuracies section by section, rather than write a full rebuttal. –AKC. HSUS:    Last year, […]

The Johnson City Board of Commissioners is scheduled to hold a third and final vote on Thursday, November 21, 2019 to enact an overreaching new animal ordinance.  Proponents of the ordinance state that they will immediately seek to pass this same legislation throughout Washington County. AKC agrees with the city’s intent to protect dogs in […]

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 […]

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

The fourth quarter Community Achievement Awards will solely honor AKC clubs holding exceptional AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day (AKC RDO Day) events in September 2010. AKC RDO Day aims to educate first-time dog owners about the responsibilities of dog ownership and help current owners enhance their relationships with their pets. For the fourth quarter only, […]

New York, NY – A Q&A between AKC Chairman of the Board Alan Kalter and Dog News’ Matthew H. Stander originally appeared in the April 11, 2014 issue of Dog News. The contents of the interview about the future direction of the AKC are reprinted here with permission of the publisher.   What steps do […]

National Champion Beats Out More Than 5,000 Dogs GCHG CH Lagniappe's From The Mountains To The Bayou, a Giant Schnauzer known as “Bayou” triumphed over more than 5,000 competitors to earn a $50,000 cash prize and the title of Best in Show at the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin, held December 18-19, 2021 […]

National Champion Beats Out More Than 4,000 Dogs GCHP CH Pinnacle Kentucky Bourbon, a Whippet known as “Bourbon” triumphed over more than 4,000 competitors to earn a $50,000 cash prize and the title of Best in Show at the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin, held December 12-13, 2020 in Orlando, FL. “Bourbon,” owned […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to recognize extraordinary breeding programs from the Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding groups as 2023 AKC Breeder of the Year group honorees.   “We are proud to honor these knowledgeable and responsible breeders,” said Dennis B. Sprung, AKC President and CEO. “Each of these individuals are […]

GCHP CH Ta Sen Westgate Jingle Juice, a Lhasa Apso known as “JJ” triumphed over more than 5,500 competitors to earn a $50,000 cash prize when they were awarded Best in Show at the 25th AKC® National Championship Presented by Royal Canin, held December 13-14, 2025 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. […]

More Canine Victims of the Hurricanes Airlifted Out of Ravaged Area Continuing its efforts to aid the canine victims of the hurricane affected areas, the American Kennel Club (AKC®), along with its affiliate AKC Companion Animal Recovery (AKC CAR), airlifted 4,000 pounds of furry passengers to Illinois and Wisconsin. This is the sixth airlift of […]

Good morning. I lost my dear friend a few weeks ago. Dealing with Ron’s passing is a deeply personal experience for me. He was my mentor, a colleague, and above all, a special friend. He had an enormous capacity to give of himself. I am today, because I knew him. However, I can comfort myself […]

The Show Must Go On! Conformation and Our Future The sport of Conformation is the flagship AKC event, and is the sport that is at the very foundation of our Registry.  The pursuit of Championship points, records and rankings is only a set of mileposts along a journey that is at its core about the […]

New York, NY - As I am sure you will recall, before Ronald Reagan became President of the United States, he had a very successful career as a television and film star and as the head of the Screen Actors Guild. What you might not remember was his long-running role as GE spokesman. Starting in […]