The City of El Paso's Health and Public Safety Legislative Committee will hear a new animal control ordinance at its October 12th meeting. The proposal - a complete rewrite of the city's animal code - contains a $75 litter permit and restricts breeders to only one litter per year. Additionally, owners will be required to […]

New York, NY — The American Kennel Club ( AKC ® ) announced today that Julie Slobodnjak of Virginia Beach , Virginia , has been named a recipient of the AKC Community Achievement Award for her therapy work, promoting responsible dog ownership and safety around dogs in her community. Slobodnjak was nominated by the Virginia […]

--Over 350 Local Events Educate Dog Owners on Responsible Ownership-- New York, NY — A survey commissioned by the American Kennel Club in observance of AKC® Responsible Dog Ownership Day (AKC RDO Day) on September 17, 2005 revealed that some dog owners need more control over their pets, especially when out and about in the […]

The Senate Committee on Local Government yesterday approved SB861 and recommended concurrence by the full Senate, where the bill will soon be heard. This devastating bill is on a fast track toward becoming law—dog owners must weigh in now! As the AKC has been reporting, SB861 will allow local governments to enact breed-specific ordinances pertaining […]

The Senate Local Government Committee is scheduled to hear SB 861 on Monday, August 29th upon adjournment of floor session in room 3191. As California is approaching the end of their legislative session, things are expected to move very quickly. It is critical that you contact your state senator immediately. Your voice is especially important […]

The California State Assembly will resume its session on August 15th, and SB 861 remains on the Assembly floor. Concerned dog owners will recall that the bill, which originally would have permitted municipalities to broadly regulate and/or restrict dogs based on their breed, was amended in June to only allow breed-specific measures that pertain to […]

Despite opposition from the American Kennel Club, the California Veterinary Medical Association, The Animal Council, the Sacramento Council of Dog Clubs, and a host of other animal organizations, SB 861 passed the Assembly Local Government Committee yesterday. The bill would permit municipalities in California to enact breed-specific laws. However, SB 861 was amended on Wednesday […]

In response to a request from San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome, Senator Jackie Speier is sponsoring SB 861, a bill that will allow local governments to regulate dogs by breed as long as they do not ban specific breeds. Currently, California is one of 12 states that prohibits local governments from enacting breed-specific ordinances. SB […]

Attention Texas dog owners! Rep. Al Edwards of Houston is sponsoring HB1096, a bill which would exempt any cities with a population of over 1.9 million from the current state law prohibiting breed-specific legislation. (Currently this includes the City of Houston only, but rapid growth in Dallas and San Antonio means these cities would be […]

AB418 passed out of the Assembly Committee on Public Safety late yesterday afternoon. The bill, which would ban ear cropping of dogs, now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for fiscal analysis and then on to the full Assembly. Although several concerned fanciers attended yesterday's hearing, they were considerably outnumbered by supporters of AB418. Additionally, […]