Thursday, May 30, 2019 Multiple bills seeking to impose regulatory oversight over personal and commercial kennels, mandate annual inspections of all kennels, and create consumer protections laws is scheduled for consideration by the Joint Municipalities and Regional Government Committee on Tuesday, June 4th.  These bills would onerously impact all responsible dog breeders in Massachusetts, including […]

Sporting badges and patriotic ribbons to identify themselves as responsible animal owners, purebred dog fanciers, hunters, cat fanciers, and other concerned animal groups joined the American Kennel Club April 6 at a public hearing in Raleigh on proposed changes to the state's animal care and control laws. An impressive turnout of dog owners from every […]

Nebraska Advances Bill Imposing Forfeiture of Animals Without Court Judgment – Contact the Senate April 14, 2015 The Nebraska Legislature is set to consider several measures that will impact dog owners and breeders, including an amendment that could force a dog owner to forfeit their animals for only a suspicion of animal cruelty – even […]

Two new bills have been introduced in Wisconsin, both of which seek to regulate those classified as commercial breeders and provide remedies for purchasers of dogs. Assembly Bill 567, sponsored by Representative Lothian, has been assigned to the Assembly Committee on Consumer Protection and Personal Privacy; its companion, Senate Bill 308, is sponsored by Senator […]

House Bill 2303, which would require regulation, inspection, and potentially high registration fees for dog breeders, has been rescheduled for a vote in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday, February 16. Its companion bill, Senate Bill 2175, has been rescheduled for a vote on Monday, February 22, in the Senate Energy, Agriculture, […]

New Jersey Assembly Bill 3044, which seeks to create state oversight of dog groomers, was amended earlier this week and has been scheduled for further consideration by the Assembly Appropriations Committee this Monday, October 22, 2018.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) appreciates a recent amendment that clarifies that individuals who groom a dog to prepare […]

Congress welcomed purebred dog owners from across the country last week as part of the American Kennel Club's third-annual Lobby Day. Hosted by the Canine Legislation department, Lobby Day gives attendees a chance to learn more about issues that impact fanciers on the federal level. More importantly, participants are given an opportunity to carry the […]

Four proposals have been introduced by the Madison City Council that will have a direct impact on dog owners, fanciers, breeders, and sportsmen in the city. Residents and those that participate in dog events in Madison are strongly encouraged to contact the council regarding these proposals, as well as the commissions mentioned below. Click here […]

On Friday, February 13, the New Hampshire House Environment and Agriculture Committee will consider House Bill 624, a bill regarding animal care costs in cruelty cases. As introduced, the bill could force individuals charged—but not convicted—of animal cruelty to forfeit ownership of their pets, even after they are later found not guilty of those charges. […]

New York Senate Committees will consider two bills next week that would benefit New York dogs and responsible dog owners. Senate Bill 1495 would criminalize stealing a pet from someone’s property, and Senate Bill 6418 amends current law to further protect dogs left in vehicles under extreme temperatures. New York residents are encouraged to contact […]

New Hampshire House Bill 1624, which seeks to impose many unreasonable and unnecessary restrictions on responsible dog breeders and owners, will be considered by the House Environment and Agriculture Committee on Thursday, January 21.  The American Kennel Club and our New Hampshire federation, the Dog Owners of the Granite State, both oppose this measure as […]

Changes to the county animal ordinance, including discussion of a proposal to declare numerous dog breeds as dangerous, were presented at the Barrow County Board of Commissioners meeting on September 22, 2020.  The county manager recommended that 12-15 breeds be designated as dangerous. TAKE ACTION TODAY.  Barrow County residents are urged to immediately contact their […]

The American Kennel Club supports a bill filed in the United States House of Representatives that would add federal protections for the pets of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence.    Known as the “Pet and Women Safety Act of 2015” (PAWS), H.R. 1258 is principally sponsored by Congresswoman Katherine Clark […]

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 […]

Tennessee committees will vote on Monday and Tuesday on two bills of grave concern to dog owners. Senate Bill 2175 and House Bill 2303 would require regulation, inspection, and potentially high registration fees for dog breeders.  Exemptions in the bill for exhibitors, hunters, and fanciers are essentially meaningless. These bills would also authorize warrantless searches […]

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.

Monday, October 19, 2015 The Joint Judiciary Committee of the Massachusetts General Court is scheduled to consider 20 legislative proposals concerning animals at its next meeting on Wednesday, October 21, 2015.  Included in the agenda are bills that deeply concern both the American Kennel Club and the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog […]

Friday, March 30, 2018 After amendment and passage by the New Hampshire Senate, Senate Bill 569, which seeks to expand those considered “commercial kennels” by the state and create bond for care requirements, has been scheduled for consideration by the House Environment and Agriculture Committee on Wednesday, April 4, 2018.  Both the American Kennel Club […]

Massachusetts residents, take action now! AKC Government Relations has learned that House Bill 1080 and Senate Bill 1155, which seek to be impose regulatory oversight over personal and commercial kennels, mandate annual inspections of all kennels, and create consumer protections laws is scheduled for consideration by the Joint Municipalities and Regional Government Committee on Tuesday, […]

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, […]

Last month the American Kennel Club along with Karen R. Breslin of the Progressive Law Center, LLC of Lakewood, Colorado and the Washington D.C. office of Kaye Scholer LLP filed a brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit asking to reverse a lower court’s decision and grant former Denver resident […]

As the year comes to a close I’d like to review what the AKC has accomplished. The Board and Staff have worked diligently to ensure the continued success of our club and the sport. The Fancy has played a major role in our success. They were effective in defeating the proposed mandatory spay and neuter […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2024 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15, 2024. The 2024 event will showcase the top canine athletes and will also […]

National Champion is First Toy Group Winner in the History of the Show GCH CH Pequest Wasabi, a Pekingese known as “Wasabi” triumphed over more than 5,200 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 14-15, 2019 in […]

The top dogs in the nation were crowned from an overall entry of 132 dogs this past weekend at the AKC Rally Champion (RACH) Invitational. Competitions were held December 11-12, 2025, in conjunction with the 25th AKC® National Championship Presented by Royal Canin at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. The winners: AKC […]

The AKC® Humane Fund is proud to announce the winners of the 21st 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 more than 800 impressive nominations. […]

  –– Scholarships Awarded With Support from Royal Canin, American Veterinary Medical Foundation, AKC Companion Animal Recovery and AKC Canine Health Foundation The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) announced today it has awarded scholarships to 25 students from 19 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited schools of veterinary medicine. Sponsors are broken down as follows: Royal […]

Miniature Schnauzer Takes 'Best in Show'  The American Kennel Club is happy to announce the winner of the 1st ever AKC Virtual Top Dog Challenge. The inaugural event garnered 689 entries. GCHP CH Carmel Sky High Wish Upon a Star, a Miniature Schnauzer known as “Twink,” was awarded Best in Show by AKC Judge and […]

  Award Presented at AKC/Eukanuba National Championship Barbara Miller of Glen Head, NY was honored with the 2007 AKC Breeder of the Year Award at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship on Saturday, December 1, 2007. The annual award honors those breeders who have dedicated their lives to improving the health, temperament and quality of purebred dogs. […]

The 2017 AKC Obedience Classic and the AKC Agility Invitational took place December 16-17, 2017 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 seventh year, and an AKC Rally® […]