At its recent meeting, the Rockingham County Planning Commission (Harrisonburg, VA) tabled a proposed Dog Kennel Ordinance that could impact local hobby kennels.  As a result, the proposal now goes to the Board of Supervisors for possible enactment. The ordinance is not currently listed on the agenda for the 6:00pm meeting on Wednesday, July 27.  […]

One of the most difficult lessons to learn and accept in our sport is that it will sometimes be necessary to rethink our decisions. However costly those decisions might have been, it usually proves even more costly to ignore the warning signs and stubbornly forge ahead. When we are working with genes Mother Nature often […]

In late May, Kristina Steinbach of Grand Rapids, Michigan, debuted in the ring with a female Shiba Inu. A 16-year-old with autism, Kristina appeared in the conformation ring at the four-day Apple Blossom Dog Show Cluster in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with 6-month-old Kuma. The teen's other Shiba, 3-year-old Keiko, is her service dog. Since the breed […]

The AKC Detection Dog Task Force (DDTF) is excited to announce the AKC National Detection Dog Conference is returning to the Sheraton Imperial Conference Center in Durham, NC, on August 23 – 25, 2022.  We are pleased to invite you to attend! This year’s theme is bringing together stakeholders to improve availability of high-quality, American-bred, […]

Are you looking for a way to ensure your new pup’s family has all the information they need? The American Kennel Club’s modernized puppy folders can help! Customizable with information specific to the pup – registration number, name, birth date, feeding details and more - these updated folders were created with the new owner in […]

It is truly the dog days of summer, which for Government Relations means taking a moment to consider all the work that has been done in conjunction with breeders, federations, and clubs across the country on behalf of our wonderful dogs and our sport. Currently, the majority of state legislatures are adjourned for the year […]

News from the State Capitols Here are some highlights of state-level issues AKC GR is currently tracking. California – AB 1881 as introduced established a “Dog and Cat Bill of Rights”.  While the bill only required that the list be posted at shelters and rescues, AKC joined many organizations in expressing significant concerns about putting […]

Issues at the City, County, and Metropolitan Levels, and in US Territories The AKC Government Relations Department is pleased to assist dog owners with canine legislation issues in their local communities, but we can’t help unless we are aware of the proposal. Please contact us at (919) 816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org when new laws are discussed or introduced […]

Here are some highlights of state and federal regulatory issues AKC GR recently addressed.  Visit AKC’s Regulatory Resource Center for more information on these and other significant regulatory issues addressed by AKC Government Relations. Federal - On June 1, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced an extension and modification of the July […]

AKC Government Relations continues to monitor Congress for issues of interest to dog owners. Visit our 2022 Legislation Tracking map and click on “Federal Bills” on the map to get the latest updates on federal bills currently being monitored by the AKC. Highlights of issues we are currently addressing on the federal level include:  U.S. Congress – […]