Nancy Fisk, Vice President of the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners (MassFed), recently shared the following report about the defeat of HB1346. Congratulations to all who helped make this victory possible! On June 20th Massachusetts dog owners and breeders rallied in opposition to House Bill 1346 and sent a strong message […]

Calling all California dog owners!  Governor Schwarzenegger still has not taken action on SB861.  IF HE DOES NOT VETO THE BILL BEFORE OCTOBER 9th , IT WILL BECOME LAW WITHOUT HIS SIGNATURE.  Please contact the governor's office TODAY and urge him to veto this misguided bill!   Reminder: LAST CHANCE TO STOP BSL IN CALIFORNIA! […]

The American Kennel Club welcomed Representative David Lewis to its operations center in Raleigh on Tuesday, November 22nd. Rep. Lewis, who represents Harnett County in the North Carolina General Assembly, was instrumental in getting a Canine Good Citizen Proclamation passed in the Tar Heel state this year. The proclamation officially recognizes the AKC's Canine Good […]

Despite months of strong opposition from countless responsible California dog owners and a host of animal organizations including the American Kennel Club, the Sacramento Council of Dog Clubs and The Animal Council, Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB861 into law on Friday, October 7th. The legislation takes effect January 1st, and several municipalities have already indicated their […]

Yesterday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a breed-specific ordinance that will require "pit bull" owners in the city and county to spay or neuter their dogs unless they obtain a $100 breeding permit. The legislation defines "pit bulls" as American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and any dog […]

AKC and dog owners in Illinois are organizing against state and city measures that ban or severely restrict specific breeds of dogs. Phone calls, e-mails, and letters to legislators are urgently needed to stop these unfair proposals: State of Illinois HB4212: Introduced by Rep. Michael Tryon on December 1st, HB4212 would permit cities to regulate […]

Immediate help is needed to stop two poorly written bills that would hurt responsible dog owners in Illinois ! HB4213 Background: Introduced by Rep. Michael Tryon on December 1st, 2005, HB4213 automatically deems American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, "pit bulls," Pit Bull Terriers, Rottweilers and Staffordshire Terriers vicious and requires owners of these […]

UPDATE! The Colorado Federation of Dog Clubs reports that S54 was heard by the Local Government committee today on Tuesday, January 24th. 8 witnesses testified in opposition to the bill, including the Colorado Federation of Dog Clubs, with only one in support. The committee subsequently voted 4-3 to defeat the bill and then postponed it […]

Under a new bill proposed in Virginia, all dogs and cats acquired from dealers, hobby breeders, pet shops and adoption agencies would be have to be sterilized and microchipped. Sponsored by Sen. W. Roscoe Reynolds, S55 defines a "dealer" as any person who sells or transfers companion animals (with the exception of rescue groups). The […]

Rep. Maria Chappelle-Nadal has introduced H1686, a bill that will negatively impact owners of "pit bulls," defined as American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, and any dog exhibiting the characteristics of these breeds. Owners of pit bulls will be required to: Purchase a $500 permit for each pit bull owned. (No […]

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors will hold a workshop on February 21st to discuss instituting a $200 intact animal fee, part of the proposed Animal Overpopulation Ordinance. The current license fee for an intact animal is $30. Fanciers are encouraged to attend the meeting which will be held at 2:30 in the Board Chambers […]

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion by Supervisor Michael Antonovich to draft a breed-specific ordinance that would impose breeding restrictions and mandatory spay/neuter of "pit bulls" and Rottweilers. The ordinance is expected to be discussed at the February 14th meeting. Concerned dog owners should contact their supervisor and ask him or […]

Senator Santorum's staff and Senate legislative counsel have completed a draft of the revised PAWS bill. The draft was provided to the US Department of Agriculture and the 26 Senate co-sponsors of PAWS at a briefing last week for their review and comment. The Discussion Draft of PAWS will be made public after input from […]

The Louisville Metro Council Committee on Government Administration, Rules, Ethics, and Audit Agenda will meet at 4pm Monday, February 27th to discuss the proposed changes to the animal control ordinance. It is critical that fanciers and concerned dog owners contact their council members and ask them to oppose this measure. The American Kennel Club and […]

The AKC has learned that MA H4516 and NY A1824--bills to prohibit insurance companies from discriminating against homeowners based on the breed of dog they own--will very soon be considered by their respective state legislatures. The American Kennel Club believes that insurance companies should determine coverage of a dog-owning household based on the dog's deeds, […]

Oklahoma dog owners report that Rep. Paul Wesselhoft's H2657 and H2658 have died in the Health and Human Services Committee. These bills would have permitted cities and counties to enact breed-specific legislation, action that is currently prohibited by state law. Committee members listened closely to concerned dog owners who argued for better enforcement of stronger […]

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has voted to delay a vote on changes to its animal control ordinance until April 25th. Although the board appears to have been persuaded that a breed-specific proposal is not in the best interests of the citizens, they have now directed staff to draft language requiring mandatory spay/neuter […]

Click here for an update to this Alert The Los Angeles County Animal Board of Supervisors will meet April 18th to discuss their proposal to require all dogs to be spayed or neutered unless their owner purchases a $60 intact animal license (currently $30) and meets the stringent criteria established by the county. The measure […]

Help is needed again in Louisville! In the wake a of public outcry about a proposed breed-specific dangerous dog ordinance, the Louisville Metro Council formed a task force to study issues relating to dangerous dogs and changes to the animal control ordinance. Unfortunately, the latest draft from the task force includes breed-specific language, possible fee […]

The New Castle County Council will vote next Tuesday, March 14th, on an ordinance to restrict "pit bulls." The measure, authored by Councilman Jea P. Street, defines "pit bulls" as Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers and any dog displaying the physical characteristics of these breeds. The measure will require owners […]