New Hampshire Senate Bill 569, which seeks to expand those considered “commercial kennels” by the state and create bond for care requirements, is scheduled for consideration by the House Environment and Agriculture Committee on Wednesday, April 4, 2018.  This may be residents’ last chance to personally express concerns with SB 569.  All concerned dog owners […]

In addition to bills to be considered by the Joint Judiciary Committee, the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture is also scheduled to consider several dog-related bills on Tuesday, September 12.

The AKC Government Relations Department has learned that the House Finance Committee will likely consider Senate Bill 460 on Wednesday, June 30, 2010.  This bill was originally scheduled to be heard on June 24, but the hearing was postponed after the committee received an enormous volume of calls and e-mails from concerned dog owners and […]

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 […]

Oklahoma Senate Bill 1340 and Senate Bill 1712, which seek to provide state oversight over certain dog breeders, will be considered by the House Economic Development and Financial Services Committee on Wednesday, March 24.  We strongly urge all concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in Oklahoma to consider the provisions of the bills (described below), […]

Today, the U.S. House Agriculture Committee released draft language for the 2024 Farm Bill. This must-pass bill reauthorizes USDA programs for five years and also seeks to address federal animal welfare and breeder oversight programs. As introduced, the bill supports important priorities for dog enthusiasts and responsible breeders, including canine health, welfare and the rights […]

As noted in a July alert, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has proposed new rules to address the public health risks of dog-maintained rabies virus variant (DMRVV) associated with the importation of dogs from overseas. The CDC’s public comment period closes Friday, September 8, 2023.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) supports […]

House Bill 1332, which seeks to regulate Oklahoma dog breeders, is likely to be heard in conference committee in the next week. This is the last chance for this bill to be amended prior to being given a final vote.  While a number of AKC’s concerns have been addressed, there are still some provisions we […]

New Hampshire House Bill 1102, which describes brachycephaly as a “birth deformity that causes suffering” and would CRIMINALIZE the sale and breeding of brachycephalic dogs and any dog that could be claimed to have a birth deformity, is scheduled to be considered by the House Environment and Agriculture Committee on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at […]

The Chicago City Council Committee on Finance will hold a joint hearing with the Committee on License and Consumer Protection on Tuesday July 29th to discuss a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance. It is vital that responsible dog owners and breeders attend the hearing to oppose this measure.   AKC Opposes Proposed Mandatory Spay and Neuter Ordinance […]

The Miami-Dade County Commission will be holding a public hearing at 9:30am on Tuesday, December 18th to discuss a variety of changes to the animal control ordinance including limiting the number of pets a resident may own, implementing hobby breeder licensing, requiring mandatory microchipping for dog breeders and restricting rescue organizations. Concerned dog owners and […]

Update: Friday, March 25, 2022 Yesterday, the New Jersey Senate passed Senate Bill 981 without amendments.  The bill has already been assigned to the Assembly Agriculture and Food Security Committee. The American Kennel Club (AKC) remains opposed S.981 as currently worded, and continues to work to ensure that the bill’s lack of protections for co-owners […]

The Utah House Labor and Business Committee is scheduled to consider an amended version of the bill to regulate breeders at a hearing tomorrow, February 16. While some provisions such as breeder permits are expected to be removed, other concerns remain that would impact those who breed and raise dogs in their homes. Hobbyists and […]

Anti-breeder and animal rights groups are making a year-end push on Capitol Hill to advance arbitrary and harmful federal breeder regulations (H.R. 2840 /S. 1385)  called the “Puppy Protection Act”.  This bill would mandate arbitrary new requirements for certain hobby and professional dog breeders, and continues to gain support Congress.  We urge all responsible dog […]

House Bill 4094 would require owners of unsterilized “pit bull dogs” and additional breeds to register their dogs with a governmental animal control agency and remit fees of $25.  The bill contains additional problematic provisions for all South Carolina dog owners. H. 4094 is on the agenda of the House Special Laws Subcommittee for Thursday, […]

On Monday, October 19, at 7:00pm, residents in Marshfield, Massachusetts, will be asked at a special town meeting to vote on three proposed dog ordinances, Articles 1, 2 and 3.  These articles are extremely problematic because combined, they hamstring local breeding programs in favor of importing strays to meet consumers’ high demand for dogs.  New […]

March 15, 2019 A bill making numerous changes to Iowa’s breeder laws continues to move through the Iowa House of Representatives. While some changes are a positive advancement, there are many concerning provisions that could unnecessarily harm dogs and responsible dog owners and breeders. Due to Iowa legislative procedures, House Study Bill 227, which passed […]

The Hawaii House of Representative's Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider dog-related proposals on Thursday, February 23, both of which the American Kennel Club (AKC) is concerned with.

Thursday, August 6, 2015 The New Jersey Senate’s Economic Growth Committee will consider five proposals dealing with dogs on Monday, August 10.  The American Kennel Club encourages all dog owners in New Jersey to review the proposals and contact the members of the committee with any concerns you may have.  Assembly Bill 2389 and Senate […]

Yesterday, Massachusetts Senate Bill 2370, the “Act Relative to Protecting Puppies and Kittens” (previously Senate Bill 1103), was passed by the Massachusetts Senate.  The bill will now be sent to the Massachusetts House for its consideration.  AKC has several concerns with the bill including: New amendments– including expanded restrictions on dog breeders—to a measure that […]

American Kennel Club Honors Black Hills Dog Training Club With a Community Achievement Award The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) announced recently that Black Hills Dog Training Club (BHDTC) of Rapid City, South Dakota has been named a recipient of the AKC Community Achievement Award for hosting an exceptional AKC Responsible Dog Ownership (RDO) Day event. […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), the world’s largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs is proud to announce the winners of the 2022 AKC® Lifetime Achievement Awards: James (Jim) Crowley (Conformation), Linda Mecklenburg (Companion Events) and Pluis Davern (Performance). The Awards, created by AKC President and CEO Dennis Sprung in 1999, are presented […]

American Kennel Club & Cat Fanciers' Association Celebrate All-American Dogs & Cats for 4th of July   – Buy Your Tickets to Meet American Breeds and Many More at NYC’s Javits Center October 17-18, 2009 at www.meetthebreeds.com -  With dogs and cats having been domesticated for thousands of years, many of the breeds we know and […]

The American Kennel Club announced today the winners of the seventh AKC Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE), the award designed to commemorate loyal, hard-working dogs that have made significant contributions to their community. The ACE is given annually to dogs in each of the following five categories: Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue, Therapy, Service and […]

New York, NY – The AKC® Humane Fund is pleased to announce the winners of the 17th 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. One award is presented in each of the following five categories: […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 AKC® Lifetime Achievement Awards: Patti L. Strand (Conformation), John Cox (Companion Events) and John Russell (Performance). The Awards, first created and awarded in 1999, are presented in recognition of exceptional participation and achievement within the dog fancy. The finalists and winners, […]

Greetings everybody. A year ago, almost to the day, the American Kennel Club and our constituents had to face the grim reality of a lockdown due to an unprecedented pandemic. Incredibly, we are still grappling with this global disaster. COVID-19 has taken an unbearable toll on our Events, Clubs, Exhibitors, Handlers and Judges. But, there’s […]

For the past eight years, I have been fortunate to serve on the Board of this great American Kennel Club, the world’s strongest and most effective champion for purebred dogs and our Sport. It has been a privilege to play a role in the advancement of AKC’s mission and to be a part of so […]

Welcome back to Orlando. The Board and the Staff are thrilled to have us all together in person again. We appreciate, as always, everyone’s commitment to keeping our gathering safe and productive so that we can celebrate the beauty and function of our dogs and experience the excitement of our Sports. There was a movie […]

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 […]