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 […]

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 to approve an ordinance yesterday that requires all dogs, except those that are law enforcement dogs, service dogs or that qualify as "competition" dogs to be spayed or neutered. The ordinance will go into effect June 3rd. For more details please read our previous alert on […]

The Berkeley Citizens Humane Commission will meet again on Wednesday, May 17th to discuss a proposal to require mandatory spay/neuter of all “pit bulls.” It is vital that responsible dog owners and concerned breeders attend this meeting. Fanciers are also encouraged to contact their representative on the Berkeley City Council to oppose this measure. The […]

The Indianapolis City Council has decided not to pursue breed-specific legislation. Councilwoman Sherron Franklin will be proposing a stricter dangerous dog ordinance that requires dogs that have been determined to be dangerous to be confined by a fence or specified structure and imposes a minimum $500 fine for violators. AKC thanks the fanciers and concerned […]

The Indianapolis City Council has decided not to pursue breed-specific legislation. Councilwoman Sherron Franklin will be proposing a stricter dangerous dog ordinance that requires dogs that have been determined to be dangerous to be confined by a fence or specified structure and imposes a minimum $500 fine for violators. AKC thanks the fanciers and concerned […]

The Tupelo City Council and the Baldwyn Board of Aldermen will meet tomorrow, Tuesday October 3rd to discuss possible breed bans. The Mississippi Canine Coalition is organizing fanciers and concerned dog owners to oppose these proposals. For further information on how you can help, please contact the Mississippi Canine Coalition directly at 4aussie@bellsouth.net. Mississippi has […]

The AKC Canine Legislation Department has spoken with Sen. Kilby’s staff who reported that the bill will not be moved forward with the existing breed-specific language. He and his staff are committed to drafting legislation on the dangerous dog issue that protects the public as well as responsible dog owners. Senator Kilby thanks all those […]

Yesterday, Representative Bill Caul of Mt. Pleasant introduced Michigan House Bill 6395, which proposes to strictly regulate virtually all responsible dog breeders.  It is imperative that all concerned responsible dog breeders in Michigan contact the members of the House Agriculture Committee, which currently has cognizance of the bill, and their elected Representatives and express their […]

As expected, Montana House Bill 191 has been introduced by Representative Robyn Driscoll of Billings. The bill seeks to prohibit the ownership, harboring, or keeping of dogs described as "pit bulls." The legislation defines "pit bulls" to include Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and "any dog that has the physical characteristics that substantially conform […]

Montana House Bill 191–which, with little exception, seeks to prohibit the ownership, harboring, or keeping of dogs described as "pit bulls"–is scheduled for consideration by the House Local Government Committee on Thursday, January 22, at 3PM, in room 172 of the capitol building, 1301 East Sixth Avenue in Helena.  The American Kennel Club encourages all […]

Hawaii Senator Colleen Hanabusa, president of the Hawaii Senate, has introduced Senate Bill 79, which seeks to prohibit the ownership, possession, or sale of "pit bulls" in the state.  The bill defines pit bulls as American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, or any dog exhibiting those distinguishing characteristics which substantially conform to the breed standards […]

SB 139 is scheduled for a hearing in the Agriculture and Conservation Committee for February 18th at 1pm in Room 409 of the State Capitol. Please contact the committee members and the author to express your concerns. The AKC Government Relations department will provide an update after the hearing on our website and will have an alert […]

The Ohio House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee has scheduled a public hearing on House Bill 79 for Wednesday, April 14.  This bill, sponsored by Representative Barbara Sears of Lucas County, removes the term "pit bull" from Ohio’s statutory definition of dangerous dogs.  Ohio is currently the only state to have enacted statewide breed-specific legislation.  […]

The American Kennel Club Government Relations Department (AKC GR) has recently learned that the Dunn (NC) City Council will discuss whether to proceed with a proposal to ban "pit bulls" when it meets for its annual budget retreat this weekend (Friday, March 2-Saturday, March 3). While this retreat is not open to the public, it […]

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 […]

The American Kennel Club applauds Ohio Representative Barbara Sears of Lucas County for introducing House Bill 79, which removes "pit bull" from Ohio's statutory definition of dangerous dogs.  Ohio is currently the only state to have enacted statewide breed-specific legislation.  The current law states that if a dog "belongs to a breed that is commonly […]

In mid-March, Ohio Representative Barbara Sears of Lucas County introduced House Bill 79, which removes the term "pit bull" from Ohio's statutory definition of dangerous dogs. Ohio is currently the only state to have enacted statewide breed-specific legislation. The current law states that if a dog "belongs to a breed that is commonly known as […]

Ohio House Bill 124 will be considered by the Ohio House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, June 24.  HB 124 seeks to strictly regulate commercial breeders who produce nine litters of puppies or at least forty puppies in any given calendar year, including. Imposing strict engineering standards (including cage sizes, temperature range, etc.) […]

This story originally appeared in the summer 2012 issue of the AKC Canine Partners News and later was reprinted in a 2013 issue of AKC Family Dog magazine. The story won first place in the 2013 Dog Writers Association of America writing competition in the category of “Magazine Feature Article with the topic of Rescue.”Since […]