The American Kennel Club Government Relations Department has learned that Representative Bill Caul has publicly stated that he will not move House Bill 6395 forward. As written, HB 6395 attempted to strictly regulate virtually all responsible dog breeders in Michigan. (For more information on HB 6395, click here.) The AKC congratulates all concerned Michigan fanciers […]

Two Minnesota Senate proposals, SF 7 and SF 201, each featuring different breeder regulation proposals, will be heard on Tuesday, January 27, by the Senate Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee. It is vitally important that all responsible dog breeders and owners in Minnesota attend Tuesday’s committee hearing to express their positions on these bills or […]

Nebraska Senator Ken Haar has introduced LB 677, a bill that aims to strictly regulate most dog breeders in Nebraska by imposing ownership limits, dog breeding restrictions, and harsh and unenforceable engineering standards. It is imperative that all concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in Nebraska contact their State Senator and the members of the […]

Maryland Senator Lisa Gladden has introduced Senate Bill 318, a bill that aims to strictly regulate dog breeders in Maryland by imposing ownership limits, strict enclosure and exercise requirements, and other requirements.  It is imperative that all concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in Maryland contact their State Senator and the members of the Senate […]

The Maryland House of Representatives Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear a strict breeders bill on Thursday, February 12. Maryland Delegate Michael Smigiel has introduced House Bill 495, which, like Senate Bill 318, aims to strictly regulate dog breeders in Maryland by imposing ownership limits, strict enclosure and exercise requirements, and other requirements. The American […]

HB 198 was pulled from the agenda on February 10th, but is now scheduled for a hearing on February 19th at 2pm. The AKC Government Relations department will provide an update after the hearing on our website and will have an alert available at our booth at the International Kennel Club show.   Illinois Alert! […]

The AKC is extremely concerned about provisions in Oklahoma House Bill 1332, as written, and urges all Oklahoma dog fanciers, owners and breeders to contact their representatives to express their concerns. The AKC promotes responsible dog ownership, responsible breeding practices,  enforcement of cruelty laws, reasonable inspection programs and nuisance regulations.  However, HB 1332 does not […]

The Indiana House of Representatives will soon be voting on House Bill 1468, which imposes limits on dog ownership and labels anyone who sells five dogs a year as a "pet dealer".  The American Kennel Club and its members agree with the sponsor and supporters of this bill that animal cruelty is deplorable.  Dogs should […]

Oregon House Bill 2470 will be considered by the House Consumer Protection Committee on Monday, February 23, at 3 PM in House Room E at the Capitol, 900 Court Street NE, Salem, 97301.  The bill, part of a national agenda aimed at severely limiting the responsible breeding of dogs, does not address the needs of […]

Although both Senate Bill 139, the crop/dock bill, and House Bill 198, a breeder regulation bill, were to be heard in committee this week, both bills have been removed from their respective agendas and we expect them to be significantly rewritten. Further, House Bill 198 is unlikely to move at all. Instead, the companion bill, […]

Oregon House Bill 2470 will be considered by the House Consumer Protection Committee today, Monday, February 23, at 3 PM in House Room E at the Capitol, 900 Court Street NE, Salem, 97301.  The bill, part of a national agenda aimed at severely limiting the responsible breeding of dogs, does not address the needs of […]

The Indiana House of Representatives has passed House Bill 1468, which imposes limits on dog ownership and labels anyone who sells five dogs a year a "pet dealer".  This bill is being advertised as a solution to "puppy mills" in the state.  The AKC agrees that kennels with deplorable conditions must never be tolerated; however, […]

A bill has been introduced in the Washington State Legislature to limit dog ownership and impose numerous regulations on responsible breeders and dog owners.  All Washington responsible dog owners and breeders are encouraged to contact their State Senator and express their opposition to Senate Bill 5651. The American Kennel Club (AKC) rejects the unsubstantiated legislative […]

March 2, 2009 A bill has been introduced in the Florida House of Representatives to limit dog ownership and impose numerous regulations on responsible breeders and dog owners, including imposing regulations on any person owning 10 or more dogs and limiting ownership to 50 dogs.  All Florida responsible dog owners and breeders are encouraged to […]

The AKC congratulates Maryland dog owners and breeders on a major victory on March 2, when the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee gave an unfavorable report to a bill that would have placed numerous restrictions on dog owners and breeders. Senate Bill 318 would have mandated the implementation of rigid engineering requirements for anyone owning 10 […]

North Carolina House Bill 460, sponsored by Representative Maggie Jeffus of Greensboro and Representative Margaret Highsmith Dickson of Fayetteville, and its companion bill, Senate Bill 460, sponsored by Senators Don Davis of Snow Hill and Senator Don Vaughan of Greensboro, have been filed.  The bills seek to regulate the commercial breeding of dogs in North […]

The AKC urges all responsible dog owners and breeders to call or email your state legislators TODAY regarding two important pieces of legislation that are scheduled for consideration on Tuesday, March 11 and Wednesday, March 12, 2009. It is crucial that constituents communicate their opposition to these measures immediately. Although we are awaiting amendments for […]

North Carolina House Bill 733, filed on Thursday, March 19th, seeks to strictly regulate dog breeding in the Tarheel State by imposing ownership and breeding limits. This measure is sponsored by Representatives McElraft, Dickson, Sager, and Allen. Bills similar to HB 733 have been introduced across the country since the start of 2009 - including […]

Two bills that seek to provide strict oversight of responsible dog breeders are on the move in Minnesota. It is imperative that concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in Minnesota contact their elected officials in St. Paul as well as the appropriate committee members listed below, and express their opposition to the bills as they […]

The American Kennel Club Government Relations Department reports the following developments regarding the breeder oversight bills currently under consideration by the Minnesota Legislature.  Minnesota’s concerned responsible dog breeders and owners are strongly encouraged to take action today! SF 7 On March 24, the Minnesota Senate Agriculture Committee voted not to take Senate File 7 "off […]

The Texas House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee is scheduled to consider House Bill 3180 on Wednesday, April 1. The bill features ownership limits, breeder licensing, facility inspection, and consumer protection provisions. The American Kennel Club (AKC) and its Texas federation, the Responsible Pet Owners Alliance, both oppose House Bill 3180, and encourage all concerned […]

Florida Senate Bill 2002, a bill that seeks to impose strict limits on the operations of responsible purebred dog breeders and limit dog ownership, will be considered by the Florida Senate Community Affairs Committee on Tuesday, April 14, at 9:00 AM. The American Kennel Club and the Florida Association of Kennel Clubs both strongly oppose […]

Committees in the Tennessee Legislature will hear companion bills that address dog breeding regulations in Tennessee.  Senate Bill 258 will be considered by the Senate Commerce, Labor, and Agriculture Committee on Tuesday; its companion, House Bill 386 will considered by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.  The AKC opposed provisions in the original version of […]

Today, the Oklahoma Senate voted 30-to-16 in favor of House Bill 1332.  If signed into law by Governor Henry, the bill will affect many responsible dog breeders in Oklahoma.  HB 1332 will now be sent to a Senate conference committee, which will work on amendments.  If the bill survives the conference committee, it will be […]

Due to scheduling conflicts, the North Carolina House Agriculture Committee did not bring up discussion of House Bill 733 as originally planned on April 22, 2009. The Committee has not yet rescheduled the hearing of the bill. House Bill 733 seeks to limit dog ownership and impose strict restrictions on responsible North Carolina breeders.  It […]

Two new bills in the New York State Senate would severely limit the operations of responsible dog breeders in the Empire State. The American Kennel Club opposes these bills, and strongly encourages all concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in New York to contact the members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which currently has cognizance […]

Because of procedural maneuvering in the Texas Legislature, harsh breeder regulatory legislation is now very close to becoming law in the Lone Star State.  It is vital that all concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in Texas take immediate action in opposition to this bill.  On Wednesday, May 6, Senator Tommy Williams of The Woodlands […]

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 […]

A Texas Legislature conference committee has rejected Senate amendments to House Bill 2310 that attempted to turn a straightforward bill regarding the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation into a strict breeder regulation bill. As amended by the Senate, House Bill 2310 limited commercial breeders from possessing more than 50 intact female animals in a […]

  - Annual AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Days Comprised of Hundreds of Events - Each year, the American Kennel Club® calls on its nearly 5,000 affiliated dog clubs and all other pet-related organizations from around the country to participate in AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Days. The nationwide initiative educates the public about the importance of […]