Congress welcomed purebred dog owners from across the country last week as part of the American Kennel Club's third-annual Lobby Day. Hosted by the Canine Legislation department, Lobby Day gives attendees a chance to learn more about issues that impact fanciers on the federal level. More importantly, participants are given an opportunity to carry the […]

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 […]

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 […]

Sen. Ann Cummings has introduced S250, a bill to prohibit ear cropping in Vermont. Violators would face a civil penalty of up to $3,000 for a first offense. Those who commit subsequent violations or who perform the procedure without anesthesia would face criminal charges. The bill does not prohibit owning, showing, buying or selling a […]

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 […]

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 […]

Sen. Sharpe James has once again introduced his annual version of the Responsible Pit Bull Ownership Licensing Act (S801). Nearly identical legislation was introduced and soundly defeated in two previous sessions. S801 would allow a municipality to: Require a special license for all "pit bulls" ($150-700)—including "American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull […]

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 […]

S250, a bill to prohibit ear cropping in Vermont, passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday and now moves to the full Senate. The bill was amended slightly to clarify that owners will not be penalized if they have their dogs' ears cropped in another state where the practice is legal. The new […]

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 […]