On Tuesday, May 6, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue signed into law tough new anti-dog fighting legislation that was supported by the American Kennel Club and the Georgia Canine Coalition.  Members of the Georgia Canine Coalition were present for the signing and were congratulated for their hard work on behalf of dogs and responsible dog owners.  […]

Two Chicago Aldermen are sponsoring a new ordinance that would require all dogs to be spayed/neutered by the age of six months unless they qualify for an unneutered animal license. Chicago residents are asked to contact their representative on the Board of Aldermen to oppose this measure. To qualify for an unneutered animal license the […]

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 American Kennel Club would like to answer some specific concerns that people have raised with regard to the new version of California Assembly Bill 1634. We would also like to encourage people to read the bill closely as it has been changed dramatically in the last few weeks. Please click here to read the […]

In a stunning procedural move, Massachusetts House Bill 1948, which was a reasonable and non-discriminatory dangerous dog bill supported by both the AKC and the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs, has been replaced by House Bill 5092, a conglomeration of many anti-dog, anti-responsible breeder, and anti-responsible owner proposals. The American Kennel Club is not only […]

Massachusetts House Bill 5092, a bill featuring many anti-responsible dog breeder and owner provisions, will be heard by the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government on Thursday, October 23rd, at 10:00 AM, in Room A-2 of the State House in Boston.  The AKC encourages all concerned dog breeders and owners in Massachusetts to attend […]

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 […]

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 […]

Alderman Burke has postponed a vote on the proposed mandatory spay/neuter ordinance. Over 130 people signed up to address the committee about the issue and several aldermen questioned whether this was an effective and economical policy for the city to pursue. AKC thanks the many breeders and responsible owners who attended the meeting as well […]

The AKC Government Relations Department has learned that Senate Bill 460, which seeks to regulate breeders, could be heard in the Senate Commerce committee on Thursday, April 30, or early next week.  It is essential that all North Carolina responsible dog owners and breeders contact the Senate Commerce Committee TODAY and express your opposition to […]

Senate Bill 250 has been referred to the Assembly Business and Professions Committee and will be heard next Tuesday, June 30th. It is vital that concerned fanciers, dog owners, breeders, and clubs immediately notify the committee members of their ongoing opposition to the measure. We are still awaiting the amendments that Senator Florez promised as […]

The North Carolina Senate will take a final vote on Senate Bill 460 today. As passed out of the Rules committee yesterday, this measure has been largely gutted. The newly revised version of the bill is now available. AKC appreciates many of the changes that have been made that address some of the AKC’s concerns […]

Today, North Carolina Senate Bill 460 was assigned to the House Committee on Commerce, Small Business, and Entrepreneurship.  The House Committee on Finance will also consider SB 460 if the Commerce committee approves the bill.  Both the American Kennel Club and the North Carolina Federation of Dog Clubs continue to oppose SB 460. Because the […]

California Senate Bill 250 passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee yesterday on a partisan vote with Democrats De Leon, Ammiano, Coto, Fuentes, John A. Perez, Skinner, Solorio, Torlakson and Hill supporting the bill and all Republicans and Democrat Charles Calderon voting to oppose. Democrats Davis and Hall and Republican Harkey abstained. The bill will now move […]

The AKC Government Relations Department expects Oklahoma Senate Bill 1712 to be sent to Governor Brad Henry soon for his signature or veto.  It is imperative that all responsible dog breeders and owners in Oklahoma contact Governor Henry immediately and respectfully ask him to veto this bill. Bill Summary: Known as the "Commercial Pet Breeders […]

The North Carolina General Assembly has been in session for nearly a month. Already, animal rights groups are lobbying our legislators to take up SB 460. Tomorrow (June 2, 2010), the Humane Society of the United States will have a lobby day, in which they will work hard to convince our legislators to pass this […]

The AKC Government Relations Department has learned that the House Finance Committee will likely consider Senate Bill 460 on Thursday, June 24.  It is essential that all North Carolina dog lovers call AND e-mail members of the House Finance Committee TODAY.  Tell them that responsible dog owners and breeders oppose SB 460, and respectfully ask […]

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 […]

The American Kennel Club is pleased to announce that SB 460 is finally dead. The measure was pulled from consideration by the House Finance Committee late last week when it became clear that supporters did not have the votes to pass the measure in the House. The AKC received further confirmation this past weekend that […]

California Senate Bill 250, which seeks to mandate the sterilization of a dog on a second animal control offense, has moved from the inactive file back to the Assembly floor and could be voted on any day. Amendments have been adopted, but they only modify the appeals process and do not alter our fundamental opposition […]

The West Virginia Senate has passed Senate Bill 406, which would impose onerous restrictions on those who own 11 or more intact dogs. While some exemptions are included, the AKC believes they are vague and may still impact hobbyists who are not truly commercial breeders. The bill has now been assigned to the House Judiciary […]

Two bills are pending in the Iowa Senate that would impose detrimental requirements on those who are classified as "commercial breeders". In current law, a "commercial breeder" is defined as anyone who owns at least four intact dogs or cats and receives any consideration for breeding. These bills would significantly restrict the ability of those […]

Iowa Senate committees have approved two measures that would make detrimental changes to the laws regulating commercial breeders, defined in current law as anyone who owns at least four intact dogs or cats and receives any consideration for breeding. While the bills are virtually identical to the ones that were scheduled for consideration last week, […]

Maine LD 1239, sponsored by Representative Paul Davis, seeks to clarify, streamline, and promote fair animal welfare laws in Maine. The American Kennel Club (AKC) believes LD 1239 represents an improvement over current Maine law, and joins the Federation of Maine Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners (Maine Federation) in support of LD 1239.  Maine […]

The West Virginia Legislature has passed Senate Bill 437, which will regulate those who own 11 or more intact dogs over one year of age "for the exclusive purpose of actively breeding." The bill now goes to the governor for his signature. Those who keep or breed dogs "for the purpose of herding or guarding […]

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 […]

The North Carolina Senate passed SB 460 this evening by a vote of 23-22. While the AKC appreciates the many changes that were made to the bill yesterday we remain concerned that the bill has been too rushed to allow time for legislators and the public to adequately review the bill and fully understand its […]

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 City of Holly Hill, Florida, is trying for the second time this year to pass a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance for the small community.  The ordinance would require all dog owners to have their dog or cat spayed or neutered by six months of age, with few exceptions. In February 2009, the City Commission rejected […]

California Senate Bill 250 has been amended to allow local governments to utilize existing procedures to issue intact dog licenses or to charge a fee to offset their costs. These amendments are an attempt to prevent the state from having to reimburse local governments for costs associated with enforcement of SB 250. The amendments also […]