Senator Santorum's staff and Senate legislative counsel have completed a draft of the revised PAWS bill. The draft was provided to the US Department of Agriculture and the 26 Senate co-sponsors of PAWS at a briefing last week for their review and comment. The Discussion Draft of PAWS will be made public after input from […]

Assembly Bill 2110 was recently amended and the new language will affect certain AKC sanctioned events. The bill will prohibit "live field coursing," which is now defined as "a competition in which dogs are, by the use of rabbits, hares, or foxes, assessed as to skill in hunting live rabbits, hares, or foxes." AB 2110 […]

AB 2110 Fails to Pass Committee Assembly Bill 2110 was held yesterday in the Appropriations Committee Suspense File and can not move forward. The bill would have prohibited field trials in the state of California. Congratulations to all fanciers and field trial participants who worked to oppose this measure.     California Bill Would Outlaw […]

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors has released the specifics of their mandatory spay/neuter ordinance and mandatory microchip proposal. The measure will require all dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered unless the owner qualifies for and purchases an intact animal license. A first violation of the mandatory spay/neuter ordinance can result in a […]

The Riverside County Department of Animal Services has announced the dates and times of four public meetings to discuss a proposed mandatory spay/neuter ordinance and an ordinance to require microchipping of all dogs and cats. It is vital that fanciers, breeders and concerned dog owners attend these meetings and educate the community about the benefits […]

Due to construction at the Riverside City Hall where the final public meeting was to be held, the Department of Animal Services has cancelled the meeting that had been scheduled for this Saturday, August 26th. AKC will post an update as soon as a new meeting site and time are established. We appreciate all the […]

Kentucky House Bill 375, introduced by Representative Webb, has been referred to the House Committee on Local Government but has not yet been set for a hearing.  It seeks to protect the rights of breeders and owners by limiting what local governments can prohibit or regulate in regards to dogs.  It is vital that breeders […]

Massachusetts House Bill 1948, sponsored by Representative Bradford Hill, seeks to establish non-discriminatory, workable methods by which to deal with vicious and potentially dangerous dogs. It has been assigned to the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, which will consider the bill on Monday, May 14, 2007. It is vitally important that dog owners […]

The American Kennel Club is alarmed by the provisions of New Jersey Assembly Bill 2649. The proposal attempts to replace New Jersey's already comprehensive and reasonable animal cruelty laws and humane care standards with an unnecessary, confusing, and haphazard system that will not only affect the health of the general public, but will also threaten […]

On Friday February 8th, the Los Angeles City Council is expected to take a final vote on a proposed mandatory spay/neuter ordinance. Last week, the City Council voted 10-1 in favor of the ordinance, with only Councilmember Bill Rosendahl standing up for responsible owners and breeders. At the previous meeting, concerned dog owners were outnumbered […]

The Dallas, Texas City Council Committee on Quality of Life will consider major changes to the Dallas animal control ordinance on Monday, April 28 at noon at the Dallas City Hall. The changes include mandatory spay/neuter, breeder permitting, limits on the number of pets that can be owned, stricter dangerous dog language, and a ban […]

The Dallas, Texas City Council will soon consider major changes to the Dallas animal control ordinance. The changes include breeder permitting, limits on the number of pets that can be owned, stricter dangerous dog language, and a ban on tethering. Mandatory Spay/Neuter   This proposed ordinance mandates that you spay or neuter your dog unless […]

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 […]

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.  […]

It has been reported to the American Kennel Club that the Quality of Life Committee has directed the Director of Animal Control to examine the feasibility of enforcing the proposed ordinance. The Director of Animal Control is expected to present his findings at a meeting of the Quality of Life Committee in June. Thank you […]

The Dallas City Council will consider proposed changes to the Dallas animal control ordinance on Wednesday, June 18th, at 9:00 AM, at Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla Street, Dallas. These changes include mandatory spay/neuter, breeder permitting, and limits on the number of pets that can be owned. It is vitally important that Dallas-area responsible dog […]

The Dallas City Council will vote on the proposed changes to Dallas' animal control ordinance on Wednesday, June 25th, 9:00 A.M., at Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla Street, Dallas. These changes include mandatory spay/neuter, breeder permitting, and limits on the number of pets that can be owned. It is vitally important that Dallas-area responsible dog […]

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 […]

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 460, a bill which regulates breeders and infringes on the rights of responsible dog owners, will be heard in the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, June 30.  All responsible dog breeders and owners in North Carolina are encouraged to attend the hearing on Tuesday in opposition to the bill.  We need to show […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]