Congress welcomed purebred dog owners from across the country last week as part of the American Kennel Club’s fourth-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 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 American Kennel Club® announced today that Executive Field Representative Florence Males, who has represented the AKC in the Northern California area since 1991, will retire on December 31, 2006. Males enjoyed a successful 29-year tenure as a breeder/owner/handler of Toy breeds, primarily Silky Terriers, and a brief judging career before joining AKC’s Executive Field […]

  The American Kennel Club® is pleased to announce that James S. Covey will join the Executive Field Staff covering the Northern California, Nevada area effective January 8, 2007. For more than 35 years, Covey has been an active participant in the Sport of Purebred Dogs. In his early teens he worked at a major […]

The Louisville Metro Council is again considering breed-specific legislation, a limit law and restrictions on breeders and dog owners. This ordinance will have a devastating effect on dog owners and breeders in Louisville and may have a dramatic impact on the Kentuckiana Cluster, the largest dog show cluster in the country. The legislation proposes breed […]

  - "AKC Breeder of the Year" to be Announced at AKC/Eukanuba National Championship - Today, the American Kennel Club® announced the seven group winners for the 2006 AKC® Breeder of the Year Award. The award honors breeders who have dedicated their lives to improving the health, temperament and quality of purebred dogs. "We are […]

  New York, NY – Highlights from the August 2006 meeting of the AKC Board of Directors as follows: The Board appointed members to all of the Trial Boards, effective September 1, 2006. The full list is included in the minutes for the August 2006 meeting. The Nominating Committee, which is to nominate candidates for […]

  New York, NY – Whether you're a pooch parent looking for tips on training, grooming and health or are currently considering adding a precious pup to the family, be sure to circle the month of September on your calendar to mark "AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day." This month-long celebration involves hundreds of organizations around […]

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 American Kennel Club® announced today that Holly Stump of Ipswitch, Mass. has been named a recipient of the AKC® Community Achievement Awards for her efforts to educate legislators about the dangers of breed-specific legislation. Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners, a group in which she serves as board member, nominated Stump. […]

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 […]

New York, NY – The American Kennel Club® Board of Directors has adopted a new Judging Conflict of Interest Policy, effective January 1, 2007.  AKC® believes that it has the best judges in the world and expends millions of dollars a year to administer its judging approval system to ensure that quality remains high. "AKC […]

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 […]

Help is needed again in Louisville! In the wake a of public outcry about a proposed breed-specific dangerous dog ordinance, the Louisville Metro Council formed a task force to study issues relating to dangerous dogs and changes to the animal control ordinance. Unfortunately, the latest draft from the task force includes breed-specific language, possible fee […]

  -- Gina Weiser, Rosalind Kraus and John Leininger Join Executive Field Staff; Walter Bebout Named Director of Canine Legislation; Penny Leigh and Phil Guidry to Internal Consulting Group; Michael Shea to Retire -- American Kennel Club Chief Operating Officer John Lyons today announced the appointments of six longtime fanciers to key positions at AKC. […]

  --David Keene and Dr. William R. Newman Elected to Board of Directors; Incumbent Director Nina Schaefer Re-Elected; Ronald H. Menaker and David C. Merriam Re-Elected as Chairman and Vice Chairman Respectively -- The Annual Meeting of the AKC Delegates and subsequent meeting of the Board of Directors took place on March 14, 2006. David […]

The New Castle County Council will vote next Tuesday, March 14th, on an ordinance to restrict "pit bulls." The measure, authored by Councilman Jea P. Street, defines "pit bulls" as Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers and any dog displaying the physical characteristics of these breeds. The measure will require owners […]

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 Louisville Metro Council Committee on Government Administration, Rules, Ethics, and Audit Agenda will meet at 4pm Monday, February 27th to discuss the proposed changes to the animal control ordinance. It is critical that fanciers and concerned dog owners contact their council members and ask them to oppose this measure. The American Kennel Club and […]

Fanciers have worked hard and have made significant progress in the Illinois State Legislature, which is considering several dangerous dog and breed-specific bills. Fanciers are also working to oppose breed-specific legislation (BSL) in Chicago. Below is an update on current "hot" initiatives facing Illinois residents. In the General Assembly: As Illinois dog owners may recall, […]

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 […]

Highlights from the February 2006 meeting of the AKC Board of Directors are as follows:   The Board approved a revised policy concerning visiting judges. The following actions were taken: The policy adopted at the July 2005 Board meeting was reaffirmed. However, the number of all-breed shows a visiting judge may do in a calendar […]

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 […]

The AKC and the Michigan Association for Purebred Dogs are pleased to report that the Detroit City Council has unanimously rejected a proposed breed ban. Local fanciers and responsible dog owners successfully convinced the council members that breed-specific legislation would be unenforceable, penalize responsible dog owners and would not improve public safety. The proposal would […]

All 153 AKC-Recognized Breed Standards and Histories Included with Photographs The American Kennel Club has released the 20th edition of The Complete Dog Book, published by Ballantine Books. Previously revised in 1997, the volume has been a bestselling dog book for over seventy-five years (with over 2 million copies sold).   The newly revised The […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®) announced today that Lucille Perry, of Grants Pass, Oregon, has been named a recipient of the AKC Community Achievement Award for her efforts to promote responsible dog ownership. The Rogue Valley Kennel Club, a group in which she serves as public education coordinator and legislative liaison, nominated Perry. Perry was […]

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 […]

Award Ceremony Featured on National Broadcast of AKC/Eukanuba National Championship The recipients of the AKC Breeder of the Year Award, Dave and Peggy Helming of Flemington, N.J., were honored on the live national broadcast of the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship on Saturday, January 14. The annual award honors those breeders who have dedicated their lives to […]

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 […]