Ohio State Representative Jim Hughes introduced a substitute House Bill 606 before the State Government Committee on December 7th. The original bill set the threshold for licensure as an establishment that keeps, houses, and maintains nine or more adult dogs. Rep. Hughes' substitute bill modifies the definition of those covered by the licensure requirement as […]

Minnesota Senate Bill 121, known as the Dog and Cat Breeders Bill, has been introduced by Senators Betzold and Koering. It seeks to establish breeder licensing, inspection of all "kennels", and unproven care standards. If passed and signed into law, the changes imposed by this bill would have a profound impact on dog breeders in […]

Representative Trent VanHaaften today confirmed that House Bill 1607 will not move forward in its present form. This bill would have imposed requirements on breeders who either sold one dog for profit per year or breeders who sold six or more dogs per year. Rep. VanHaaften has indicated that he will welcome constructive input in […]

Please be advised that Minnesota HF 1046, the Dog and Cat Breeders Act, has been pulled from today's agenda for the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee. The bill was to be considered at 6:30PM today. The Canine Legislation Department will continue to monitor legislative activities in Minnesota, and will advise as developments warrant. […]

Texas House Bill 1355, authored by Representative Gattis, will be considered by the House County Affairs Committee, 2PM Wednesday, April 4, at the Capitol in Austin, Room E2.016. AKC’s Texas federation, the Responsible Pet Owners Alliance, has serious concerns about this bill, especially regarding the provision that a first-time offense would be considered a felony […]

Assembly Bill 1634, the California bill that will require any dog or cat over the age of four months to be spayed or neutered will be revised with even more burdensome requirements. The bill still does not make any provision for animals in the state only for a short time or those who are competing […]

The Miami-Dade County Commission will be holding a public hearing at 9:30am on Tuesday, December 18th to discuss a variety of changes to the animal control ordinance including limiting the number of pets a resident may own, implementing hobby breeder licensing, requiring mandatory microchipping for dog breeders and restricting rescue organizations. Concerned dog owners and […]

Ohio House Bill 366, sponsored by Representative Webster, has been referred to the House Committee on Infrastructure, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs. If adopted, the bill will remove "pit bulls" from the definition of vicious dogs in state law. The American Kennel Club encourages all Ohio dog owners to write the committee members in support […]

The Ohio House of Representatives Infrastructure, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs Committee will consider House Bill 366 tomorrow, Wednesday, January 9th, at 2:30PM, in Room 114 at the State Capitol in Columbus.  Sponsored by Representative Webster, the bill proposes to remove the current breed specific language from the definition of vicious dogs in state law.  […]

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 […]

On Wednesday, February 13 Virginia House Bill 538 was assigned to the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee. It is expected to have a hearing on Monday, February 18. The bill seeks to: Define commercial breeders as persons who maintain 30 or more unsterilized adult females for commercial breeding; Limit commercial breeders to maintaining […]

On Tuesday, February 12 Virginia House Bill 538 passed the House of Delegates and was sent to the Senate. The bill seeks to:   Define commercial breeders as persons who maintain 30 or more unsterilized adult females for commercial breeding; Limit commercial breeders to maintaining no more than 50 adult dogs at one time; Restrict […]

Minnesota House File 3245, sponsored by Representative Dennis Ozment, seeks to lift the state's current prohibition on breed-specific legislation. If passed and signed into law, the changes imposed by this bill would have a profound impact on all dog owners in Minnesota. It is imperative that all dog owners and breeders in Minnesota contact the […]

The Senate Agriculture and Veterans committee has removed SB 2292 from its February 26 agenda. The bill may be still heard at a later date. Please contact the members of the committee to share your concerns about this bill. Continue to check www.akc.org for updates. Minnesota Breeders Bills Moving Forward [Wednesday, February 20, 2008] Minnesota […]

Ohio House Bill 568, introduced by Representative Tyrone Yates of Cincinnati, seeks to prohibit the ownership, keeping, or harboring of a dog that "belongs to a breed that is commonly known as a pit bull dog."  Furthermore, if this bill is passed and adopted into law, all such dogs will be seized and euthanized.  It […]

Pennsylvania House Bill 2553 will remove the state's prohibition on breed specific local ordinances, thereby allowing municipalities to adopt any type of law applicable to dangerous dogs, including breed-specific ordinances.  It is imperative that concerned dog owners in Pennsylvania contact their legislators and express their strong opposition to this bill.  The American Kennel Club supports […]

Today, the California Senate Local Government Committee passed, by a 3-2 vote, California Assembly Bill 1634 with amendments taken by the author.  Senators Gloria Negrete McLeod, Christine Kehoe, and Michael Machado voted in favor, while Senators Dave Cox and Tom Harman voted against the measure.  The bill will now go to the Senate Appropriations Committee […]

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 Senate Appropriations Committee has determined that AB 1634 does not have a fiscal impact. Senate Rule 28.8 allows bills that do not have a cost to the state to be submitted directly to the floor. Due to this determination AB 1634 will NOT be heard in the Appropriations Committee on Monday. The AKC Government […]

Yesterday, a vote by the Chicago City Council's Finance Committee, in consideration of a proposed mandatory spay/neuter ordinance, was put off by committee chairman Alderman Ed Burke.  After several hours of testimony, Alderman Burke delayed a vote to allow more testimony to be heard.  No new hearing date has been set. AKC's Government Relations Department […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 New Hampshire House Environment and Agriculture Committee is scheduled to hear House Bill 337 on Wednesday, February 11. This measure would prevent any dog owner from selling more than one dog or cat per year without a temporary license, which expires after 60 days. The AKC urges all responsible dog owners, fanciers, and breeders […]

A bill labeling "pit bulls" and Rottweilers as "dangerous dogs" has been introduced in the New Mexico House of Representatives.  Under current New Mexico statute, any owner of a dog deemed to be "dangerous" must be spayed or neutered, microchipped and registered each year. Under House Bill 667, the definition of "dangerous dog" is expanded […]

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! […]

SB 139 is scheduled for a hearing in the Agriculture and Conservation Committee for February 18th at 1pm in Room 409 of the State Capitol. Please contact the committee members and the author to express your concerns. The AKC Government Relations department will provide an update after the hearing on our website and will have an alert […]

Representative John Heaton's office has confirmed that HB 667 will be amended to remove the breed-specific provisions. The AKC Government Relations department thanks all those who called, wrote letters, and emailed their representatives about this important issue. We will provide additional information once the amended text is available.   Rottweilers and Pit Bulls Targeted in […]

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, […]