Late Friday, United States District Court Judge Charles R. Simpson, III, of the Western District of Kentucky issued his decision in the case of the Louisville Kennel Club, Inc. v. Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government.  A significant victory for the Louisville Kennel Club, the judge’s decision features two key rulings that may also prove to be […]

The City of Claremore, Oklahoma, has recently enacted a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance for all dogs and cats owned by city residents.  The ordinance does not apply to anyone not residing within Claremore city limits or to any non-residents participating in dog events in the city. The new law requires all dog and cat owners to […]

Senator Dean Florez, the author of Senate Bill 250, has issued a press release stating that the bill will be put on hold until the legislature reconvenes in January 2010. AKC thanks the clubs, and responsible owners and breeders who took the time to educate their legislators about this issue. We encourage you all to […]

As expected, the U.S. Senate last night approved, 63-35, the nomination of Cass Sunstein to be Director of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. The role, also known as the "Regulatory Czar" is responsible for overseeing regulatory policy throughout the government. The nomination was approved […]

California Senate Bill 250 failed on the Assembly Floor 28-42. Forty-one votes were needed for passage, meaning Senator Florez needs 13 additional votes to pass SB 250. The bill was noticed for Reconsideration today which requires 41 votes to pass. Then the bill could be taken up for another vote prior to the close of […]

Senator Florez has amended Senate Bill 250, but the changes do little to address AKC’s fundamental concerns with the bill. It is imperative that California responsible dog owners and breeders immediately contact their Assemblymembers and Senators and ask them to oppose SB 250!!! As expected, the bill now provides that an intact dog with a […]

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 […]

Yesterday, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell signed House Bill 39 into law.  Effective immediately, this new law now: Limits the legal practices of ear cropping, debarking, and surgical births to those procedures performed by a veterinarian.   Permits owners to perform tail docking and dewclaw removal procedures only on dogs less than five days of age; […]

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, in a swift, unannounced meeting, the North Carolina Senate Rules Committee voted on SB 460 and sent the bill back to the Senate floor. Our sources indicate that the new version of the bill is different than the one previously approved by the Commerce and Finance committees, however copies of the new measure are […]

Senate Bill 460, a bill that seeks to unnecessarily regulate the operations of dog breeders in North Carolina remains under consideration in the state Senate. The AKC believes the bill is likely to be scheduled for consideration by the full Senate as early as next Tuesday. With your help and participation over the next several […]

Senate Bill 250 has been sent to the Assembly Appropriations Suspense File because staff expects the bill to cost the state more than $150,000 a year to enforce. The committee will schedule a Suspense File hearing prior to the August 28th fiscal deadline. Once the date of that hearing is known, we will post an […]

The Massachusetts legislature’s Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government has scheduled consideration of 14 dog-related bills at its meeting on Tuesday, July 14th.  Another bill of importance, HB 344 (see info, below) will be heard concurrently by the Joint Judiciary Committee.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) and its Massachusetts federation, the Massachusetts Federation of […]

The American Kennel Club congratulates the many responsible dog breeders and owners in Tennessee who successfully endured a difficult 2009 legislative session.  In particular, House Bill 386 and its companion, Senate Bill 258, were especially threatening.  If enacted as introduced, these bills would have: Limited the number of dogs an individual could own;   Implemented […]

UPDATE: North Carolina Breeders Bill Placed on Senate Floor Calendar for Wednesday, July 8 Senate Bill 460 has been placed on the calendar for a reading and full Senate consideration next Wednesday, July 8. It remains imperative that all responsible owners and breeders contact their Senators before Wednesday and ask them to not allow taxpayer […]

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 American Kennel Club® is pleased to welcome four students participating in the 2009 AKC® Internship Program. The program isgeared towards college students with a background and interest in purebred dogs and is designed to further their professional development, as well as help AKC identify potential employees with experience in both AKC operations and […]

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 […]

New York Senate Bill 4961 seeks to classify more New Yorkers as "pet dealers" and to strictly regulate their operations.  The bill will be considered by the Senate Agriculture Committee tomorrow, Tuesday, June 2.  The American Kennel Club encourages all concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in the Empire State to contact the Senate Agriculture […]

The New York Senate Agriculture Committee has scheduled a hearing for Senate Bill 5392 on June 2, 2009.  This bill will limit ownership to no more than 50 intact dogs and cats over four months of age if they are kept for the purpose of breeding and selling the offspring. In addition SB 5392 allows […]