The American Kennel Club® is pleased to announce the promotion of Doug Ljungren to Assistant Vice President of Performance Events. Doug joined the AKC as Director of Performance Events in March 2007. He has been responsible for all facets of AKC Field Trials, Hunting Tests, Herding, Lure Coursing and Earthdog Events since taking over for […]

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 […]

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 […]

Arizona House Bill 2516 has been assigned to three legislative committees: the House Committee on Counties, Municipalities, and Military Affairs; the House Committee on Government; and the House Committee on Rules. The bill, which seeks to prohibit persons from owning or keeping a dog or cat that is more than six months old if the […]

  The American Kennel Club® announced recently that the Detroit Kennel Club (DKC) has been named a recipient of the AKC® Community Achievement Award for using its annual dog show as a golden opportunity for public education on a grand scale. The DKC received one of three awards for the third quarter of 2007- Joseph […]

Late Friday the US Senate passed their version of the 2007 Farm Bill. Below is a summary of provisions affecting dogs. Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) has announced that his amendment to the Senate Farm Bill to protect the health of puppies imported into the United States has been accepted. The measure will require that […]

The San Antonio City Council will decide on proposed major revisions to its animal ordinance at the Thursday, December 13th, “A Session” meeting.  Public comment will be accepted at this hearing prior to the council’s vote.  It is imperative that all concerned San Antonio-area breeders and owners strongly voice their opposition to this proposal. The […]

As the year comes to a close I’d like to review what the AKC has accomplished. The Board and Staff have worked diligently to ensure the continued success of our club and the sport. The Fancy has played a major role in our success. They were effective in defeating the proposed mandatory spay and neuter […]

The American Kennel Club has been advocating for purebred dog owners since our founding in 1884. Yet in 1990 we stepped up our efforts in the political arena with the formation of the Canine Legislation department. Now the time has come again for AKC to further enhance our role in protecting owners' and breeders' rights. […]

The American Kennel Club has been advocating for purebred dog owners since our founding in 1884. Yet in 1990 we stepped up our efforts in the political arena with the formation of the Canine Legislation department. Now the time has come again for AKC to further enhance our role in protecting owners' and breeders' rights. […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC) and our Texas federation of owners, the Responsible Pet Owners Alliance (RPOA), remain deeply concerned with the proposed changes to San Antonio's animal ordinance. The proposed ordinance is unreasonable, unenforceable, and unfairly penalizes responsible dog breeders and owners. For example, if adopted, the new law will impose many burdensome restrictions, […]

It is sometimes beneficial in both our personal and our professional lives to step back and take a longer perspective of what we have achieved and what we seek. Our natural inclination is to focus on just today and tomorrow. Today I want to share with you some longer range evaluation of just how AKC […]

The American Kennel Club announced today the winners of the seventh AKC Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE), the award designed to commemorate loyal, hard-working dogs that have made significant contributions to their community. The ACE is given annually to dogs in each of the following five categories: Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue, Therapy, Service and […]

Taking the Time to Pick the Right Breed Makes You The Real Hero With the release of the action adventure movie Underdog, the American Kennel Club® reminds moviegoers about the importance of making careful, educated decisions when considering adding a dog to their home. Distributed by (c) Disney Enterprises, Inc., Underdog is a live re-make […]

It is imperative that breeders and concerned dog owners in Washington, D.C., express their opposition to the Animal Protection Amendment Act, a recently proposed ordinance that, if adopted, will make drastic, unnecessary, and burdensome changes to current District law.  Some of the most onerous provisions of the ordinance would: Take animals outside the realm of […]

Last month in my Chairman's Report I reported on a pending threat to purebred dog ownership in California: Assembly Bill 1634 would require the mandatory spay or neuter of dogs 4 months or older unless an intact dog permit is purchased through local authorities. Should this bill become law, I fear it could be a […]

Since February we have been waging a legislative battle against California Assembly Bill 1634 which would require mandatory spaying/neutering for all dogs over 4 months of age unless the owner qualifies for and purchases an intact dog permit through the local authorities. This would mean that those wishing to keep their dogs intact would be […]

Today, the California Assembly Business and Professions Committee discussed Assembly Bill 1634, known as the California Health Pets Act. However, at the request of its sponsor, Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, the bill will be further considered at the committee's April 24th meeting, during which a vote will be taken. It is possible that AB 1634 will […]

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 […]

California Assembly Bill 1634, known as the California Healthy Pets Act, was assigned to the Assembly Business and Professions Committee on Monday, March 26. It seeks to require the mandatory spaying or neutering of all dogs or cats over four months of age, unless the owner acquires an intact animal permit. It is imperative that […]