May 28, 2019 The New York Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee will consider a bill on Wednesday, May 29, that would prohibit any contest, competition, or tournament where the objective is taking or hunting wildlife for prizes or entertainment. The AKC views this as a threat to the ability of New Yorkers who own purposebred dogs […]

New Jersey Senate Bill 2868, which seeks to create court-appointed legal advocates for animals, has been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, December 14, 2020. All New Jersey dog owners are urged to contact the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee today to respectfully request: (1) S.2868 not be approved, […]

The New Jersey Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee is considering several bills on Monday, November 14, that impact New Jersey dog owners and breeders.  AKC encourages dog owners who reside or participate in events in New Jersey to contact the committee members prior to the hearing regarding these bills on Monday, November 14 at […]

Hawaii House Bill 871 seeks to require that sellers or providers of emotional support animals (ESAs), and sellers or providers of certificates, identifications, tags, vests, leashes, and harnesses for ESAs, provide a disclaimer that an ESA is not a service animal under state law. Like with its companion, Senate Bill 612, the American Kennel Club […]

As mentioned in a previous alert, California Assembly Bill 1901 would regulate all dog trainers in the state as boarding kennels – regardless of the type of training class or the length of the class. The bill defines dog training very broadly and must be assumed to encompass every type of training, including drop-in classes, […]

The AKC Government Relations Department has learned that the House Finance Committee will likely consider Senate Bill 460 on Thursday, June 24.  It is essential that all North Carolina dog lovers call AND e-mail members of the House Finance Committee TODAY.  Tell them that responsible dog owners and breeders oppose SB 460, and respectfully ask […]

Friday, February 01, 2019 The Hawaii House Agriculture Committee is scheduled to consider several dog-related bills at its meeting on Friday, February 8, 2019.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) and our Hawaii federation, the Pacific Pet Alliance, encourage all concerned Hawaiian dog breeders and owners to contact the committee members and express their views before […]

Ear Cropping and Tail Docking Bill Amended A. 11242, the New York State Assembly bill to prohibit ear cropping and tail docking, has been amended. It is imperative that New York fanciers and concerned dog owners contact their Assemblymember and members of the Agriculture Committee immediately to oppose this legislation.   The new version of […]

Last week, a bill was introduced in the California Assembly to regulate all who breed a dog in the state. Assembly Bill 702 can be scheduled for a committee hearing beginning March 19.  No hearing is currently scheduled; however, this is an opportunity for all who breed dogs in the state to join the AKC […]

A proposed ordinance that contains provisions of concern to dog owners has passed first reading in Neptune Beach, Florida.

The Township Committee of Shamong, New Jersey, is expected to consider significant changes to its animal ordinances at its Tuesday, September 4, meeting.  As currently worded, the proposal contains many concerning and controversial provisions, including future prohibitions on kennels and breeders with 5 or more intact females.  The proposal also includes breeding and ownership restrictions, […]

On Wednesday, March 5, 2025, the Land Development Regulation Commission of Marion County, Florida, will hold  a public hearing on “Limitations on Ownership and Possession of Dogs and Cats for unincorporated areas of the county”.  The proposal includes updated, restrictive definitions impacting dog ownership in the county, including commercial breeder (new), high volume breeder (new), […]

UPDATE: The proposed mandatory spay/neuter ordinance has been removed from today’s agenda and tentatively rescheduled for March 10th. AKC will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates. If you have not yet written a letter or email, please do so. On Tuesday, March 3rd, the Long Beach City Council will hear and vote on […]

Monday, February 29, 2016 On Thursday, March 3, 2016, committees of the New Jersey Legislature will consider several dog-related bills.  New Jersey residents are strongly encouraged to take action on the bills, as noted below. Senate Economic Growth Committee The New Jersey Senate Economic Growth Committee is scheduled to consider three bills dealing with dogs […]

Monday, October 19, 2015 The Joint Judiciary Committee of the Massachusetts General Court is scheduled to consider 20 legislative proposals concerning animals at its next meeting on Wednesday, October 21, 2015.  Included in the agenda are bills that deeply concern both the American Kennel Club and the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog […]

The West Virginia Senate has passed Senate Bill 406, which would impose onerous restrictions on those who own 11 or more intact dogs. While some exemptions are included, the AKC believes they are vague and may still impact hobbyists who are not truly commercial breeders. The bill has now been assigned to the House Judiciary […]

On Wednesday, July 28, SB1548 was amended to clarify an enforcement question by including the following language: "Any person who crops the ears of any dog or procures the cropping of a dog's ears within the State of California, except for treatment of disease or injury of the dog, is guilty of a misdemeanor." For […]

UPDATE (March 21, 2003)—Rhode Island dog fanciers had a productive meeting with House Leader Gordon Fox this week regarding the “animal protection” bill (HB5817) that contains many troublesome provisions. Fox, who is a sponsor of HB5817, listened to the concerns expressed by the fancy and appears committed to addressing their many concerns. He will take […]

The Township Committee of Shamong, New Jersey, is expected to consider significant changes to its animal ordinances at its Tuesday, September 4, meeting.  As currently worded, the proposal contains many troublesome and controversial provisions, including future prohibitions on kennels and breeders with 5 or more intact females.  The proposal also includes breeding and ownership restrictions, […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), the world’s largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs is proud to announce the winners of the 2020 AKC® Lifetime Achievement Awards: Ronald H. Menaker (Conformation), Dr. Charles ‘Bud’ Kramer (Companion Events) and Lynn Worth Smith (Performance). The Awards, created by AKC President and CEO Dennis Sprung, are […]

  The Board of Directors is considering some changes to the procedures and policies for approval of judges. It requests your comments on them. Your written comments should be addressed to: Mr. James P. Crowley Executive Secretary American Kennel Club 260 Madison Avenue New York, New York 10016. All comments must be received by Mr. […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), the world’s largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs, is honored to announce the first set of 2017 AKC Paw of Courage awards to recognize the working canines that put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe. This award specifically recognizes those who […]

By John Osborne Collier Citizen Angel, a recent addition at the Shelter for Abused Women and Children in Naples, sit in the lap of a staff member. The facility is one of very few that allows domestic violence victims to bring their pets along with them. Laura Torres/Citizen Correspondent Oftentimes, dogs are a woman’s best […]

The AKC® Humane Fund is proud to announce the winners of the 25th annual AKC® Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). These awards celebrate five loyal, hard-working dogs that have significantly improved the lives of their owners and communities. The five winners were carefully chosen from a pool of over 600 impressive nominations.   […]

New York, NY – The AKC® Humane Fund has announced the winners of the 16th annual AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). These awards commemorate five loyal, hard-working dogs that have significantly impacted the lives of their owners and people in their communities. One award is presented in each of the following five […]

New York, NY – The AKC® Humane Fund celebrates the loyalty, devotion and strength dogs share with us by announcing today the winners of the 14th annual AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE), which commemorate five hard-working dogs that have made significant contributions to their communities. The awards are presented in each of […]

Enhanced Guidelines and New Format Provide Best Practices For All Responsible Dog Owners As the only purebred dog registry in the country with an ongoing kennel inspection program, the American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is proud to announce recent enhancements to its Care and Conditions of Dogs policy.  Since 2000, AKC has conducted more than 55,000 […]

The AKC® Humane Fund is proud to announce the winners of the 23rd annual AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). These awards celebrate five loyal, hard-working dogs that have significantly improved the lives of their owners and communities. The five winners were carefully chosen from a pool of over 600 impressive nominations. The […]

The recently completed sixth AKC/Eukanuba National Championship was a wonderful way to close our year by showcasing the best of the American Kennel Club, both for the dog fancy and the general public. We hosted nearly 3,000 dogs for the weekend’s three events. All 165 AKC breeds and varieties, all 50 states and 16 countries […]

Welcome back to Orlando. The Board and the Staff are thrilled to have us all together in person again. We appreciate, as always, everyone’s commitment to keeping our gathering safe and productive so that we can celebrate the beauty and function of our dogs and experience the excitement of our Sports. There was a movie […]