-- Click here for more information about PAWS -- The following is an interview with AKC's federal government relations consultant Jim Holt in response to dog owners' questions about PAWS. The article originally appeared in Dog News June 10th, 2005. Who is regulated under current law and how would PAWS change that? In simple terms, […]

Massachusetts residents, take action now! AKC Government Relations has learned that House Bill 1080 and Senate Bill 1155, which seek to be impose regulatory oversight over personal and commercial kennels, mandate annual inspections of all kennels, and create consumer protections laws is scheduled for consideration by the Joint Municipalities and Regional Government Committee on Tuesday, […]

On Thursday, April 10, 2025, starting at 5PM, the Senate Committee on Judiciary is scheduled to accept testimony on multiple dog related bills. The American Kennel Club (AKC) is strongly opposed to two and encourages residents to review two others for possible outcomes. S.551 – CRUELTY TO ANIMALS – OPPOSE Seeking to further the interest […]

1/4/22 Update:  Unfortunately, the Assembly Agriculture Committee approved an amended version of A.6099 by a vote of 4-1.  Two of the votes in favor of the bill were by committee members who were defeated in their recent reelection bids.  Like its companion bill S.4058 in the Senate, A.6099 may now be scheduled for consideration by […]

The American Kennel Club is pleased to announce that SB 460 is finally dead. The measure was pulled from consideration by the House Finance Committee late last week when it became clear that supporters did not have the votes to pass the measure in the House. The AKC received further confirmation this past weekend that […]

Friday, October 23, 2015 On Wednesday, October 28, the Joint Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee of the Massachusetts legislature will consider bills impacting the keeping of dogs.  House Bill 649 seeks to address the problems associated with the importation of animals intended for adoption, while Senate Bill 444 seeks to ensure that trainers of […]

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 […]

In an early release of a June 1 notice, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced an extension and modification of the July 2021 temporary suspension of the importation of dogs from countries classified as high risk for canine rabies.  Based on improvements in its ability to track and monitor […]

New York, NY - As I am sure you will recall, before Ronald Reagan became President of the United States, he had a very successful career as a television and film star and as the head of the Screen Actors Guild. What you might not remember was his long-running role as GE spokesman. Starting in […]

-- Defending Our Rights -- New York, NY – For years, animal rights extremists have focused on attacking the health of purebred dogs based on what they determined were improper breeding programs, and have indiscriminately discredited dog breeders with unsupported anecdotal stories as opposed to facts. We all know the unsubstantiated accusations all too well. Unfortunately, […]