Senate Bill 2022 passed the Rhode Island Senate on June 1, 2010 and has now been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. Concerned Rhode Island dog owners should contact the members of the Judiciary Committee. The AKC Government Relations Department continues to monitor this legislation and will provide updates on further action on this bill […]

Following the recent defeat of proposed breeder regulations, New Jersey dog owners barely had time to catch their breaths before Senator Sharpe James, who is also Mayor of Newark, introduced the "Responsible Pit Bull Ownership Act" (S1718) late last week. S1718 Would Allow a Municipality To: Require a special license for all "pit bulls" ($150-700)-including […]

The Indianapolis City Council has decided not to pursue breed-specific legislation. Councilwoman Sherron Franklin will be proposing a stricter dangerous dog ordinance that requires dogs that have been determined to be dangerous to be confined by a fence or specified structure and imposes a minimum $500 fine for violators. AKC thanks the fanciers and concerned […]

The Indianapolis City Council has decided not to pursue breed-specific legislation. Councilwoman Sherron Franklin will be proposing a stricter dangerous dog ordinance that requires dogs that have been determined to be dangerous to be confined by a fence or specified structure and imposes a minimum $500 fine for violators. AKC thanks the fanciers and concerned […]

The California State Assembly will resume its session on August 15th, and SB 861 remains on the Assembly floor. Concerned dog owners will recall that the bill, which originally would have permitted municipalities to broadly regulate and/or restrict dogs based on their breed, was amended in June to only allow breed-specific measures that pertain to […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC) is pleased to report that the Connecticut legislative session adjourned on May 4, 2022. The outcome of bills impacting dog owners is as follows: HB 5295 – Concerning Agriculture Development and Innovation (with a working group on establishing a state-wide online dog licensing portal and updates to kennel/dog licenses.) Status: […]

Immediate help from New Jersey dog owners is needed to defeat legislation that would severely restrict ownership of "pit bulls" and possibly Rottweilers. A2906 was introduced in October 2002 and fanciers immediately rallied to educate lawmakers about the ineffectiveness of breed-specific legislation. An identical Senate bill, S2381, was introduced in late February. We must act […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), the world's largest purebred dog registry and governing body of dog sports, is pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural season of the AKC Agility League. The AKC Agility League has concluded its pilot season, which ran from May 30th to August 21st, and named the first League season […]

Award Presented at AKC/Eukanuba National Championship   James W. Smith of North Collins, NY was honored with the 2012 AKC Breeder of the Year Award for his Absolutely Smooth Fox Terriers at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship on Sunday, December 16, 2012.  The annual award honors those breeders who have dedicated their lives to improving the […]

2016 is already showing itself to be a year of opportunity and promise, as evidenced by a wonderful new documentary about our sport that you may know about.  For those of you who are not aware, a channel called AT&T U-verse Sports created a twenty-three minute show that went behind the scenes at the 2015 […]