The American Kennel Club® (AKC) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 AKC® Lifetime Achievement Awards: Walter F. Goodman (Conformation), James J. Ham (Companion Events) and Jo Ann Frier-Murza (Performance). The three recipients will receive engraved silver Revere bowls on Tuesday, December 7, 2010 at the AKC Delegates luncheon held in conjunction […]

A set of arbitrary and harmful federal breeder bills (H.R. 2840 /S. 1385) that would mandate new requirements for certain hobby and professional dog breeders are gaining support in Congress.  We urge all responsible dog owners, breeders and enthusiasts to contact their lawmakers about the harmful consequences of the bills. While certain aspects of this […]

March 5, 2019 A bill slated to move quickly in the Iowa House of Representatives would make significant changes to the state’s breeder laws. While some changes are a positive advancement, there are many concerning provisions that could unnecessarily harm dogs and responsible dog owners and breeders. A subcommittee discussed House Study Bill 227 today, […]

Two new bills in the New York State Senate would severely limit the operations of responsible dog breeders in the Empire State. The American Kennel Club opposes these bills, and strongly encourages all concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in New York to contact the members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which currently has cognizance […]

Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), the principal sponsor of the so-called "Puppy Protection Act" (PPA) in the 107th Congress has informed the American Kennel Club that he plans to introduce a modified version of the PPA in the near future. The new version of the PPA will be virtually identical to the original, except that it […]

The American Kennel Club has learned that New Jersey Senate Bill 1803, which seeks to prohibit declawing procedures from being performed on cats and other animals unless deemed necessary for a therapeutic purpose by a licensed veterinarian, has been moved to the Senate Economic Growth Committee.  Please see updated committee contact information below. The American […]

AKC continues to monitor several bills impacting dog owners in Washington state. Below are the latest updates, along with contact information if you wish to comment on any of these measures. AKC GR will continue to provide individual updates and alerts when necessary.  Bills in Washington state Legislature: House Bill 1012 – Addressing the response […]

The author of California AB 1881 (the “Dog and Cat Bill of Rights”) has agreed to remove the word “rights”, along with other substantive amendments from the text of Assembly Bill 1881 and will be verbally stating this in the public hearing tomorrow. This amendment comes after significant concerns were expressed by the American Kennel […]

Recently, the Pennsylvania Senate introduced the “Dog Law Modernization Act”.  Senate Bill 1289 removes the difference in license fees for intact and sterilized dogs and makes many other changes to licensing for dog owners, kennels, and rescues, as well as other changes to the Commonwealth’s Dog Law. The bill is scheduled for a hearing tomorrow […]

-- Changing the Future -- New York, NY – Last Thursday we posted a charming photograph of three Golden Retriever puppies on the American Kennel Club Facebook page. The caption was “I love my breeder” with a request to “share your love for your dog’s breeder.”  The image was shared 2,500 times, received 11,000 likes and […]