'Dog-Napping' a Serious Crime   AKC Appearance on ABC's Good Morning America Highlights Prevalence of Trend and Reminds Owners to Keep Pets Safe The American Kennel Club® continues to remind pet owners to heed warnings about an alarming rise in "dog–nappings." State houses across America have taken notice and are proposing laws to toughen penalties […]

New York, NY - The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) announced recently that Delaware County Kennel Club (Pennsylvania) and the Pasco Florida Kennel Club have been honored with AKC Community Achievement Award for the first quarter of 2012. The AKC Community Achievement Awards support and recognize outstanding public education and legislation efforts of AKC-affiliated clubs, AKC-recognized […]

  At the AKC Delegate Meeting on March 11, Dr. Patricia H. Haines was elected to the AKC Board of Directors, Class of 2007, and Dr. Carmen L. Battaglia and Mrs. Patti L. Strand were re-elected. Ronald H. Menaker was re-elected Chairman of the Board and David C. Merriam was re-elected Vice-Chairman.   Dr. Patricia […]

-- Learn How to Prevent Your Best Friend from Being the Target of a Crime -- For the past two years, the American Kennel Club has been tracking the rising trend of pet thefts across America. According to the AKC's National Pet Theft Database, based on customer and media reports, approximately 177 pets have been […]

On August 1, 2024, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will implement new restrictions and requirements for the entry of dogs into the U.S. Anyone planning to bring a dog into the U.S. in the near future should familiarize themselves with upcoming import policy changes. The American Kennel Club (AKC) recognizes the serious […]

Hobby breeders could soon be considered "dealers" in Tennessee if H148 or its companion S1686 are enacted. Both bills would require anyone who breeds and sells more than one litter of puppies per year to be licensed as a "dealer." In Tennessee, dealers must be inspected by the state and pay anywhere from $125-$1000 annually […]

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently expressed support for 2026 legislation that will seek to “crack down on abusive ‘puppy mills’ and strengthen animal welfare standards” in Florida.  The governor made the announcement from the grounds of a well-funded animal rescue, which championed extreme anti-breeder legislation filed in the Florida legislature earlier in 2025. The Governor’s […]

The American Kennel Club is concerned with Hawaii Senate Bill 2512.  The bill, which is scheduled to be considered by the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, at 2:00pm in House Conference Room 329, seeks to limit the practices of surgical births, debarking, tail docking, and ear cropping by […]

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 […]

The AKC is committed to maintaining the freedoms we deserve and are fortunate to enjoy when it comes to owning, breeding and showing dogs. We are firmly opposed to any unreasonable infringement on the rights of hobby breeders who are dedicated to nurturing our beloved breeds and responsibly enjoying our sport. With this in mind, […]