-- 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, […]

On Tuesday, Congressional lawmakers released the final version of a must-pass $1.7 trillion fiscal year 2023 federal spending bill that provides funding for the U.S. Government. The agreement between House and Senate appropriators contains spending for several key areas impacting dogs. It also includes report language impacting canine policy, including legislative proposals AKC has tracked […]

The Santa Fe County Commission is holding the first of two public hearings on Tuesday, September 13, on a proposal that would impact all dog owners residing or participating in events in the county. Those who reside or participate in events in the county are strongly encouraged to contact the committee, and if possible, attend […]

On March 3, the House Agriculture Committee will mark up draft language pertaining to federal dog laws in the 2026 House Farm Bill (H.R. 7567). As introduced, the bill supports important priorities for dog enthusiasts and responsible breeders, including canine health, welfare and the rights of responsible dog owners and breeders.  As a constituent of an […]

Thanks to the strong response from AKC advocates and sportsmen’s groups—and the strong leadership of House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson—the House Farm bill, H.R. 7567, the “Farm, Food, and National Security Act,” passed by the U.S. House contained positive provisions that support responsible breeding and dog ownership and no provisions that will cause harm. […]

The New Hampshire House Environment and Agriculture Committee is scheduled to hear House Bill 337 on Wednesday, February 11. This measure would prevent any dog owner from selling more than one dog or cat per year without a temporary license, which expires after 60 days. The AKC urges all responsible dog owners, fanciers, and breeders […]

No Good news for dogs as AKC announces its most popular breeds:  The picture painted of the American Kennel Club in a blog published by HSUS yesterday was filled with so many inaccuracies, we’ve decided to try to fix the inaccuracies section by section, rather than write a full rebuttal. –AKC. HSUS:    Last year, […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), a not-for-profit organization that is the world’s largest registry of purebred and mixed-breed dogs, and a leading voice for canine welfare and responsible ownership, is pleased to recognize extraordinary breeding programs from the Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding groups as 2025 AKC Breeder of the Year group […]

-- Canine Health Always A Top Priority -- For more than a century the American Kennel Club®, its parent clubs, and responsible breeders have been dedicated to canine health. The very existence and continuation of breeds in this country depends on a foundation of healthy, sound and good tempered breeding stock. AKC takes very seriously […]

The American Kennel Club is the only purebred dog registry which mandates both registration as well as care and condition quality control standards enforced through ongoing rigorous inspections of AKC Breeders. In 1991, the AKC’s Compliance Department came into its own, going beyond the complaint-based system of investigations to mandatory inspection for certain AKC breeders.  […]