Recently, the Virginia General Assembly adjourned its 2021 session.  During the short 30-day session, a few bills relating to dogs and dog owners were considered. Those bills monitored by AKC Government Relations included: House Bill 2109: As originally introduced, this bill sought to expands the regulatory and policymaking Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services by […]

Next week, three bills impacting dogs are scheduled for a public hearing. The American Kennel Club (AKC) strongly encourages those who reside in New Hampshire to contact the committees as follows: CONCERNING ORIGINAL ANIMAL RECORDS DATABASE LANGUAGE Tuesday, February 9th at 1pm: SB 127 is a budget bill before the Senate Finance Committee that includes […]

Massachusetts House Bill 1948, sponsored by Representative Bradford Hill, seeks to establish non-discriminatory, workable methods by which to deal with vicious and potentially dangerous dogs. It has been assigned to the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, which will consider the bill on Monday, May 14, 2007. It is vitally important that dog owners […]

UPDATE: The proposed mandatory spay/neuter ordinance has been removed from today’s agenda and tentatively rescheduled for March 10th. AKC will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates. If you have not yet written a letter or email, please do so. On Tuesday, March 3rd, the Long Beach City Council will hear and vote on […]

Tomorrow, Thursday, December 12, 2024, the County Commission of Upshur County, West Virginia, will be taking public comment on a proposed ordinance seeking to address at-large and dangerous dogs in the county. Residents are encouraged to contact the County Commission and participate in the hearings on December 12 and December 19, 2024, to express your […]

Two new Maryland laws that could impact dog owners are now in effect. The first requires that dogs left unattended in extreme weather have suitable shelter.  The other addresses “Cost of Animal Care” and requires individuals whose animals have been seized due to charges of cruelty or severe neglect to pay the cost of caring […]

– The Spanish Water Dog, Cirneco dell’Etna, Bergamasco, & Boerboel Gain Full AKC Recognition – New York, NY –The pack has expanded! The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) announced today that the Spanish Water Dog, Cirneco dell’Etna, Bergamasco, and Boerboel gained full AKC recognition. This brings AKC’s roster of recognized breeds to 184. "The AKC is […]

New York, NY – The American Kennel Club® Board of Directors has adopted a new Judging Conflict of Interest Policy, effective January 1, 2007.  AKC® believes that it has the best judges in the world and expends millions of dollars a year to administer its judging approval system to ensure that quality remains high. "AKC […]

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 thrilled to welcome the Basset Fauve de Bretagne, Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka, and the Teddy Roosevelt Terrier to the registry, bringing the number of recognized breeds […]

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 announce the recipients of the 2025 Junior Versatility Scholarships. The program honors Juniors who actively compete across a range of sports. Participants earn […]