The AKC Government Relations Department expects Oklahoma Senate Bill 1712 to be sent to Governor Brad Henry soon for his signature or veto.  It is imperative that all responsible dog breeders and owners in Oklahoma contact Governor Henry immediately and respectfully ask him to veto this bill. Bill Summary: Known as the "Commercial Pet Breeders […]

The House companion to Florida Senate Bill 1356, House Bill 1521, is now scheduled to be heard by the House Subcommittee on Industries and Professional Activities on February 5, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. This bill would require dog breeders to register with the state and establish new operational regulations. Florida residents are strongly encouraged to […]

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) is proposing new rules to establish requirements regarding the importation of live dogs for resale, whether through retail or wholesale channels or fee-based adoption, from regions where African Swine Fever (ASF) exists or is reasonably believed to exist.  The proposed rules […]

Over the past couple weeks, AKC Government Relations has sent out several alerts regarding bills impacting dog owners in the state. With bill hearing deadlines looming at the end of the month, a number of hearings will be scheduled over the next few weeks. Below are updates on the latest status on each one and […]

Oregon House Bill 2470 continues to gain momentum in the Oregon Legislature.  The bill, which seeks to severely limit the responsible breeding of dogs via ownership limits and onerous operational requirements, has been assigned to the Senate Consumer Protection and Public Affairs Committee.  The American Kennel Club and its Oregon Federation, the National Animal Interest […]

New York Senate Bill 4961 seeks to classify more New Yorkers as "pet dealers" and to strictly regulate their operations.  The bill will be considered by the Senate Agriculture Committee tomorrow, Tuesday, June 2.  The American Kennel Club encourages all concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in the Empire State to contact the Senate Agriculture […]

California State Senator Dean Florez has introduced Senate Bill 250, a measure that purports to reduce shelter populations, but would in reality make it easier to revoke licenses for intact dogs and cats in California. This legislation will not improve the lives of cats and dogs, will negatively impact responsible owners and breeders, and by […]

SUMMARY: On Thursday, March 28, 2024, the New Hampshire House of Representatives is expected to vote on House Bill 1102, an extremist bill that seeks to describe brachycephaly as a “birth deformity that causes suffering” and would criminalize the sale and breeding of brachycephalic dogs and any dog that could be claimed to have a […]

This week, the Ohio Department of Agriculture finalized rules regarding high volume dog breeders, dog brokers, and pet stores.  The American Kennel Club’s Government Relations Department (AKC GR) published and distributed information about the proposed rule changes in March 2022. Summaries of the finalized rule changes are provided for readers’ convenience; however, impacted entities are […]

The 17th annual AKC Agility Invitational Presented by YuMOVE® took place December 17-18, 2022 in Orlando, FL in conjunction with the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin, demonstrating the highest level of training and teamwork between dog and handler. The top five dogs in each breed received an invitation to compete in this prestigious […]