New York, NY - The American Kennel Club® is pleased to announce the launch of the Veterinary Network Certificate Program which offers all puppies newly registered with the AKC® a complimentary first veterinary office visit with one of the 2,000 practices enrolled in the program.  The AKC encourages owners to register their puppy as soon […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), a not-for-profit organization, the world’s largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs, is excited to announce its list of the most popular dog names of 2023. “Choosing a name is a very personal and meaningful decision for dog owners, as dogs are an integral part of our families,” […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), the world’s largest purebred dog registry and advocate for all dogs, is pleased to announce the opening of submissions for the 2022 AKC My Canine & Me. This award is intended to honor children and young adults who are making a positive impact on the world with their dogs or […]

April 4, 2019 Each year, the New York General Assembly introduces dozens of bills that would impact dog owners, breeders, fanciers, and sportsmen.  The vast majority of these bills are re-introduced every year and never even receive a committee hearing. Due to the 2018 elections, there are many new legislators in Albany, new leaders and […]

March 19, 2019 The Washington State Senate Committee on Local Government will consider House Bill 1026 on Thursday, March 21, 2019.  This bill will prohibit local jurisdictions from passing breed-specific legislation (BSL) unless they provide an exemption to dogs that pass the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) or an equivalent program. The bill […]

Tuesday, February 4, 2020 This bill has been removed from the February 5 agenda and AKC Government Relations will update when developments warrant. Monday, February 3, 2020 The American Kennel Club is concerned with Hawaii House Bill 2163.  The bill, introduced by Representative Roy Mitsuo Takumi, seeks to limit the practices of surgical births, debarking, […]

AB418 passed out of the Assembly Committee on Public Safety late yesterday afternoon. The bill, which would ban ear cropping of dogs, now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for fiscal analysis and then on to the full Assembly. Although several concerned fanciers attended yesterday's hearing, they were considerably outnumbered by supporters of AB418. Additionally, […]

On Wednesday, following 40 minutes of floor debate, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Beagle Brigade Act (S. 759) to support U.S. detection dogs. The Senate passed this measure in November. The bill now goes to the President for his signature. AKC has been pleased to advocate over several years for passage of this […]

The New York Assembly and Senate officially adjourned, resulting in several victories for responsible owners, breeders, and hobbyists in the state. Thanks to your phone calls and emails, bills did not advance that would have regulated hobby breeders, created unclear regulations for dog trainers, or made dangerous and unreasonable changes to the state’s consumer protection […]

As previously reported, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has proposed a new rule to address the public health risk of dog-maintained rabies virus variant (DMRVV) associated with the importation of dogs into the United States. CDC notes that the close relationship between dogs and people means that there is a […]