Legislative Alerts

The Wisconsin Assembly has approved a measure that would allow citizens to use reasonable force to enter a vehicle if it is believed that a person or domestic animal inside the vehicle is in imminent danger.  Under Assembly Bill 308 as passed by the Assembly, a person would be immune from civil liability for property […]

A program approved yesterday by the North Carolina governor will establish a new “hotline” in the state to allow North Carolinians to report any violation of the state's animal cruelty laws or Animal Welfare Act directly to the Attorney General. The “hotline” will consist of multiple methods by which to report alleged violations, including a […]

A new law was enacted yesterday by the New York Governor that permits dogs in outdoor areas of eating establishments in the state, as long as certain conditions are met.  The AKC supported this measure, which allows responsible dog owners more opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities and socialization with their well-behaved pets.  Under the new […]

Monday, October 26, 2015 Last week, AKC Government Relations (AKC GR) published information regarding the upcoming meeting of the Joint Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture Committee of the Massachusetts legislature.  Since then, additional bills have been added to the committee’s agenda.  Two of the newly-added bills, SB 443 and HB 634, may prove problematic.  AKC […]

Michigan House Bill 4898, which seeks to limit the number of dogs that can be kept on a single premises and expands state authority to regulate  “large scale dog breeding kennels”, has been approved by the House Appropriations Committee and could be scheduled for consideration by the full House of Representatives very soon.  Michigan residents […]

Friday, October 23, 2015 On Wednesday, October 28, the Joint Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee of the Massachusetts legislature will consider bills impacting the keeping of dogs.  House Bill 649 seeks to address the problems associated with the importation of animals intended for adoption, while Senate Bill 444 seeks to ensure that trainers of […]

VA UPDATE:  Tethering Hearing Postponed The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has just announced that the hearing scheduled for Tuesday, October 20, on the proposal to prohibit all tethering over 1 hour has been postponed. As introduced, this proposal would have prohibited tethering a dog for more than 1 hour cumulatively, regardless of whether the […]

The Michigan House Regulatory Reform Committee is scheduled to take public testimony on Wednesday, October 21, on a bill that as introduced creates numerous new regulations regarding shelter intake and release of dogs and cats.  The agenda for the hearing also indicates that the bill may include provisions “to include large-scale commercial dog breeders.” Summary: […]

Monday, October 19, 2015 The Joint Judiciary Committee of the Massachusetts General Court is scheduled to consider 20 legislative proposals concerning animals at its next meeting on Wednesday, October 21, 2015.  Included in the agenda are bills that deeply concern both the American Kennel Club and the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog […]

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a hearing for October 20 on a proposal that would, among other provisions, prohibit tethering a dog for more than 1 hour cumulatively a day – with no exceptions.  The proposal specifically states that this restriction is in place even if the dog is provided with the […]