Legislative Alerts

Early this morning, the U.S. House Agriculture Committee approved a House Farm Bill (H.R. 8467) that supports important priorities for dog enthusiasts and responsible breeders, including canine health, welfare and the rights of responsible dog owners. The bill was also approved without problematic potential amendments outlined in the May 17 alert.    We thank everyone […]

In 2021, New Hampshire signed HB 2 into law, which included the establishment of a new electronic statewide animal records database.  The bill required the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food (Department) to design, establish, and contract with a third party for the implementation of an electronic system to facilitate the handling of […]

The New York Senate is expected to soon consider two bills that would have a significant positive impact on dogs and dog owners in New York. AKC encourages New York residents to join us in support of these bills by contacting your State Senator today and asking them to support Senate Bill 7416, to protect […]

In June, the California Assembly Public Safety Committee will consider a bill that seeks to expands the definition of stalking to include behavior that seeks to harm or threaten a domestic violence victim’s pets, service animals, or emotional support animals. This bill would bring California in line with the federal stalking statute. AKC encourages California […]

 South Carolina’s two-year legislative session adjourned on May 9, 2024, and this week Governor Henry McMaster signed into law two bills that affect dogs and dog owners: House Bill 4611 makes it an offense for a person to intentionally remove or destroy an electronic collar or other electronic device that was placed on a dog […]

Last week was a pivotal point in the California Legislature with the deadline passing for bills to clear fiscal committees in their house of origin to be eligible for further advancement during the session. This year was especially challenging for bills that increased spending given the state’s sizeable budget deficit. Below are updates of key […]

Earlier this week, the Assembly Agriculture Committee approved a ban on “debarking” – a recognized veterinary practice also known as bark softening. This bill is very similar to one that recently passed the Senate that would prohibit veterinarians from performing this procedure unless it is medically necessary to treat an injury, illness, or congenital defect. […]

The Louisiana state legislature is in the final two weeks of its scheduled 2024 session. Here is an updated status report on several bills of interest to dog owners: Senate Bill 476 seeks to criminalize the use of bait dogs in training dogs for dog fighting. The American Kennel Club (AKC) recommended an amendment to […]

On Wednesday, May 22, 2024, the Michigan House Judiciary Committee will consider a bill that would allow a person to receive “non-economic” damages for mental anguish, fright and shock, and loss of companionship caused by the injury or death of their service animal.  Although such feel-good concepts may sound benign, they not only represent a […]

Earlier this week, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a new rule for the importation of dogs into the United States. The rule, which becomes effective on August 1, 2024, will require all dogs to be at minimum six months of age prior to import into the U.S. The American […]