The West Virginia Senate has passed Senate Bill 406, which would impose onerous restrictions on those who own 11 or more intact dogs. While some exemptions are included, the AKC believes they are vague and may still impact hobbyists who are not truly commercial breeders. The bill has now been assigned to the House Judiciary […]

The Oklahoma State Commercial Pet Breeders Board is currently inviting written comments on proposed changes to the state's commercial breeder licensing regulations. The comment period will close Monday, January 17, 2012. The American Kennel Club encourages all interested parties to review the proposal and respectfully offer any concerns to the Board. Click here for a […]

Yesterday, the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved House Bill 14, which would remove language existing in state statute for over 20 years that declares specific breeds of dog to be inherently vicious.  The bill could be considered by the full Senate as early as next week. The AKC believes this legislation goes a long […]

The Maryland House Environmental Matters Committee is scheduled to consider House Bill 912 on Thursday, March 1. This bill seeks to change the word "owner" to "guardian" in numerous places within state code, which would likely result in a dramatic restriction in the rights of dog owners and veterinarians to properly care for and protect […]

New Hampshire Senate Bill 370, which seeks to impose ownership limits and other restrictions on responsible dog breeders and owners, has been introduced and will be considered by the Senate Executive Departments and Administration Committee on Thursday, January 19, 2012.  The American Kennel Club and our New Hampshire federation, the Dog Owners of the Granite […]

The Oklahoma State Board of Commercial Pet Breeders has extended its deadline for commercial pet breeder licensing to October 3, 2011. Oklahoma law defines a commercial breeder as anyone who owns 11 or more intact female dogs or cats over the age of 6 months "for the use of breeding..." For more information on Oklahoma's […]

A Massachusetts legislative committee is scheduled to consider House Bill 1023 on July 19 - a bill that would significantly change the definition of kennel to encompass training facilities or any dog event with more than 12 dogs. All those meeting the new criteria would be required to comply with all state and local licensing […]

The Suffolk County, New York Legislature has scheduled a public hearing on August 2 for IR-1545, a measure that contains numerous inaccurate, misleading, and unsubstantiated claims that impugn the integrity of the American Kennel Club and the many responsible local AKC dog owners and breeders who devote their lives to the wellbeing of dogs. The […]

The Shelby County, TN Commission will hold a third and final vote on proposed changes to the county animal control ordinance on January 9, 2012 at 1:30 p.m.  The proposed ordinance includes a provision that would make it a violation to leave a companion animal unattended in a vehicle for more than one hour when the […]

The AKC has learned that on Tuesday, January 10, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold another hearing on House Bill 14, which would remove the breed-specific language that has been in state statute for over 20 years.  It is possible that the committee will vote at this hearing, and responsible Ohio dog owners are strongly […]