Colorado Senate Bill 11-009, which made significant changes to the impoundment laws and the ability of owners to get their animals back if they are seized during a cruelty investigation, was postponed indefinitely in the House Agriculture, Livestock & Natural Resources Committee and will not advance this year. The AKC strongly supports the humane treatment […]

-- New Performance and Agility Opportunities Available to Competitors -- The American Kennel Club has recently launched several new competitive opportunities for exhibitors in Performance Events and Agility, and I’m pleased to update you about the success and progress of these programs. The Blue Grass Coursing Club and Greyhound Association of Northern Georgia hosted the […]

The St. Joseph (MO) City Council will be voting on new regulations on Tuesday, February 22, that would require licensing, inspection, and strict care and conditions requirements for anyone who owns three intact dogs of any age for breeding or exhibition.  The guidelines would also affect anyone who is involved with boarding or rescue.  The […]

The Illinois House Agriculture & Conservation Committee is scheduled to consider a bill on Tuesday, February 22, that would remove the state ban on breed-specific legislation.  All responsible dog owners are strongly encouraged to contact the committee and ask them to oppose House Bill 1080. Summary: Illinois is currently one of 11 states that specifically […]

The Missouri House Rural Development Committee is expected to consider a resolution on Tuesday, February 15, that would protect animal owners from undue economic burdens and regulations.   If passed by the General Assembly, it would appear on the November 2012 ballot. All Missouri dog owners and breeders are encouraged to contact the committee and ask […]

-- New iPhone Application "AKC Dogs" Now Available -- In addition to its social media presence on Facebook and Twitter, the American Kennel Club recently joined the "app" world by launching its first-ever iPhone application called "AKC Dogs," currently available for $2.99 in the iTunes app store. Serving as a portable encyclopedia for all AKC-recognized dog breeds, the […]

Two overly-broad animal cruelty bills, SB 2127 and SB 2821, have advanced to the Mississippi State Senate calendar and could be voted upon at any time. The American Kennel Club (AKC) supports strong penalties for acts of animal cruelty; however, we have concerns with several aspects of these bills as currently written.  SB 2127 prohibits […]

On January 18, the New York City Council approved a new section of city ordinances that would prohibiting the restraining (tethering) of animals outdoors for longer than three continuous hours within a 12-hour period. As amended, the measure was also amended to prohibit "for any amount of time" (e.g. temporarily) the tethering of an animal […]

The Hawaii House Committee on Economic Revitalization & Business is scheduled to consider House Bill 1621 on Tuesday, February 8 at 8:00 a.m.  This problematic bill places restrictions on dog breeding and limits dog ownership. House Bill 1621 defines as a "large scale dog breeder" and requires licensing for any person engaged in the business […]

The AKC Government Relations Department has learned that the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee has scheduled a public hearing for supporters of House Bill 14 for Wednesday, February 9, 2011. The American Kennel Club strongly supports House Bill 14, which seeks to remove the term "pit bull" from the state’s definition of "vicious dog". Click […]