In last November’s election, we saw a fair amount of misuse of the term “animal rights” and even outright support for “animal rights” by candidates that otherwise seemed to support the human-animal connection, kindness to animals, and proper care of animals based on sound science. Policymakers know semantics matter. We urge every policymaker and their […]

Atlanta, GA – The American Kennel Club (AKC) honored Georgia Senator Bill Heath with the AKC Legislator of the Year Award on January 12, 2017 in recognition of his dedication to protecting the wellbeing of dogs and the rights of responsible dog owners and sportsmen. The AKC Legislator of the Year award honor legislators who demonstrate […]

Since 2012, the AKC Government Relations team has hosted Conferences on Canine Legislation for AKC legislative liaisons and state federation leaders. The popular biennial conference brings together in Raleigh, North Carolina, grassroots leaders from across the country -- from as far as Hawaii to Maine Raleigh, North Carolina for two days of training and networking. […]

Searching for a new purebred puppy isn’t necessarily as easy as it seems. Sure, anyone can post an advertisement for healthy, purebred, AKC-registered puppies on sites like Facebook and Craigslist, but that doesn’t make them true. It is important for dog owners to know where exactly their new furry friend came from to ensure their […]

As recent history has shown, many anti-breeder animal rights extremists continuously advocate for incremental breeding and sales restrictions that they hope will eventually lead to outright bans on all animal breeding and ownership.  They collectively consider all breeders and pet stores as substandard and inherently not interested in practicing or promoting animal welfare.  These politically-aware […]

In early February, the U.S Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which oversees implementation of federal Animal Welfare Act regulations and pet breeder/dealer licensing announced it was removing certain documents from its online databases for review appending litigation and to ensure full compliance with privacy requirements. Almost immediately, the statement created […]

Chapter 3 A. First Meeting: First organizational meeting select/elect Chairperson and each committee's leadership. Determine scope of event and necessary work force. Make a list of preferred judges, possible event facilities, dates and livestock contractors. Timeline 12 to 18 months prior to event: Have organizational meeting B. Chairperson: Communication is important to conducting a successful […]

If you're reading this...you're probably someone who loves animals, especially dogs. And at AKC's eighth annual Meet the Breeds event, Piers 92 and 94 were packed full with dog lovers of all kinds. Families, breeders, agility competitors, and more all came out to NYC to meet different dog and cat breeds and work together to […]

In October 2016, the American Kennel Club (AKC®) joined the world of online learning with the launch of AKC Canine College. Canine College brings robust, interactive learning content to breeders and judges. Subject matter for groomers and trainers is in development and will be coming soon. AKC’s growing catalog of online courses features educational material […]

Although GCHS Oceano Darbydale’s Xecutive Decision (affectionately known as Xander) is entering the ring at the Beverly Hills Dog Show this weekend for the first time, he’s already accustomed to winning big—especially at the expense of his owner. The Newfoundland, though a member of the Working Group, decided early on that he shouldn’t have to […]