California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed Assembly Bill 241 which would have prohibited any person or entity from having 50 or more intact dogs or cats. He returned the bill with the following veto message:   To the Members of the California State Assembly: I am returning Assembly Bill 241 without my signature. This measure […]

On Thursday, April 30, Connecticut Senate Bill 499, which seeks to impose several changes to Connecticut's consumer protection laws, passed the state's Senate with burdensome last-minute amendments. The bill is now in the House of Representatives. While the American Kennel Club (AKC) supports reasonable consumer protection laws that protect both puppy purchasers and responsible dog breeders, […]

The AKC urges all responsible dog owners and breeders to call or email your state legislators TODAY regarding two important pieces of legislation that are scheduled for consideration on Tuesday, March 11 and Wednesday, March 12, 2009. It is crucial that constituents communicate their opposition to these measures immediately. Although we are awaiting amendments for […]

Alderman Burke has postponed a vote on the proposed mandatory spay/neuter ordinance. Over 130 people signed up to address the committee about the issue and several aldermen questioned whether this was an effective and economical policy for the city to pursue. AKC thanks the many breeders and responsible owners who attended the meeting as well […]

The Indiana House of Representatives has passed House Bill 1468, which imposes limits on dog ownership and labels anyone who sells five dogs a year a "pet dealer".  This bill is being advertised as a solution to "puppy mills" in the state.  The AKC agrees that kennels with deplorable conditions must never be tolerated; however, […]

HB 198 was pulled from the agenda on February 10th, but is now scheduled for a hearing on February 19th at 2pm. The AKC Government Relations department will provide an update after the hearing on our website and will have an alert available at our booth at the International Kennel Club show.   Illinois Alert! […]

The Puppy Uniform Protection Statute (PUPS) has been concurrently introduced in the US House of Representatives last week as H.R. 6949 and in the Senate as S.3519. The legislation will require that any breeder who sells more than 50 dogs per year direct to the public through internet sales or other outlets be inspected and […]

May 8 UPDATE: Tuesday, May 6 the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors decided to table the mandatory spay/neuter proposals and instead form a task force to examine the issue of shelter population.  Thank you every one who attended the meeting and a special thank you to those who spoke in opposition to the mandatory […]

It has been reported to the American Kennel Club that the Quality of Life Committee has directed the Director of Animal Control to examine the feasibility of enforcing the proposed ordinance. The Director of Animal Control is expected to present his findings at a meeting of the Quality of Life Committee in June. Thank you […]

The Dallas, Texas City Council will soon consider major changes to the Dallas animal control ordinance. The changes include breeder permitting, limits on the number of pets that can be owned, stricter dangerous dog language, and a ban on tethering. Mandatory Spay/Neuter   This proposed ordinance mandates that you spay or neuter your dog unless […]