-- Responsible Breeders Part of a Long Tradition of Presidential Pets -- Yesterday, America finally got their first peek at the Obama family settling in with their new AKC-Registered Portuguese Water Dog, Amigo's New Hope, affectionately known as "Bo." Since the first mention of a potential "first" dog many months ago, the Obamas have taken […]

  New York, NY – For the past 125 years, the American Kennel Club® has been the nation's premier advocate for dogs and the people who love them. The AKC's Board of Directors has voted unanimously to proceed with a program for mixed breed dogs which will allow it to act even more broadly and […]

-- Arkansas, Iowa, Rhode Island & Vermont Recognize Importance of Responsible Dog Ownership -- New York, NY - As a testament to the important role that training and responsible dog ownership play in ensuring that dogs are well behaved members of society, four states have recently joined the growing list that have passed American Kennel […]

-- AKC Canine Health Resource Center at www.akcdoghealth.com -- As I reported in my November 2008 Chairman’s Report we know that canine health remains a top priority for AKC, its parent clubs, and all responsible breeders. In that report I outlined the resources available to the responsible breeder from a variety of sources such as the AKC Breeders’ Department […]

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 American Kennel Club® announced today that Director of Judging Operations, Peter Gaeta will retire on March 2, 2009. Gaeta joined AKC in 1999 as an Executive Field Representative in the Fort Worth-Dallas area. In July 2005 he was promoted to Director of Judging Operations and began working in the Raleigh AKC Operations Center. "Peter’s […]

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 Sussex Spaniel is a True Original: Among the First AKC Registered Breeds in History "Stump" and owner-handler Scott Sommer won Best in Show at the 133rd Westminster Kennel Club Show. The American Kennel Club®, a non-profit organization whose rules govern more than 20,000 canine competitions each year including the famed Westminster Kennel Club […]