The AKC Board, staff and the fancy often talk of the importance of public relations and advertising in fostering a positive public image of the AKC and the sport. We have made great strides in both of those areas in recent years and our message is often delivered via both editorial and advertising content in […]

The American Kennel Club has been advocating for purebred dog owners since our founding in 1884. Yet in 1990 we stepped up our efforts in the political arena with the formation of the Canine Legislation department. Now the time has come again for AKC to further enhance our role in protecting owners' and breeders' rights. […]

Last month in my Chairman's Report I reported on a pending threat to purebred dog ownership in California: Assembly Bill 1634 would require the mandatory spay or neuter of dogs 4 months or older unless an intact dog permit is purchased through local authorities. Should this bill become law, I fear it could be a […]

As an organization of dog lovers, we have all been deeply impacted by the news of NFL quarterback Michael Vick's federal indictment for alleged involvement in the illegal and barbaric "sport" of dog fighting. While this story is distressing and brings up intense emotions in all of us, there is a silver lining. It is […]

It is sometimes beneficial in both our personal and our professional lives to step back and take a longer perspective of what we have achieved and what we seek. Our natural inclination is to focus on just today and tomorrow. Today I want to share with you some longer range evaluation of just how AKC […]

Dogs initially earned the moniker "man's best friend" as a result of their work alongside man as hunter, herder, or guardian. Today's canine may have dwindling duties on the farm and in the field but a new role has emerged, taking simple companionship a step further and becoming a full fledged family member. Like our […]

The American Kennel Club is the only purebred dog registry which mandates both registration as well as care and condition quality control standards enforced through ongoing rigorous inspections of AKC Breeders. In 1991, the AKC’s Compliance Department came into its own, going beyond the complaint-based system of investigations to mandatory inspection for certain AKC breeders.  […]

The Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE) reaches out to the public in a compelling way like no other AKC awards program. It's about more than great dogs and dedicated people, it's about their relationship with each other. And it's more than an award, it's a celebration of that extraordinary canine-human bond that exists between no […]

Since February we have been waging a legislative battle against California Assembly Bill 1634 which would require mandatory spaying/neutering for all dogs over 4 months of age unless the owner qualifies for and purchases an intact dog permit through the local authorities. This would mean that those wishing to keep their dogs intact would be […]

Being truly unique in our mission and having a history spanning more than 120 years, there are few organizations with a heritage anything like ours. However, in recently learning more about the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), I have been struck at the many parallels it shares with the AKC. Both the AKC and AVMA […]