The Oklahoma House passed SB 1712 yesterday. The bill will significantly expand government regulation of anyone who breeds dogs or cats and who owns more than 11 intact females of either species. The bill’s vague definition of commercial breeder includes no time frame, which means it will require commercial breeder licensing for anyone who owns […]

This Thursday, April 22, marks the important "3rd reading" deadline for Oklahoma legislation.  All bills that already passed their house of origin and were transferred to the other legislative chamber must be read for the third time and debated in that chamber by the end of the day Thursday.  This is a key deadline for […]

The AKC Government Relations Department has learned that the mandatory spay/neuter ordinance proposal currently under consideration by the New Orleans City Council will not be considered at its meeting this Thursday, April 22.  Because the New Orleans City Code requires at least 20 days of consideration for all proposals that seek to impose new permits […]

-- Purebreds and Mixed Breeds Spring into Agility Action -- Spring is always an exciting time for AKC Companion Events, especially Agility. Since its inception, Agility has been AKC’s fastest growing dog sport. It continued its growth in 2009 with 2,292 events (up 6.7 percent over 2008), 870,603 entries (up 3.8 percent over 2008) and […]

Nearly 1,000 of the Nation's Most Athletic Dogs Competed for Top Honors Eleven new AKC® National Agility Champions were crowned yesterday at the 2010 AKC National Agility Championship sponsored by LubriSyn CA and J&J Dog Supplies, held March 26-28 in Tulsa, Okla. The American Kennel Club® event brought together nearly 1,000 dogs from across the country […]

Oklahoma Senate Bill 1340 and Senate Bill 1712, which seek to provide state oversight over certain dog breeders, will be considered by the House Economic Development and Financial Services Committee on Wednesday, March 24.  We strongly urge all concerned responsible dog breeders and owners in Oklahoma to consider the provisions of the bills (described below), […]

  The American Kennel Club® (AKC) is proud to announce to creation of the Walter Bebout Award. Named for the late Director of the AKC Government Relations Department, the award will recognize those federations and owner/breeder organizations that have been actively involved in educating legislators about responsible dog ownership issues and have worked to preserve […]

-- AKC Award Programs Recognize Outstanding Contributions of Both People and Dogs -- Just like the recent Academy Awards, AKC has its own awards programs to recognize the contributions and notable deeds among our dogs and our people. The AKC Outstanding Sportsmanship Award – founded in 2006 – recognizes the hard work and dedication of […]

  -- Dr. Charles Garvin, Dr. William Newman & Patricia Scully Elected -- The Annual Meeting of the AKC Delegates took place on March 9, 2010. Three new Directors have been elected: Dr. Charles Garvin, Delegate from the Marion Ohio Kennel Club; Dr. William R. Newman, Delegate from the Mastiff Club of America; Patricia Scully, […]

Two bills currently under consideration by the Oklahoma legislature seek to regulate some responsible dog breeders.  Representative Lee Denney of Cushing, who sponsored House Bill 1332 in 2009, is currently sponsoring House Bill 2745.  Known as the "Oklahoma Pet Quality Assurance and Protection Act," the bill seeks to create a voluntary program of compliance for […]