The AKC Employee Events Team (EET) sponsored the "Dog Days of Summer" on Friday, August 20, 2004. Two hot dog carts were stationed in front of the Raleigh office. In addition to the hot dogs with all the fixin's, each employee received a 22-ounce stadium cup with the AKC logo. Beautiful sunny weather added to […]

  In its endless pursuit to recognize outstanding members of the fancy, The American Kennel Club Lifetime Achievement Awards were established in 1998 to honor our Fancy’s best. The purpose of the awards is to celebrate those individuals whose many years of dedication have led to significant contributions to our sport on a national level. […]

Dear Members of the Fancy: We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for all the wonderful work you did to defeat the proposed cropping ban in California. Your efforts, your voice, your commitment to fighting this battle made the difference, and we know we would not have won this challenge without you. There is […]

July saw the successful conclusion of two federal issues of importance to the dog fancy, both of which were supported by the AKC. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued its long-awaited final rule strengthening the federal Animal Care regulations applicable to commercial dog dealers. Also, Congress enacted the "Minor Use and Minor […]

Each March, Delegates representing the AKC Member Clubs elect individuals from among their own number to serve as voting members of the AKC Board of Directors. In order to understand the significance of this process, it is important to understand how the AKC is governed. There are three distinct, but interrelated, groups of individuals with […]

  From Washington's Foxhounds to Bush's "Barney," presidential purebred pups are as traditional as baseball and apple pie. Twenty-two U.S. presidents have owned purebred dogs and most shared the White House with them. While some dogs had jobs - "Millie" authored a book, "Him" and "Her" modeled for Life magazine, and "Laddie Boy" oversaw high-level […]

The first-ever Breeders Symposium, held on Saturday, July 17, 2004 in Raleigh, N. C. provided attendees with the golden opportunity to learn how to breed better dogs as well as gather the most current information available for improving canine health through advances in veterinary medicine. Jointly sponsored by the American Kennel Club and the Canine […]

In the wake of Boston's recent enactment of a breed-specific dangerous dog ordinance, Massachusetts fanciers should be on the lookout for similar legislation in their municipalities. The Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners has notified AKC that two cities, Fitchburg and Leominster, are considering proposals similar to Boston's new ordinance, which severely […]

Despite strong opposition and lobbying efforts by concerned dog owners and the AKC, the Boston City Council approved a breed-specific dangerous dog ordinance on June 23rd. Prior to its passage, the measure was amended to include a mandatory spay/neuter provision for all "pit bulls." Pit bulls are defined as American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull […]

Following the recent defeat of proposed breeder regulations, New Jersey dog owners barely had time to catch their breaths before Senator Sharpe James, who is also Mayor of Newark, introduced the "Responsible Pit Bull Ownership Act" (S1718) late last week. S1718 Would Allow a Municipality To: Require a special license for all "pit bulls" ($150-700)-including […]