Issues at the City, County, and Metropolitan Levels, and in U.S. Territories The AKC Government Relations Department is pleased to assist dog owners with canine legislation issues in their local communities, but we can't help unless we are aware of the proposal. Please contact us at (919) 816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org when new laws are discussed or introduced […]

From Our Nation's Capitol The AKC Government Relations team continues to monitor Congress for issues of interest to dog owners. Visit our 2019 Legislation Tracking page and click on “US Fed” on the map to get the latest updates on federal bills currently being monitored by the AKC. Highlights of issues we are currently addressing on the […]

January, 22, 2009 Legislation that seeks to prohibit persons from owning or maintaining an intact dog or cat older than four months old has been filed in the Florida House. If adopted, 2009 Florida House Bill 451 would have a profound negative impact not only on responsible dog breeders in Florida, but also on all […]

Friday, June 21, 2019 The New York General Assembly officially adjourned this morning.  You made a difference!  Thanks to your efforts, no negative bills were passed before adjournment. Here is a summary of some of the major legislation that received a hearing this year: 722 – Hunting Events Ban – As introduced, this bill would […]

March 2, 2009 A bill has been introduced in the Florida House of Representatives to limit dog ownership and impose numerous regulations on responsible breeders and dog owners, including imposing regulations on any person owning 10 or more dogs and limiting ownership to 50 dogs.  All Florida responsible dog owners and breeders are encouraged to […]

AKC Breeder of Merit and Bred with H.E.A.R.T. breeder Beth Lilly, owner of Safari Schipperkes, fell in love with her first Schipperke, Smokey, more than 30 years ago. At first, she was “just your average pet owner.” But with encouragement from a friend, she became a dedicated fancier and in the past 23 years has produced 38 champions and had well over 100 health tests performed on them. Smokey passed away at 19 years of age, and Beth said she still misses him.  […]

Thursday, June 13, 2019 New Jersey Senate Bill 3531 and Assembly Bill 4552, which seek to prohibit the leasing of dogs and cats in New Jersey, are scheduled to be considered by the Senate Commerce Committee on Monday, June 17.  The American Kennel Club continues to request that the bills be amended to specifically preserve […]

 Customers can receive one-on-one help to find their new dog. The American Kennel Club has launched AKC PuppyVisor™, a personalized dog concierge service to help potential dog owners find their new best friend. Whether looking for a puppy or to give an older dog a good home, the service is designed to walk customers through […]

Communicating the AKC mission to the public is one of our most important goals as an organization. Our leadership and staff are dedicated to sharing our message about purebred dogs, the work and expertise of the AKC, and responsible dog ownership as broadly as possible on a daily basis. Last year, the Communications department generated […]

Thursday, June 6, 2019 On Tuesday, June 4, the Massachusetts General Court’s Joint Municipalities and Regional Government Committee accepted two hours of public testimony on multiple bills seeking to impose regulatory oversight over personal and commercial kennels, mandate annual inspections of all kennels, and create consumer protection laws that exempt animal shelters and rescue organizations […]