At its upcoming hearing on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, from 1PM – 5PM, the Massachusetts Joint Judiciary Committee will consider multiple dog-related bills .  The American Kennel Club (AKC) supports two, requests amendments to four, and opposes three of the proposals.   The full agenda with links to bill text can be viewed here. AKC encourages […]

News from the State Capitols Here are some highlights of state-level issues AKC GR is currently tracking. Alabama – SB 2 seeks to prohibit inmates from participating in training of dogs for tracking humans. AKC is monitoring this legislation, which has not yet received a committee assignment. Arkansas – HB 1420, among other provisions, defines […]

The bills for this year’s legislative session continue to come in fast and furious. At the state level, we are seeing an abundance of ‘bond for care’ bills, breeder regulation bills, and retail pet sales bans, among other topics. On the federal level, we’ve seen we the reintroduction of the highly problematic Puppy Protection Act […]

Senate Bill 876 was heard yesterday in the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice. The bill was left pending in the committee after several senators expressed concern and urged the sponsor to work with AKC to find some common ground.  A staff member from the AKC GR team attended the hearing and testified against the bill. […]

Recently, two Connecticut General Assembly Joint Committees separately voted to advance dog-related bills with amendments favorable to Connecticut’s responsible dog breeders and owners.  Both the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Connecticut Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners (CFDRDO) expressed concerns with the original text of both bills. SB 1069, relative to kennels […]

House Bill 2238 will require anyone who owns 5 or more intact female dogs over 6 months of age to become a state licensed dog breeder – even if they never breed a litter or sell a single dog. The bill has been scheduled for a hearing tomorrow Wednesday, March 22.  Scroll down to see […]

The Lafayette, Colorado, City Council is discussing a proposal tomorrow (Tuesday, March 21) that would ban the sale of all dogs in the city – including private sales. Lafayette residents and those who have provided a dog to a Lafayette resident are encouraged to do the following: 1) Attend Tuesday’s hearing and express your concerns: […]

The Lafayette, Colorado, City Council has asked staff to draft an ordinance to ban all sales of dogs and cats in the city, except for those from shelters and rescues. The City of Lafayette already has a dog ownership limit which restricts breeders in city limits, but it is unclear if this proposal would prevent […]

Several extremely overreaching and punitive dog breeder bills have been filed in Florida. Senate Bill 1492 and House Bill 1581 define any unsterilized female dog over the age of 6 months as a “breeding female” and would require her owner to register with the state as a “breeder,” pay significant fees, and be inspected by […]

On Tuesday, March 7, a number of bills are scheduled for hearings in Illinois impacting dog owners and all who breed dogs.  This includes a bill establishing mandatory genetic testing and sterilization of dogs with “genetic defects”, among other issues. Illinois residents can make a valuable difference today by filling out a simple online witness […]