The Maryland General Assembly adjourned late yesterday without passing Senate Bill 160, which would have overturned the Tracey v. Solesky court of appeals ruling. The original ruling, issued in April 2012, declared all "pit bulls" as inherently dangerous and held landlords liable for any actions caused by these dogs on their properties. On reconsideration in […]

On Friday, April 5, the Supreme Court of Texas issued its opinion in the case of Strickland v. Medlen. In a majority opinion authored by Justice Don R. Willet, the court noted that pets hold a special place in the hearts of their owners, but ultimately held that non-economic damages are not available in cases […]

New York, NY – The American Kennel Club is pleased to announce that Bryan Martin has been hired as an Executive Field Representative.  He will join the staff on April 15, 2013 and will be based in the Portland, Oregon area. "Bryan brings a broad base of knowledge to the position of Executive Field Representative, […]

Yesterday, the West Virginia Senate passed an amended version of Senate Bill 437. This newly amended version of the bill addressed many of the issues with the bill; however, the AKC remains concerned about the definition of commercial breeder. This is now defined vaguely as one who owns 11 or more intact dogs (male or […]

-- Making a Difference for Canine Health and Well-Being -- At the March Delegates meeting, Article III of the American Kennel Club Bylaws was amended to include the following: “The objects of the Club shall be to advance canine health and well-being…” Someone unfamiliar with the AKC might see this as a beginning. In fact, […]

New York, NY – Highlights from the March 12-13, 2013 meetings of the AKC Delegates and AKC Board of Directors are as follows.   Full details on these actions, as well as other actions taken, are included in the minutes for the meeting, which will be posted on the AKC website.   Highlights from the […]

New York, N.Y. – Eleven AKC® National Agility Champions, one National Obedience Champion and four AKC Rally® National Competition class winners...   were crowned from an entry of more than 1,600 dogs at the inaugural Companion Events Extravaganza, hosted by the American Kennel Club® (AKC®) this weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma.   “Congratulations to our new […]

More than 1,600 of the nation’s top obedience, agility and AKC Rally® dogs are in Tulsa this weekend jumping, heeling and retrieving as part of the first-ever Companion Events Extravaganza, hosted by the American Kennel Club® (AKC®). These talented canines will compete in the AKC National Agility Championship, AKC National Obedience Championship and the inaugural […]

-- Defending Our Rights -- New York, NY – For years, animal rights extremists have focused on attacking the health of purebred dogs based on what they determined were improper breeding programs, and have indiscriminately discredited dog breeders with unsupported anecdotal stories as opposed to facts. We all know the unsubstantiated accusations all too well. Unfortunately, […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce that Christopher Walker has been hired as Assistant Vice President (AVP), Social Media Outreach/Communications, effective March 4, 2013. He will oversee the expansion of AKC’s digital marketing efforts via social media and other channels.   “Chris brings a broad marketing and digital marketing background to the […]