Yesterday, the Texas Senate Business and Commerce Committee approved an amended version of House Bill 1818.  As previously reported, this committee substitute is supported by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and other animal interest organizations as a reasonable alternative to the severe impact earlier versions of the bill would have had on both the type […]

Although the Illinois session is expected to wind down over the next few weeks, two important bills that would undermine impact responsible dog ownership remain active in the state legislature. AKC and the Illinois Federation of Dog Clubs are working to advocate and communicate our position to legislators, and we need your help!  We urge […]

Texas House Bill 1818, which seeks to limit most Texas pet stores from selling purpose-bred dogs, is scheduled to be considered by the Senate Business and Commerce Committee, tomorrow, Tuesday, May 18, at 8AM.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) and a broad coalition of interest groups strongly oppose HB 1818. With legislative deadlines and the […]

May kicked off with the celebration of National Purebred Dog Day (NPDD) on May 1. NPDD honors the pride, predictability and purpose of purebred dogs and the preservation of these breeds. NPDD was the brainchild of Colorado resident and Puli fancier Suzi Szeremy to celebrate the amazing diversity and heritage of the breeds we love. The American Kennel Club Government […]

At its Wednesday, May 19, 2021, hearing, the Massachusetts General Court’s Joint Judiciary Committee will consider multiple dog-related bills.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) supports five proposals and opposes four.  AKC encourages all concerned Massachusetts residents to contact the members of the Joint Judiciary Committee to express support of H. 1656, H. 1824, S. 1111, […]

"Female dogs are moodier; males are more playful." "Females are more dog-aggressive; males are more human-aggressive." "Males are more loyal." "Females are sweeter." Everyone, it seems, has an opinion on sex differences in dogs—these are just a few I collected in an informal poll. But is there any truth to these distinctions, or are they […]

The Governor of Colorado has signed into law new regulations for pet stores that will allow them to continue to operate in the state. As introduced, this bill contained false claims about breeders and inaccurate information that pets from rescues are better for public safety as they are not imported from out of state.  Further, […]

Necessity is the mother of invention, the saying goes. And no dog illustrates that better than the Black Russian Terrier. This relatively new breed – barely two decades in the making – was developed after World War II, when Europe was divided into two geopolitical spheres: the Western bloc led by the United States and […]

AKC has been notified that California Assembly Bill 702, which would have regulated all breeders in the state, will be pulled from today’s committee hearing agenda and not be considered this year. As such, we no longer need clubs and hobbyists to make phone calls during today’s meeting. AKC extends a huge thanks to all […]

On Monday, April 26, the New York Senate Agriculture Committee will consider a bill which will prohibit retail pet stores from selling any dogs or cats.  Instead, they would only be allowed to “showcase” animals available for adoption from a shelter, rescue, or adoption agency that has no affiliation with breeders. New York residents are […]