American Kennel Club - The Dog's Champion

Legislative Information and Updates from the AKC

A Publication of the AKC Government Relations Department

November 2017

What’s New from AKC Government Relations

As the holidays approach, the AKC Government Relations team wants to thank each of you who have worked tirelessly this year to protect the right to own, breed, and exhibit dogs. We rely on you – our state federations, legislative liaisons, and local advocates – to help communicate with lawmakers in your state and local community and are grateful to partner with you.

AKC GR Out and About

As the year wraps up, the American Kennel Club’s Government Relations team has been holding strategic meetings to better position ourselves going into the 2018 Legislative Session.

In late October Jennifer Clark, Director of Legislative Outreach, spoke to the annual summit of the National Assembly of Sportsmen Caucuses in Traverse City, Michigan. This event, sponsored by the Congressional Sportsmen Foundation, brings together legislators and state officials from around the country to discuss protecting the interests of sportsmen in their states.

AKC's Jennifer Clark presenting on local issues affecting dog owners in Maryland.

Honor Your Dog-Friendly Lawmaker with a Legislator of the Year Award

It’s that time of year again! No, not the holiday season. It’s time to express your appreciation for a federal, state, or local elected official who has taken a stand to protect responsible dog ownership.

Nominate a deserving legislator for the James S. Holt Memorial Award for the Promotion of Responsible Dog Ownership in Legislation. This award, also known as the “Legislator of the Year” award, is a wonderful way to recognize lawmakers who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to promoting responsible dog ownership, the well-being of dogs, and protecting the rights of dog owners, exhibitors, and responsible breeders.

AKC’s Sheila Goffe presents Georgia Senator Bill Heath Legislator of the Year Award for his work defending responsible dog ownership.

How National Breed Clubs Can Influence Local Dog Laws

As a national breed club, it is natural to focus on the big picture when it comes to your breed and your club members. So why should parent clubs care about what’s happening in a local community – and what can you do about it?

The actions of Congress or a state legislature are higher profile and make the news more frequently than local issues, but trends from the last few years reveal that local jurisdictions – cities, counties and towns are where a large proportion of dog laws are actually being implemented.

Legislative Information and Updates

Congress, seven states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are currently in session, and seven states are in a special legislative session. AKC Government Relations is currently tracking more than 1,800 bills on the federal, state, and local levels. For more information on these bills, and information on how you can get involved, visit our Legislative Action Center at www.akcgr.org. Here are some highlights of pending canine legislation issues across the country.

Visit the 2017 Legislation Tracking page for the most up-to-date information on state and federal legislation. This site, updated each weekday, provides the latest bill text, status, and links to legislative alerts posted by the AKC. Click on the links below to view highlights of issues that are being tracked by AKC Government Relations:

Federal — issues that may affect all dog owners in the U.S.
State — issues specific to your state
Local/Other — issues at the city, county, and metropolitan levels, and in U.S. territories

Please contact AKC GR at (919) 816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org for more information or to let us know what’s happening in your local community.

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