Sheila Goffe, Executive Secretary and VP, Government Relations & Jennifer Clark, Director of Legislative Outreach for AKC GR
The Weekly Brief
The best of SHOWSIGHT editorials, weekly wins, and breeder commentary — delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning.
Even-numbered years are always a busy time for lawmakers. In many states, lawmakers have shorter sessions in which to act on bills and approve a budget before adjourning—and then hitting the campaign trail.
But shorter sessions don’t necessarily correlate to less legislative activity. In fact, AKC Government Relations has monitored more than 2,000 bills this year that could impact dogs.
Issues ranging from shelter populations to breeder and kennel regulations, to appropriate care and training of all dogs have been considered across the country.
Animal Cruelty Bills – As with the past several years, the top issue once again tracked by AKC GR is animal cruelty. Many of the bills addressed increased penalties for those who commit cruelty. Others, such as bills in Kansas and Utah, would require those accused of cruelty to pay bonds for the care of any animals seized, but provided no remedies or recourse in cases where owners were wrongfully accused or found not guilty of charges.
Not all cruelty bills were opposed by AKC. In West Virginia, AKC supported a bill to update the state’s animal control laws which contained reasonable requirements and language suggested by AKC GR to protect dogs in extreme weather conditions. In New York, AKC strongly supported bills that provide toolkits to help transitional shelters better support victims of domestic violence and those experiencing homelessness and their pets.
Veterinary Issues – Veterinary issues have also been a top issue in legislatures so far this year. Many of these bills address licensing and other updates requested by state veterinary boards. AKC is closely monitoring California Assembly Bill 1999, a comprehensive bill impacting numerous areas of veterinary medicine. It is significant because it clarifies that activities including microchipping, administering vaccinations, and artificial insemination do not need to be performed by a licensed veterinarian, which is a direct response to feedback the state received from AKC clubs and breeders. It also clarifies the definition of surgery and what actions do require a veterinarian.
AKC also expressed concerns over bills limiting humane veterinary practices. Bills in New York and Virginia sought to ban “debarking” or “bark softening.” The New York bills did not pass, but the Virginia ban has become law.
One of the most prominent new trends we are seeing are bills that—inadvertently or otherwise—would impact AKC shows and events.
A stunning example highlighted in a previous issue of SHOWSIGHT was a proposal to add language to the House Farm Bill from the “Greyhound Protection Act,” which risked eliminating or banning standard training and event practices for certain Field Trials, Performance events, lawful hunting with dogs, and other widely accepted training methods used by responsible dog owners and handlers. AKC events potentially impacted included Field Trials and Hunt Tests, Earthdog, Barn Hunt, Coursing, Herding, Farm Dog, and other similar events that preserve the traditions of purpose-bred dogs.
On the state level, bills in New York and North Carolina, among others, sought to arbitrarily regulate tethering, impose one-size-fits all temperature requirements at which dogs may be tethered outside, and requirements for allowing a dog outside. These would have significantly impacted outdoor events and competitions.
In Hawaii, AKC GR and the Hawaii federation defeated multiple bills mandating sterilization for dogs entering the state. Passage would have not only devastated responsible breeding programs, it also would have meant that Hawaiian handlers and exhibitors who traveled to the mainland for shows could not return with their dogs intact.
Thanks to the fantastic response from clubs, exhibitors, owners, and handlers—including a record-breaking response to AKC’s alert on the Farm Bill—none of the bills impacting AKC shows and events advanced with language that would directly impact them.
The Hawaiian mandatory spay/neuter bills are just one example of the troubling trend of extreme and arbitrary overregulation of hobby and home-based breeders. While the majority of such bills have been defeated or amended, it is a reminder that hobby breeders and dog enthusiasts are not immune from arbitrary, one-size-fits-all canine legislation.
Bills in states such as Florida, New York, Arizona, and Illinois would have placed numerous new “commercial-style” kenneling requirements on some hobby and show breeders that would have been difficult—if not impossible—to comply with in a home-based setting.
New York, Georgia, Ohio, and Missouri had proposals that would have significantly lowered the threshold for what constitutes a commercial operation—in some cases requiring commercial breeder licensing and regulation for hobbyists who produce even a single litter in a year.
In all these cases, significant response from clubs and fanciers made a difference in stopping the bills from passing. (Ohio, however, is a year-round legislature, so that bill is still technically alive.)
Oklahoma went even further by defining someone with one intact dog as a commercial dog breeder. Think such a proposal could never pass? This bill was defeated by only a single vote in committee.
Maryland introduced a radical concept requiring all breeders to purchase a new state “birth certificate” for every puppy whelped in the state. This bill did not advance after breeders and clubs flooded lawmakers with phone calls and emails expressing opposition and concern.
Legislative attacks on purebred dog enthusiasts, breeders, and owners are showing up in cities and local communities as well. Philadelphia imposed a three-year moratorium on all breeding within city limits. San Francisco held a hearing on a mandatory spay/neuter proposal. The San Francisco proposal is currently being held and AKC GR is providing more effective alternatives to the council.
Multiple communities in South Florida have also introduced proposals as part of a coordinated effort aimed at redefining hobby breeders as entities subject to commercial standards and regulations.
For the majority of local bills, success resulted from local residents making their voice heard. Taking the time as dog owners, breeders, exhibitors, and experts who will be directly impacted by legislation makes a profound impact in the outcome of bills impacting the future of purebred dogs and our sports.
Together, AKC GR and responsible breeder advocates experienced unprecedented challenges and unprecedented successes in the first six months of 2026. But there is no room for rest. It is clear that animal rights activists are continuing to challenge our right to humanely own, breed, and raise intact purebred dogs and participate in shows and events with our dogs. It is also clear that lawmakers from local cities and towns, up to Capitol Hill, are continuing to take a significant interest in proposals regarding dogs.
Even if your legislature has adjourned for the year, it is essential to take the time to connect with your lawmakers, share your expertise, and demonstrate the importance and value of supporting responsible owners and breeders.
We encourage you to check out our handout Essential Things to Do This Summer to Protect Your Dogs and Your Rights and distribute the printable handout to fellow club members, breeders, and exhibitors. Taking action today can make a tremendous difference for the future of purebred dogs and our sports.
American Kennel Club (AKC)
