The AKC Political Action Committee is one of the most valuable tools that we—breeders, owners, handlers, and club members—have to proactively protect our rights as responsible dog owners and breeders. Still, many people don’t understand what the PAC is or what it does. To address those questions, the AKC PAC recently introduced a new tagline of just three words to help all dog lovers better understand our core mission and principles.
Preserves. The AKC PAC works with lawmakers to preserve and protect our beautiful and historic dog breeds. Every breed has a unique history and specific function that reflects the environment and people who developed it. Our human history is irreparably interconnected with our dogs, today more than ever. Yet sadly, many AKC dog breeds are endangered, existing and reproducing at numbers well below the rate at which other species are considered endangered. In 2024, AKC registered only 26 American Foxhounds across five litters, and 37 Komondorok across 10 litters. By comparison, during the 2024–2025 breeding season, 43 Red Wolf pups were born across 12 litters in captivity as part of the endangered species program.
Advocates. The AKC PAC works closely with the AKC Government Relations (GR) Department to protect the rights of responsible dog owners to own, breed, and exhibit their dogs. Today’s political messaging is rife with irresponsible anti-breeder, anti-dog messaging. The AKC PAC participates in political events and works directly with lawmakers to ensure that your voice—the voice of responsible dog owners—is heard over the misinformation and noise created by animal extremists. When we support lawmakers who share our commitment to responsible dog ownership, we invest in protecting the future of our breeds and our dogs.
Cares. The AKC PAC recognizes and cares about the pressures that responsible owners and breeders face, whether from overregulation, extremist misinformation and attacks, or even in your day-to-day efforts to secure proper healthcare for your dogs, advance the human-animal bond, protect the well-being of all dogs, and preserve your sports. In working with AKC GR, the PAC represents thousands of dog owners who care about the best for dogs and effectively carry that message to lawmakers. When you support the AKC PAC, you join us in showing you care about the future of purebred dogs—a future worth fighting for!
There are many steps that you take to ensure success in the show ring—handling class and training, grooming, ensuring show entries, travel… the list goes on! And there is one small additional action you can take that will make a significant impact in the ring now and in the future—donating to the AKC Political Action Committee (AKC PAC).
Politics can be contentious, but the AKC PAC is solely focused on one issue on which we can all agree: preserving the future of purebred dogs. This essential goal is under attack on the federal, state, and local levels of government.
This year, AKC Government Relations is tracking more than 1,800 legislative proposals with the potential to impact purebred dog owners, the fancy, and the future of our sport. Every cent donated to the AKC PAC supports lawmakers who are willing to protect the rights of responsible dog owners and breeders. Donating to the AKC PAC is a tangible, effective means of ensuring that lawmakers who support purebred dog owners and breeders stay in office and continue to fight on our behalf.
Donations from the AKC PAC send a strong message to lawmakers that supporting the future of purebred dogs matters, and they’re a tangible way to thank those who partner with AKC and our clubs in this important cause.
For example, in 2024, the AKC PAC supported lawmakers in Pennsylvania who had worked with AKC to ensure that certificates of veterinary inspection (CVI) were not required for anyone entering the Commonwealth for a show, nor would they be required for dogs being temporarily boarded for under 30 days. These actions had a direct impact on handlers both in Pennsylvania and those coming in for shows, and we were pleased to use donations from the AKC PAC to show that these issues matter, and we appreciate and value those who work with us.
Also in 2024, the AKC PAC contributed to California Assemblymember Marc Berman’s (CA-23) campaign. Assemblymember Berman has become a great partner to the AKC. As the Chair of the Assembly Business and Professions Committee, Berman oversees a committee that frequently sees dog-related bills. During the 2024 legislative session, Berman’s committee had cognizance over a wide variety of canine legislation. Put simply, if it’s a bill affecting dog owners, chances are it will pass through the Assembly Business and Professions Committee.
In the California Legislature 2024 session, a bill that would have enacted new regulations for animal shelters and reduced the threshold for defining what constitutes a dog breeder in the state of California (Assembly Bill 2425) was overseen by Chair Berman and the Assembly Business and Professions Committee. Throughout the process, Berman and his hardworking staff worked with a wide array of stakeholders—including the AKC—to make sure different viewpoints were heard and incorporated in the legislative process. Ultimately, the bill did not advance, and California’s breeding regulations remained unchanged.
We encourage AKC clubs to share this at club meetings, on their websites, and through social media and other communications, and to urge their members to contribute.
This new fact sheet provides all the information you need to know about how to get your club members to contribute to the PAC. As an important reminder, federal and state laws require the AKC PAC to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employer of individuals who donate.
To donate to the PAC or to learn more, visit: www.akc.org/pac or email: akcpac@akc.org.
