There is no question that dogs have a positive impact on our lives. Participating or attending a dog show is a great way to learn about the right breed of dog for your family and the joys and responsibilities of dog ownership.

But have you ever considered that there are even more far-reaching benefits of supporting responsible dog owners and local dog events? Dog shows and responsible dog ownership have a ripple effect that benefits a community’s residents, local businesses, and the overall economy. The AKC Government Relations department is pleased to announce the release of the 2019 State Economic Impact Statistics.

Consider this – The AKC licenses and sanctions more than 22,000 events across the country every year, including dog shows, agility and obedience trials, performance events, and much more. Each of these competitions generates significant revenue for local businesses including hotels, restaurants, transportation, and facility rentals, just to name a few. Nationwide, AKC dog events have the potential to generate more than $1.5 billion a year in local spending.

For more information on how AKC dog shows provide economic benefit to a community, view AKC GR’s Economic Impact of Dog Shows handout.  For information about the impact of dog shows in your particular state, go to  “2019 State Economic Impact By  State”  on the AKC website. These updated one-pagers are one of many tools located in your AKC Legislative  Action Center that are designed to help you make a difference for responsible dog ownership if your community.